Greg Soros, Author, Explains the Mirror and Window Approach

“That’s just like me.” For Greg Soros Author, those four words, thought silently by a child turning pages, signal that a book has done its job. The author has written for young readers for over 16 years, and he believes moments of recognition make reading personal and meaningful.

Recognition is only half of his approach, though. Soros describes children’s books as “both mirrors and windows.” A mirror lets children see their own lives. A window lets them look into someone else’s. Each serves a different purpose, and the author argues children need both.

The Case for Mirrors

Soros believes young readers deserve validation. “Young readers need to know that their feelings, their families, and their struggles matter,” he says. Greg Soros defines a good mirror broadly. It goes past appearance to capture joy, sadness, confidence, fear, belonging, and loneliness. Research keeps his portrayals honest: he visits schools, consults child development experts, and works with sensitivity readers.

Windows carry equal weight. “Children’s books should open their minds to different perspectives and experiences,” Soros notes. Stories about people from other cultures, people with different abilities, or people facing unfamiliar hardship foster empathy from an early age, Greg Soros helping children grow into compassionate, culturally aware individuals. These are the stories that help a child picture what life looks like for someone else.

One Book, Two Readers

The craft lies in combining both. A single story about family dynamics might mirror one reader’s home life while opening a window for a classmate who has never lived that way. Greg Soros draws on his background in child development and educational psychology here, knowing that children process emotions and experiences through narrative.

The author treats this work as a duty, noting that every children’s book “carries the responsibility to contribute positively to a young person’s emotional and social development.” His community work and ongoing writing projects keep that goal at the center of what he does, with the aim of giving young readers stories that celebrate who they are. Through that work, author Greg Soros hopes young readers will also come away inspired to understand others. Refer to this article to learn more.

 

See for more information about Greg Soros on https://www.instagram.com/georgesorosfx_/?hl=en