Questions tagged [children]

This tag should be used for questions about writing intended for readers 0-7 years old. For readers between 12 and 18 years old use [young-adult]. For readers ages 8-12 use [middle-grade]. For questions about characters, use [child-characters]. For questions about children or teens who are writers, use [young-author].

This tag can be used for questions about fiction or nonfiction, as long as the audience is young children.

Children's books can be picture books, early readers, or chapter books. The books may feature children the age of the audience or they might be about older children, adults, or animals. Content is "family friendly" and suitable for the specific age targeted. Children's stories span all genres. Exact age ranges may vary publisher to publisher.

For readers ages 8-12 use
For readers ages 12-18 use
For questions about characters who are children (especially in adult books), use
For questions about children or teens who are writers, use

65 questions
52
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10 answers

My kid's first story

So, my 11-year son has just written his first literature work yesterday: A short fantasy story about werewolves in a forest chased by a group of courageous men. Half-full of mistakes of all kinds, still it seems that he is getting the taste of…
Ali_Habeeb
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7 answers

Where can I find resources for bedtime story plots?

For past ten months, my wife and I have been telling bedtime stories of our own making to our older daughter (who recently turned 4). We do it on alternate evenings. The stories have a nearly-constant set of characters who face various situations…
Boris Bukh
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23
votes
6 answers

Can someone publish a story that happened to you?

Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it? Using your name and specifics, and take the copyright for it? A person, whose mother lived in our small town, heard a story about our father. This person wrote a…
Juli Ridgway
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11 answers

What is the effect on the young reader when there is no "Happy Ending" in a story for children?

It is a common practice for a story for children to have a happy ending. Would it be considered inappropriate and disappointing for the young reader if his hero/heroine will suffer a horrible tragedy in the end? Or maybe not a horrible tragedy, but…
Axarydax
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15
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6 answers

Is it better to avoid names with a difficult pronunciation in Middle Grade fiction?

Many languages are written using Latin letters, but often these seemingly familiar letters aren't pronounced in the way that we are used to. For example, an English speaker might read the name Siobhán as siob-hen, pronounce Jorge like George, and…
user29032
14
votes
4 answers

A children's book that takes 25 minutes to read out loud - is it too long?

I've written a 3rd grade level (8-9 years old) children's book that takes about 25 minutes to read out loud. I read it to a 3rd grade class, with a few posters for illustrations, and it actually seemed to keep their attention. Even the teachers…
crj11
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2 answers

What's a normal word count for a children's novel or collection?

How many words are normal for a children's novel? Say 5th - 8th grade, if that's the best way to measure it.
johnny
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10
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5 answers

Making science for toddlers easy to remember

I have been intending to create a book for toddlers with basic scientific notions in it. Most books for this target readership that I have seen present whatever content in the form of a story, quite often with fictional characters. I was intending…
NofP
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10
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1 answer

How to convey a concept without illustrations when submitting?

Everything I have read or been told, and every guideline I have seen regarding submitting a picture book manuscript to a publisher has indicated that illustrations should not be included in the submission. This makes sense to me for the commonly…
SolStack
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9
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1 answer

First-time meeting with publisher & editors (What to expect)

My fiancée is a first-time children's book author. What should she expect from her first meeting with the publisher and editors? Any advice? They've already seen some samples of her unpublished work and are interested in interviewing her before…
Old McStopher
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8
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3 answers

How to tell or retell basic character and setting information in a series?

I am writing a short children's novel and I want to expand this into a series made of several short novels. I intend to write the whole series at once so that the internal universe is consistent and so that I can add an arc across the books. This…
Village
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8
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5 answers

Sending manuscript to multiple publishers

As an addendum to this question, I have written a children's picturebook, and as I understand it, the process of sending off a manuscript and getting it reviewed is expected to take 3-6 months (I am based in the UK). Is it bad form to send the…
martin
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8
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2 answers

What are some clear differences in theme/story between children's, middle grade, and young adult fantasy?

At the moment I'm trying to write a fantasy novel, and I think it's leaning more towards middle grade rather than children's or young adult fantasy, but I'd like to know if there are any particular clues I could look out for when deciding which I…
s.anne.w
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8
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1 answer

Illustrations for a children's book to be republished

I illustrated a book 20 years ago. No royalties: one-time use. Did not sign a contract for copyright. It is considered an orphan. Now the author wants a new publisher to print the same illustrations. Do I have any rights? I do not have the contract.…
Lisa
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7
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7 answers

Using footnotes in fiction: children's book which can be enjoyed by adults

I would like to write a children's story which is appealing to both children and adults. However, the world in which the story takes place requires the use of higher vocabulary and slang (it is a real world, for example, the petroleum industry).…
writersam
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