Unanswerable.
 

Do you think that at any one time in the history of the world a child (or group of children) set off on a rambling journey into the unknown to find a cure/solution to a loved one's sickness/awful problem and actually found it, then came back to save the day, one way or another?

Because damn, if that never ever happened ever in the history of happenings, how come there are so many stories with that exact theme? And why are all those stories so great? Even as an adult I still think these are the height of that sub-sub genre, Empowerment Fantasy.

And if, somehow, someway, this did actually happen, where a kid ran away and actually came back triumphant, then that's the coolest thing to ever happen to any kid anywhere and anytime.

This hit me while looking at the DVD The Land Before Time IV.

Gets me to thinking of the movie "Stand By Me".

Well, there were the Children's Crusades....no, not the best example.

Hmmm...have to think on this one. Lots of kids were inspired in their youth to make a difference, but usually adulthood had to be attained to achieve their goals.

Lots of children (according to my People magazine subscription over the years) have done things like start charities to help other kids with illness or who are less fortunate. Does that count?

I hate to say no in the face of good-works kids, because I guess that's as close as you can get to being a hero as a kid (although I know plenty of kids have pulled adults out of burning buildings etc, whole 'nother deal), but still, I'm taking about Goonies, The Neverending Story, and my absolute hands-down favorite of this genre, The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Hell, there was a live-action TV movie based on the Hugga Bunch toys that has been embedded in my brain ever since that featured the same concept. (The VHS cover on imdb is incorrect.)