by Bettie Boswell @Bboswell

As a writer for children, I’ve heard many people say, “I’ve always wanted to write for children. I have this wonderful idea that I’ve wanted to write about for years.” That’s when I ask, “What kind of children’s book?” Too often the answer is, “You know, a book for kids.”

Writing for children isn’t for everyone with an idea, without knowing about the craft. There are so many things to learn. Writing a story for children may require as much work as an adult novel. Writing for children can be anywhere from a wordless board book to a full length Young Adult novel. Even deceptively short picture books require much editing and generating of powerful words.

So, if you want to write for children, the first step is to know the general age level and word count for each of the types of books in this very wide category.

Board books will take the wear and tear of a young tot chewing on them. There may be no words, just pictures. Tactile additions such as fuzzy animals or scratchy sounding plastics may keep the baby entertained. Some go beyond the simple by reducing well-known picture books into simple summaries. These may look simple but finding a publisher willing to put out the cost for one of these well-made wonders can be a challenge.

Next is the picture book. This less than 1000 word book tells a complete story, appealing to both the child listener and the adult reader. It should be one the youngster wants to hear it over and over again. The illustrations play an equal part in the story and might even tell an opposing story. The pictures add details without mention of those things in the words. They are a wonderful addition, but add to the cost of production unless you are an author and illustrator.

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When a child starts to read on their own, Easy Readers come into play. They use basic sight and phonetic words. Short sentences and paragraphs are the norm with complete story arcs. Word counts range anywhere from hundreds to lower thousands, depending on the reading level. They are popular in educational settings. Writers might find they enjoy “writing for hire” for this kind of book.

Chapter books are the next step. Wording isn’t higher than a typical third grader can handle. Many are around ten-thousand words and ten chapters.

Next come Middle Grade books, for independent readers, as young as late second grade, all the way to eighth grade. Length is around forty thousand words.

Young Adult books depict characters in high school, up through early twenties. Word counts are similar to adult books.

Chapter, Middle Grade, and Young Adult books come in a variety of genres such as mystery, coming of age, overcoming problems, fantasy, historical, etc.

I create picture and chapter books for children. What kind of children’s writing will you create?

Bettie Boswell, president of ACFW Kidlit and Children’s Editor of Mt Zion Ridge Press, loves reading and creating stories. That interest helped her compose musicals for church and school. Eventually she began writing and illustrating books to share with the world. Her publications extend from children’s to adult fiction and non-fiction. Bettie is a retired educator for classrooms and music from Pre-K to College. She volunteers at the Mazza Museum of picture book art and is a church musician. She has two grown sons, one daughter-in-law, three grandchildren, and a busy minister husband.