I know this is a serious post...but I got a visual of that movie with Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller - she was working on being a children's author and her book was about why children shouldn't play with explosives. It was a very Ben Stiller moment. Anyway... I'd like to push back on this question a bit. In my view, as authors, we can get too precious about what our story is about. But the truth is that each reader takes away their own lesson because they read it through unique eyes. Like, Horton Hears A Who. What's that really about? Most folks will say, "A person is a person, no matter how small." And that's true on one level. But the story also shows that we can each be a tipping point and change society if we're willing to stand up and speak the truth even if we don't think we'll make a difference. Or, There's No Such Thing As Dragons. On the surface, it's about how parents don't always listen to their children. But it's also about how things can get out of control if we suppress our shadow. And the meaning of stories can change over time. When I was a child and read, Alexander and the Horrible, Terrible, No-good, Very Bad Day, I felt bad for him because I'd had days like that. But now, as a parent, I identify with the parents who have a child who's grumpy and can't be comforted. I think a story can just be a story and we can leave it up to the reader to decide what it's about. I'm cautious about putting too much worry into what a story is about because can slow me down from actually writing it.

@Zack Bush it's definitely good to have a north star.

I think a child might need my books after a family pet dies, or if major changes come in their lives.