Hi, I’m Lauren.
Author ~ Mom ~ Founder of Growing Oak Books
I’m Lauren Vonckx, a children’s author, mom of two boys, and the founder of Growing Oak Books - a little corner of the world built around stories that help children grow.
I believe the books children read can do more than entertain them. Stories can help them understand themselves, see the world through someone else’s eyes, navigate big feelings, and become kinder, more confident humans.
That belief is at the heart of everything I’m building here.
A Little About Me
Long before Growing Oak Books had a name, stories were simply something I loved.
I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies from Western Kentucky University, where I developed a deeper understanding of child development, families, and the experiences that shape children as they grow. Years later, becoming a mom gave all of that an entirely new meaning.
I live in Northern Kentucky with my husband, Rob, our two boys, Jaxon and Sawyer, and our cat, Ace. My family has influenced my writing in more ways than I could ever count. From the funny everyday moments of raising kids to the bittersweet realization of just how quickly childhood passes.
Somewhere along the way, writing stories for children became more than something I enjoyed doing. It became something I felt called to grow.
Why Growing Oak Books?
Growing Oak Books grew from a simple idea:
The stories we give children can help shape the people they become.
My earliest books naturally touched on themes like friendship, confidence, kindness, acceptance, and seeing beyond appearances. As I continued writing and reflecting on my background in Child and Family Studies, I realized I wanted those themes to become a more intentional part of my work.
That became the foundation for Growing Oak Books.
Today, my goal is to create stories and resources that thoughtfully incorporate social-emotional learning (SEL) while still feeling like what they should be first and foremost: wonderful stories children actually want to hear.
I don’t want to write lessons disguised as books. I want to write stories that make children laugh, wonder, feel understood, ask questions, and maybe walk away seeing themselves or someone else a little differently.
Growing Something Bigger!
The name Growing Oak Books represents exactly what I hope to do.
Children are constantly growing, building confidence, developing empathy, learning how to handle emotions, discovering who they are, and figuring out how they fit into the world around them. Like an oak tree, that growth begins small.
A story won’t teach a child everything they need to know about kindness, confidence, grief, friendship, or belonging. But it can plant a seed. And I think those little seeds matter.
As Growing Oak Books grows, I hope it becomes more than a home for my books. My vision includes school and community visits, SEL-centered resources for families and educators, new stories for different ages and stages, and tools that help make some of childhood’s difficult conversations a little easier to begin.
There is a lot I still want to create—and I’m really glad you’re here while I grow it.
From My Family to Yours
At the end of the day, I’m still a mom sitting down with an idea, wondering if it might become a story worth sharing.
My family is a huge part of why I create, and children are at the heart of why I keep going.
Thank you for reading my stories, inviting me into your classrooms and communities, and allowing Growing Oak Books to become a tiny part of the children you love.
Here’s to raising kind kids, growing brave hearts, and planting good things.
~ Lauren