History ChildSoldiers / Literature

* The ''Literature/SpiritAnimals'' series has an interestingly {{Justified}} example. When the four ''11-year-old'' heroes establish bonds with the PhysicalGods known as the Four Fallen, the Greencloaks are forced to send them into battle immediately, because the Devourer is moving ''right then'' and only the Four Fallen have a chance of stopping them.

* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/SpaceCadet'' the Commander of the Academy talks briefly of taking these young men and changing them forever. Even those who eventually drop out will find civilian life foreign to them. Robert A. Heinlein graduated from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis at the age of 22. He may know what he's talking about.

** In a striking example of Fudge's refusal to face the facts and pull his head out of the sand in [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]] part of his insane paranoid delusion regarding Dumbledore's insistance Voldemort is back, and the reason Professor Umbridge is being deliberately obstructive in her own students' education, is that he believes that Dumbledore is building a private army out of the students of his own school with which to stage a coup d'état against the Ministry of Magic.

* Works by Creator/JohnHarris (aka Max Hennessy)
** ''Blunted Lance''. Averted by the eldest member of the Goff cavalry dynasty, who says he always discouraged this trope because underage recruits lacked the staying power and resistance to disease of more mature soldiers.
** In ''Live Free or Die'' a group of French kids in occupied Paris are playing at resistance, as they are just not going to be allowed to join the French Resistance. They have collected real weapons (a piecemeal array of old civilian weapons at best) and decide they are good enough to do it for real... when the time comes to liberate the city, [[CurbStompBattle they are all promptly slain]].

* ''Blunted Lance'': Averted by Max Hennessy (aka John Harris). The elderly Goff mentions that he always discouraged this trope, because underage recruits lacked the staying power and resistance to disease of more mature soldiers.

* ''Live Free or Die'': This work by John Harris features a group of French kids in occupied Paris, playing at resistance, as they are just not going to be allowed to join the French Resistance. They have collected real weapons (a piecemeal array of old civilian weapons at best) and decided they are good enough to do it for real... when the time comes to liberate the city, [[CurbStompBattle they are all promptly slain]].