Comments on authonomy Blog | authonomy writing community: Writing for children

I late in this comment. I'm uploading a book t...

2009-09-02T14:24:16.558+01:00

I late in this comment.
I'm uploading a book this weekend. It is for four year old girls.
It's been printed out for a long time and I have to go over it so that there isn't a big fat mistake in it and make a fool of myself.
I didn't mean to write a children's book. The two girls met when they were four.
Oh, and isn't this post all about me.
It'

As a teacher of 24 years, I can tell you that 10-1...

2009-07-09T21:41:06.634+01:00

As a teacher of 24 years, I can tell you that 10-12 year old do not have to be talked to in this present world's language to enjoy a good book. I read the classics to my class and it doesn't matter if the story is set in the 14th century or the 1960's, if the writing is good, they like it. I always try my stuff out on my classes. They're mostly honest with you, although they are

Agree that new books should avoid anachronisms. Bu...

2009-03-26T11:11:00.000Z

Agree that new books should avoid anachronisms. But I suspect it's less important than we think. My clear memory as a child was that grown ups NEVER understood our world - an illustration of that universal truth that outsiders never really know what is going on.

Books and TV programmes showed how adults expected us children to behave and feel, and of course we learned that. Many of

Got 2 for ya :)- www.areyoukirst.com (middle grad...

2009-01-22T01:02:00.000Z

Got 2 for ya :)- www.areyoukirst.com (middle grade) and teen- http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=5201

I grew up hating to read, even though my father au...

2008-12-03T02:26:00.000Z

I grew up hating to read, even though my father authored over 70 books. Figure that one out. But then I recently read that James Patterson also has a reluctant reader son.

I've chosen to write for MG, especially boys, because it's such a pivotal age. Tweens, their parents and teachers have given me excellent feedback so far.

I've never had so much fun in all my life.

Thank you so much for offering clarification and i...

2008-12-02T22:55:00.000Z

Thank you so much for offering clarification and insight regarding YA literature. It seems an area of confusion for many, but your post provides inspiration for writers trying to create literary shoes for young readers.

I'm so glad to hear someone say children love to r...

2008-11-30T02:54:00.000Z

I'm so glad to hear someone say children love to read fantasy (don't we all)and adventure. Something that makes them want to read the story again and again.I have just finished another children's book and tomorrow my next step is to read to a third and fourth grade class. The kids are the greatest critics in the world.
love this blog
Jo Shepherd Ripley

"Thanks for the comments. I agree completely. As a...

2008-11-27T16:38:00.000Z

"Thanks for the comments. I agree completely. As a teacher, I find that kids enjoy reading about kids. They want characters they can relate to inside stories that take them on adventures.(Don't we all?)"

Laurie, I like your views. What age group do you teach, and is there any chance you could get your class to take a look at Kip Doodle? Feedback from kids on our stories is like gold dust.

Crumbs, you even get people plugging their own boo...

2008-11-24T19:02:00.000Z

Crumbs, you even get people plugging their own books on here...

My issue is that not all children's books have to ...

2008-11-24T00:29:00.000Z

My issue is that not all children's books have to be novels...

Let's give some fun back to the kids:
http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=1718
(my book!)

Thanks for the comments. I agree completely. As a ...

2008-11-23T02:27:00.000Z

Thanks for the comments. I agree completely. As a teacher, I find that kids enjoy reading about kids. They want characters they can relate to inside stories that take them on adventures. (Don't we all?)
It's not always easy to capture the voice of children but I've found that reading the text aloud during revisions helps.

Thank you for this very insightful piece. I compos...

2008-11-22T03:18:00.000Z

Thank you for this very insightful piece. I composed a short picture book in ... rhyme ....

I wrote it as I lived it many years ago - the idea of using today's jargon / voice / experience of the newest generation makes me wonder if I did it wrong. It was edited, but no comments on style.

Same with my other short stories about two little boys going on various adventures with

John said: "Here's what's key: writing books for T...

2008-11-21T22:59:00.000Z

John said: "Here's what's key: writing books for TODAY'S kids, not for yourself when you were a kid."

