Book Trailer for Ann Whitford Paul Writing Picture Books
Stephanie Baudet, Writers Bureau tutor, answers questions about writing picture books.
“He would need some magic spell or potion to change himself from a ‘Harry’ to a ‘Harriet,’” joked Nimmo, who is an expert on entertainment for children and young adults.
“Describing how the famous boy wizard would behave as a witch would be enjoyable for author and reader alike,” Nimmo said. “And it is just the kind of fun, witty and creative submission our judges are looking for.”
Nimmo, author of the emerging “Mustard Twins” fantasy series, says that trends in literature aimed at young people risk trapping kids in what he calls a “kind of reading time-warp.”
“Certainly, where representations of gender in fiction heroes and characters are concerned, kids’ books lag way behind today’s society,” he said. “A lot of popular fiction reflects outdated stereotypes of masculine and feminine roles. And books aimed at children and young adults share much of the blame. I am not only talking about mainstream books either, but Newbery and Caldecott medal winners as well.”
To challenge the status quo, Nimmo is encouraging contestants to describe how a favorite fiction book or story hero would act or react in a dramatic situation. But there’s a twist: Entrants are first required to swap the hero’s gender role or characteristics.
With the contest, Nimmo hopes to positively attune parents and kids alike to the subtle messages being transmitted through popular entertainment.
“Readers – especially younger ones – are constantly being exposed to values that are completely out of step with modern times,” he said.
Studies show that, from Harry Potter to Artemis Fowl, boys outnumber girls about four to one in books and TV shows, including those written by women. Furthermore, Nimmo points out, even books with female or gender-neutral names in their titles frequently revolve around a male character.
Why should parents be concerned?
“Society’s values are largely transmitted to children through fiction,” Nimmo said. “It is therefore important that parents be aware that self-esteem and personal development are influenced by the sort of book and story heroes we emulate as kids.”
Nonetheless, Nimmo said, there are things parents can do to sensitize kids to the issue.
“Make sure to include books in your reading selection where individuals are portrayed with distinctive personalities irrespective of gender, where achievements are not evaluated on the basis of gender and where individuals are logical or emotional depending on the situation,” he said.
To encourage young people to challenge the conventions in stories and books written for them, Nimmo is offering a $300 cash prize, plus signed copies of his latest novel, “The Ancient Egyptian Ennead,” which tells the story of two spunky teenage female heroes and their exploits in ancient Egypt in the time of the pharaohs.
Get excited about writing children’s books! Write bestselling books for kids of all ages! Writing for kids can be rewarding: discover how to write bestselling kids’ books by knowing what your target readers want.
<b>Writing Children’s Books for a Target Audience</b>
First, choose your target readers: babies, toddlers, preschoolers, beginners or preteens. A story that’s a potential bestseller with one age group may fall flat with another.
It’s important to decide on the age level before you start writing: this will determine the kind of book you write, the length and complexity of your story, and the number, ages and treatment of your characters.
Studies in childhood development show that as kids grow from babyhood to the preteen years, they look for different kinds of books.
<b>Writing Children’s Books for the Earliest Years: Toddler and Baby Books</b>
Babies and toddlers love to listen to simple tales revolving round the familiar world of home, family and friends. Also popular are adventures of mischievous children, talking animals or toys that come alive.
<b>Babies</b> love to hear about the doings of other babies (especially naughty ones) and baby animals. Learn from bestselling baby books like <i>Welcome, Little Baby</i> by Aliki and <i>Spot the Puppy</i> by Eric Hill.
<b>Toddlers</b> enjoy stories with lots of repetition, catchy words and rhymes. Take a cue from favorite children’s books like <i>Goodnight Moon</i> by Margaret Wise Brown and <i>Jamberry</i> by Bruce Degen. Toddlers also love to hear about the escapades of other kids and talking animals, as in the Alfie stories by Shirley Hughes and the Little Crittur series by Mercer Mayer.
<b>Writing Children’s Books for Preschoolers</b>
Although some preschoolers may have started to read by themselves, most will still have adults reading to them. How your story sounds is therefore very important; read it aloud — does it flow smoothly? Does the story hold your attention?
Books about family and school life are popular with preschoolers, especially if they’re funny stories with children or animals as the principal characters. Get a taste of kid humor from bestselling children’s books like <i>Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day</i> by Judith Viorst, and <i>If You Give a Mouse a Cookie</i> by Laura Numeroff.
<b>Writing Children’s Books for Grade School Kids: Beginner Readers and Chapter Books</b>
<b>Beginner books</b> — also called easy-to-reads — are for kids just starting to read by themselves. The writer’s aim is to make the reading experience a pleasurable one for the child, who can then claim to have read the book “all by myself”. This happy result comes about when the vocabulary and sentences are kept simple and concrete. Most beginner books run to only about 1,000 to 1,500 words, or between 40 and 64 pages.
<b>Chapter books</b> are for more advanced readers, and may range from 1,500 words to 10,000 words, or between 40 and 80 pages. They are usually divided into chapters of 3 to 4 pages each.
Grade school kids enjoy funny stories, and fast-paced adventure and fantasy stories revolving round family, school and friends. To understand what appeals to kids, look at popular children’s books like <i>Kids of the Polk Street School</i> series by Patricia Reilly Giff, the <i>Babysitters Club</i> series by Ann M Martin, and <i>Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing</i> and sequels by Judy Blume.
<b>Writing for Preteens</b>
Preteens want their stories to zip along at a fast pace, with plenty of action, adventure and humor. They prefer protagonists who are their own age or slightly older: active, intelligent, resourceful characters capable of solving problems by themselves.
Preteens look for stories that address relationship and growing-up issues in a way they can identify with: books such as <i>The Divorce Express</i> and <i>Can You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice?</i>, both by Paula Danziger and <i>Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret</i> by Judy Blume.
For more tips and ideas on writing children’s books, visit http://www.creativejuicesbooks.com/creative-writing-ideas-kids.html to help you write the best books for kids.
I want to write simple childrens books for young kids but I’m not sure of the format. I want to start writing soon so can anyone tell me the format? Or know a website that gives out this information for free?
I want to publish childrens books. Can I make a living writing childrens books? How do I become big?
I have so many wonderful ideas about childrens books. I really want to write childrens books that will change the world. I am so excited to get my books published, but how do i? How do i know who will make me big?