Like I Didn't Feel Past My Sell-by Date As It Was

Slate recently did a story on literary prodigies like Christopher Paolini, Flavia Bujor, and the recently deceased Mattie Stepanek, all of whom achieved publishing success before they were old enough to drive a car:

The main theme of the young literary lights of the Rowling era is, what else, the maturation of youths who are more than ordinary Muggles—in other words, the prodigy's story of coming to terms with unusual powers and expectations. What's striking is their emphasis on the crucial assistance of grownups in the process: Sui generis child genius, effortlessly emerging, isn't part of the message... Such a tamed-down notion of child talent can encourage sentimentality—and indeed, Bujor's tale of three girls equipped with magic jewels reads a little like Harry Potter meets Hello Kitty, and chicken-soup-style uplift echoes in Stepanek's lines. Still, the time is ripe for a dose of demystification. The truth is that youthful talent rarely flowers without adult tutoring. Behind almost every young miracle there's a mentor, guiding but also sometimes goading, given how much hard work it takes to realize even (or especially) great gifts.