Valid points. Of course an important distinction to be made is that I said "in effect writing the kind of book that I would love to have read when I was that age (8+)". In other words, "at that age", not "in that age". :-)

As for contemporary kids' voice, I know I've had the

"If the following is, in all honesty, what you're ...

2008-11-21T21:33:00.000Z

"If the following is, in all honesty, what you're looking for,

As a leading children’s publisher, HarperCollins looks to publish books that stand out from the pack: novels with a knockout new way of looking at the world, a fresh, believable hook, and, above all, a standout voice. (Yes, that all-important voice, which other editors have blogged about on Authonomy, is ever so important in

If the following is, in all honesty, what you're l...

2008-11-21T20:01:00.000Z

If the following is, in all honesty, what you're looking for,

As a leading children’s publisher, HarperCollins looks to publish books that stand out from the pack: novels with a knockout new way of looking at the world, a fresh, believable hook, and, above all, a standout voice. (Yes, that all-important voice, which other editors have blogged about on Authonomy, is ever so important in

Here's what's key: writing books for TODAY'S kids...

2008-11-21T18:58:00.000Z

Here's what's key: writing books for TODAY'S kids, not for yourself when you were a kid. You've got to immerse yourself in the way today's kids speak and think, and you need to know the stuff that is second nature to them -- social networking, video games, the music they like and so on.

Volunteer at a school or Girl Scout/Boy Scout/Cub Scout group. Hang out with your nieces and

I have had a go at writing a children's book, but ...

2008-11-21T00:08:00.000Z

I have had a go at writing a children's book, but I have to say that I have miserably failed to follow your rules. I'm not entirely convinced that all children want to read endlessly about other children saying things are "wicked" and "cool" (both probably now out of date anyway). But I accept that you are in a better position than I am to know what they like.

Anyway, it's very

I think children's books should be magical, exciti...

2008-11-20T09:25:00.001Z

I think children's books should be magical, exciting and above all pull the child into a world that is so beautiful they smile all day. Forget whats trendy,don't over complicate and get inside their little world.I get fed up with books that try and talk to 8 year olds as though they are adults. Is this really what we want? I wrote Hobgoblet with the aim of recapturing an era of books that is

Childrens writing, in particular 6 to 9 year olds,...

2008-11-20T09:25:00.000Z

Childrens writing, in particular 6 to 9 year olds, should have a world in front of them so beautiful and simple that they will be left smiling all day!I do not think children need to have adult content etc thrown at them at such a young age. Books by Blyton,Lewis etc offered such exciting yet simple books. I would wish for my youngest daughter to be amazed and excited by everything she read

I first started writing when I was a teenager beca...

2008-11-19T21:36:00.000Z

I first started writing when I was a teenager because there wasn't anything between Nancy Drew/Willard Price and Robert Heinlein. My first attempts were things I'd like to have read myself.

"Don't inspire or illuminate, me @ to me that very...

2008-11-19T15:44:00.000Z

"Don't inspire or illuminate, me @ to me that very aim is a form of talking down. Just want to amuse, anything else is a bonus. As a kid I hated books with morals and good intents and still do."

You're misreading me. Go and read me instead ;-)

Don't inspire or illuminate, me @ to me that very ...

2008-11-19T15:19:00.000Z

Don't inspire or illuminate, me @ to me that very aim is a form of talking down. Just want to amuse, anything else is a bonus. As a kid I hated books with morals and good intents and still do.

Actually my Poonlop takes the piss out of the 'talking down' style and that really seems to float the ten year old boat.

A slight snag for me: "but they should definitely sound like kids

One of my pet peeves is kids' books talking down t...

2008-11-19T12:54:00.000Z

One of my pet peeves is kids' books talking down to their readership. I've been told now by many people that my book Kip Doodle And The Armchair of Lost Dreams (http://authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=3302) captures the voice really well - to the extent that one author commented that the hero Tyler was just like her own ten-year old son.

For me, with this book, it was about offering

Yes - the dialogue can be tricky sometimes. I've f...

2008-11-19T12:47:00.000Z

Yes - the dialogue can be tricky sometimes. I've found occasional phrases and references slipping in that are too old-fashioned for a twelve-year old.

It helps to work with children, I find (with the writing that is - not the nerves :-))