Linda Soules Releases 'So You Want To Be A Journalist,' a Kids' Guide to Reporting for Ages 10–14

Author Linda Soules has released So You Want To Be A Journalist: A Kids' Guide to Journalism, News Reporting, Investigative Stories, and the Determined Writers Who Uncover the Truth and Keep the World Informed, a 39-page children's nonfiction book for readers ages 10 to 14. The book is also written to be welcoming to readers 8 and up. It is listed at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1972766384 under ISBN 978-1-972766-38-5. The title is part of Soules's So You Want To Be A... career-exploration series. It has already collected a Literary Titan Gold Book Award, the Grand Prize in the 2026 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, and a Silver Award in Children's Nonfiction at the 2026 CIPA EVVY Book Awards. The book explains how reporters work, including the slow verification and records research behind a published story.

Most career books for young readers lean on the visible parts of a profession. In journalism, that usually means the anchor desk, the breaking-news graphic, or the byline. Soules's book starts from a different premise: the work is mostly patient and unglamorous. It involves knocking on doors that people would rather keep closed, reading hundreds of pages of court documents for one sentence that does not add up, and sending a draft back to an editor for a third round of changes. The book treats journalism as a demanding, consequential profession and explains it to young readers in those terms. It also asks whether the curiosity, persistence, and honesty the work requires might already be present in the child holding the book.

The book is organized around how journalists actually work. Readers learn the difference between a beat reporter and an investigative journalist, and why a single source is never enough. They also learn how a Freedom of Information request can open up a story that has been sitting in plain sight. A section on the daily rhythm of a newsroom walks through the morning pitch meeting, afternoon interviews, an editor's repeated revisions, and a deadline that does not move. The book also covers how reporters protect their sources, verify what they are told, and decide what belongs in print and what does not.

Readers follow journalists into the field through a series of working portraits. A city-hall reporter watches a budget vote. A foreign correspondent files from a place most people could not find on a map. A science reporter stands at the edge of a launchpad, and a sportswriter sits in a press box where cheering is strictly forbidden. The book does not avoid the harder parts of the job, including difficult interviews, the threats that can come with a byline, and the responsibility of getting it right when people read every word. Illustrations accompany the text throughout. The book also includes profiles of Ida B. Wells, Nellie Bly, Edward R. Murrow, and Gordon Parks, along with true stories such as news delivered by carrier pigeon, the most famous wrong headline ever printed, and the secret Watergate source known as "Deep Throat."

The book's recognition spans three separate award programs. The Literary Titan Gold Book Award, the Grand Prize in the 2026 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, and the Silver Award in the Children's Nonfiction category of the 2026 CIPA EVVY Book Awards each evaluate books independently. The awards add to the standing of the broader So You Want To Be A... series, which Soules has built around a consistent editorial rule: never talk down to young readers. For this title, that means using the vocabulary of the profession, including beats, sources, verification, and public-records requests, and explaining each term in context instead of simplifying the subject away.

The book differs from many youth-oriented journalism resources in its focus. It is not a classroom guide to writing a school newspaper, and it is not a media-literacy workbook. It is a career-exploration title that shows a range of journalism jobs, from small-town weeklies to international news desks. The scope covers local government reporting, foreign correspondence, science coverage, sports writing, and investigative work. Each is presented as a distinct role with its own routines and ethical constraints. The inclusion of historical figures places the profession in a longer story about press freedom and public accountability, rather than presenting it only as a present-day job market.

"Kids deserve to know what journalism really is: slow, stubborn work to find out what is true. I wanted them to see that curiosity and persistence can start early," said Linda Soules, author of the So You Want To Be A... series.

The book is written primarily for curious readers ages 10 to 14, a group that is often starting to think about what adults do all day and what kinds of work might suit them. Parents, teachers, and librarians can use it as a starting point for conversations about how news is gathered and checked. A young reader who already likes asking questions will find a name for that habit, along with examples of people who turned it into a career. A reader interested in sports, science, politics, or world affairs will find a journalism path that connects to that interest. Because it runs 39 pages, it can also work for reluctant readers or for classroom read-aloud sessions on careers.

So You Want To Be A Journalist is available through Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1972766384. The listing carries the full title, subtitle, and ISBN 978-1-972766-38-5, which can be used by libraries, schools, and booksellers to locate the title. Readers should check the Amazon listing for current pricing and available formats. The listing also includes the book description and author information for educators and parents who want to review the content before purchasing. Review inquiries and interview requests can be directed to the author through the contact information provided with this release.

The journalism title is one entry in a series that Soules envisions spanning more than 180 books in total. More than 60 have been published to date, and new releases continue on a steady cadence. Existing and planned subjects range widely, from astronauts and marine biologists to magicians, stunt performers, and roller coaster designers. Each book is meant to pull back the curtain on a real career, covering its rewards, its difficulties, and the path to get there. The strategy is breadth: give young readers a large and varied library of professions, so that more of them encounter a job they had not known existed.

Linda Soules is the author and creator of the So You Want To Be A... series, a growing collection of career-exploration books for readers ages 10 to 14 and beyond. Her philosophy is that young readers are smarter, more curious, and more capable than publishing often assumes, and that they deserve books that respect their intelligence while sparking real enthusiasm. Before turning to children's publishing, she spent 25 years in law and finance, advising hedge funds and sophisticated financial institutions on legal and regulatory matters. That career, she says, taught her precision and discipline and how to translate intricate subjects into language anyone can use. So You Want To Be A Journalist is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1972766384.