A few months ago a young reader wrote to me: "Your story explained feelings that I have always felt, but was never able to put into words."

I think he put into words the most important function of the adult who writes for young people. That is, to help explain readers to themselves.

My average reader probably is 14 or 15 years old. At that age he has lived long enough to feel most of the emotions and participate in most of the experiences that life has to offer.

At that age he knows what it is to love and to hate. He has felt envy and compassion, jealousy and adoration. He has been vengeful and merciful, enjoyed freedom and struggled against restraint. He has been oppressed and he has been exploited….

The fact that he has felt and reacted to most of the emotions he is endowed with does...