child protagonists
Kids leading stories
Child protagonists are main characters in stories who are children, typically under thirteen.
The device appears across literature, film, and games, often to explore coming-of-age themes, innocence confronting darkness, or worlds seen through fresh eyes: Harry Potter and Scout Finch are iconic child protagonists.
The plural form usually refers to the narrative convention rather than specific characters.
- innocence lostEnd of naivety
- bildungsromanFiction of psychological maturation
- young adultPerson just past adolescence
- coming-of-ageYouth becoming adulthood
- fairy taleMagical children's narrative
orphan · running away · chosen one · adventure · fantasy · hero · save the world · underdog · unlikely hero · dream · curious · resilience · survivor · misfit · dystopian · Narnia · magic school · hidden world
- children's literaturefairy tales, picture books, young adult, fables, fantasy
- young heroeschosen ones, boy wonders
- Russian childhood literatureorphans, childhood, coming-of-age, foundlings, moral lessons
- childhoodchildhood, baby, kid, toys, play
- Andersen TalesThe Ugly Duckling, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, The Wild Swans, The Nightingale
- picture bookspicture book, picture books, illustrations, storybook, storybook art