Parenting suggested tikatok.com, where kids can write, illustrate, and publish real books. There is no monetary obligation for joining; costs are only incurred when you order a book your child has written.  Hardcovers start at $18, paperbacks at $15, emailed books are $3.  The site differentiates between stories for all ages, 8 and up, and 10 and up.  For the 8+ age range there are Story Sparks including — but not limited to — “Aliens, Robots, and Space,” Dinosaurs, “Heroes and Villains,” and “Ghosts and Monsters.”

The site looks really interesting, and I think that many aspiring authors would really enjoy playing around on it.  I couldn’t help but notice, though, that something about the site made it appear aimed more towards girls than boys.

With that in mind, Makebeliefscomix is more likely to appeal to the testosterone set. The comic book format is a lot of fun and included are both writer prompts and story ideas.  The final product is less polished than ones from tiktok, but lack of polish is undoubtedly an important charm for comic books in general.  The comics are printable and email-able, so kids can easily share them with each other.  Overall I think both sites have their up-sides, but I’d be much more likely to recommend makebeliefscomix to a tween guy.

Who knows, maybe the next Stan Lee is hanging around your house, just looking for a creative outlet!