Children’s Writing Web Journal

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I often talk about the “rules” of writing for kids, citing proper page lengths and story types for different age groups. A better term would probably be “guidelines”; these rules exist only to tell you what, in general, editors like to see in the manuscripts sent to them. And, of course, for every rule there are numerous exceptions. But while we’d all like to think our book is strong enough to override the guidelines, this is usually not the case. Here are some rules that shouldn’t be broken until you really know what you’re doing:

Don’t Write Picture Books in Rhyme

Yes, you’ve seen them in the stores and kids like them. But children also like picture books that aren’t written in rhyme. It takes a great deal of skill and hard work to craft an original story, complete with unique characters, in about 1000 words. It takes another skill entirely to tell that story in rhyme. If you’ve got it, great. But don’t assume that because your story is aimed at young children it has to rhyme. Always try to write it in prose first. Once you’ve got the story on paper, decide if the rhyming format will add to the text. If the answer is yes, make sure it’s strong rhyme: it has a consistent meter, uses no clichés or extra words, and has a rhythm that is easy to read aloud. (more…)

By Laura Backes, Publisher of Children’s Book Insider

 It’s a great time to be a children’s book author or illustrator. Recently, the industry was abuzz with the news that Brian Selznick won the Caldecott for his 544-page The Invention of Hugo Cabret, published by Scholastic for ages 9-12. Selznick, who wrote and illustrated the tome, described his work like this on Amazon.com: “My new book … is a 550 page novel in words and pictures. But unlike most novels, the images in my new book don’t just illustrate the story; they help tell it. I’ve used the lessons I learned from … masters of the picture book to create something that is not a exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things.”

Not to be outdone, the Newbery committee awarded this year’s medal to Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Robert Byrd (96 pages, Candlewick Press, ages 10 and up). This book is a series of 22 portraits of medieval characters between the ages of 10 and 15, written in prose and different verse forms, designed to be either performed out loud or read silently. Historical notes appear in the margins, and occasional two-page spreads feature short essays on historic topics related to the narratives. Illustrated with Byrd’s pen-and-ink drawings, it’s not quite a novel, not quite a play, not exactly nonfiction, but rather a wonderful melding of all three. (more…)