Letters For Kids

Letters For Kids is just like Letters In The Mail, except intended for subscribers six years and older. We’re helping people appreciate the post office at a younger age.

You or your child will get two letters a month written by middle-grade and young adult authors like Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler, Adam Rex, Kerry Madden, Natalie Standiford, Susan Patron, Rebecca Stead, Cecil Castellucci, and more.

Some of the letters will be illustrated. Some will be written by hand. Some will be in color, some will be in black and white. It’s hard to say! We’ll copy the letters, fold them, put them in an envelope, put a first class stamp on the envelope, and send the letters to you (or your child, it’s up to you who to put in the shipping address).

Many of the authors will include a mailing address on their letter so you can write back. But we can’t guarantee it. We can’t control these people. Some of them live in the woods.

You might be wondering why The Rumpus is doing something for a younger audience. Is it because we ourselves are getting older? Probably not. We can only respond with one of our favorite quotes from Dave Eggers, one of the founders of 826: The wind knows nothing, don’t flatter her with your questions.

Anyway, this is fun. Six is pretty much the perfect age to start checking your mailbox. And if you’ve waited until you were ten, well, you’re four years behind but still, it’s not too late. And if you’re sixteen, that’s OK, there’s still something of the kid left. And if you’re sixty, well… OK. You’re young at heart.

Letters For Kids will be managed by the talented and mysterious YA author Cecil Castellucci, our Children’s Correspondence Coordinator (didn’t know we had one of those, did you?).

Letters For Kids is $4.50 per month (we know it says $4 below, but trust us). $9 international. Sorry Canada, you have to subscribe as international.

When you subscribe you’ll be asked first for your shipping address. This is where you put the name and address of the person the letter should go to. On the next page you’ll be asked for your billing address. You’ll have to fill out both, even if they’re the same.

You can also just subscribe for a year for $48 domestic, $96 international.

Purchase a Subscription:

Already have a subscription? Log in to update it.

UPDATE: For every new subscription starting July 31 and continuing through the entire month of August (and September!), The Rumpus is going to donate $2 to our favorite tutoring centers, 826 National. For year long subscriptions we’ll donate $10.

If you’re already subscribed to Letters In The Mail you’ll need to create a new account with a new email address for Letters For Kids, otherwise you’ll end up canceling your other subscription.

Rumpus Letters on MSNBC, CBS This Morning with Charlie Rose, Huffington Post, USA Today, and Wired’s Geek Dad.

Any questions, customer service, or just want to say hello, please contact Lisa Dusenbery, lisa@therumpus.net.