Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a teen who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a friend, and a son or a daughter. Above all, the Teen of the Month is dedicated to making a positive mark on the planet. Rich or poor, famous or not, the Teen of the Month shines as an example of what today's teens have to offer.

July's Teen of the Month is 18-year-old Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, a multi-published author, who wrote her first novel at age 13.

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes began making up stories when she was 3 years old. With the encouragement of her parents and a little perseverance on her part, Rhodes has accomplished as much in her short life as many hope to do in a lifetime. "I never stopped and said, 'I want to write,'" Atwater-Rhodes says. "I have always loved stories, words and characters. I have always created stories, since I was too young to even know how to write them down. Later I created more complicated stories and finally novels. After writing a couple of those, I decided to try to share with a greater audience – and the way to do that is to publish. I never would have had the courage if my friends and family hadn't encouraged me, but with their help, I started reading the 'how to write better and get published' books ... and things started falling into place."

In her household, reading was fundamental – and fun! "My parents encouraged me to read – and to read anything I wanted, so long as I was reading," She says. "If I picked up Jane Eyre, that was great. If I picked up Lasher, that was fine too. They never restricted what I read and at the same time, never made reading a chore, and in doing so, they taught me to love it. They taught me to love stories, to love words in general. Later, when I started writing, they never criticized the genre or said I was 'too young'; they kept encouraging me. They let me use the computer, bought printer paper and publishing books and paid postage when I started trying to get published. Over all, they never said it was impossible."

Did she simply write in order to please her family or read more in order to compete? Not likely. It is these differences that helped to make Atwater-Rhodes so unique. "My parents and siblings – in that I include my cousin, Nathan, who is like a brother to me – have talent, but prefer to spend their energies elsewhere," she says. "We all shine in our own ways; we have to. If we all tried to compete, we would hate each other. As it is, we have our own talents and our own loves. Mine happens to be writing."

One would think that being a "child star" would prevent Atwater-Rhodes from fully enjoying her childhood. However, just ask, and you'll see she doesn't miss what she "missed." "I think publishing has changed my life," she says. "But considering all the changes I've gone through between ages 14 and 18, I would never be able to say what would naturally occur and what came from my writing and publishing. I probably missed out on things, but since they didn't happen, I'm not aware of them. I know I gained much – though it would be hard to describe; I have met people and done things since publishing that I would probably never have had a chance to meet or do otherwise."

As a result of her own encouragement, Atwater-Rhodes advises other parents to encourage, not discourage. "Don't censor [children]," she says. "Someone isn't going to go out and murder people because they read a violent book unless there is something else seriously wrong in their lives. However, in trying to get their children to read 'good' books, many parents accomplish the opposite of their goals: They teach them to hate reading. If their children discover a genre they love, and it doesn't agree with what their parents allow, they learn that enjoying reading is bad, a guilty secret they have to hide."

Atwater-Rhodes feels that encouragement for the budding young writer is much the same. "So many parents read a story about vampires and instantly come at their child with stakes and holy water, destroying the young writer's trust and confidence," she says. "Whereas saying, 'You've been writing? I would love to read it,' and later giving feedback can make a hesitant storyteller blossom into the next Shakespeare. Telling that same storyteller to write something else can destroy the stories forever."

And to the budding young writer, Atwater-Rhodes offers a simple, yet familiar phrase: "Just do it!" "Try it," she says. "I'm a believer that anything is possible, but you have to try it. Don't consign yourself to failure because you are afraid of rejection. Publishing is a difficult goal, but if I could do it, others can do it; don't give up."

Want to see more?

• June 2002 Teen of the Month: Ashley Michelle Oppenberg
• Model Behavior: Today's Teens and the Role Models They Choose
• Parents as Career Counselors: Leading the Way With a Helping Hand
• Talk about it!