When we go into a library, we usually spend a few minutes in the children’s book section, looking for old favorites. There is some comfort in knowing that another generation is puzzling over the (rather tame) antics of Beany Malone. That the Boxcar Children haven’t aged. That Margaret is still talking to God. That on any aisle in any library, we can find a book that changed our little world (look under Laura Ingalls Wilder, and you will discover the summer we captained an expedition to build a cave to protect our gang from the wild tornadoes of California’s Central Coast…).
Writing books for the young requires a special type of author, as the article below indicates. So many skills must come together to create magic. But, as we read the article, we discovered something rather interesting (it is early — our discoveries are not going to be earth shattering, so play along). Reread the article and replace the word “children” with your genre of choice. We start you with a simple example below:
Then there are the assumptions made about children’s books – they’re easy to write, a doddle to publish and are “little” literature. Children’s literature is regularly bundled under one heading when, in reality, it ranges from short picture books to 100,000-word fantasy novels. Publishers categorise children’s literature into five overlapping groups: picture books for under-fives; junior fiction for six- to 10-year-olds; middle fiction for eight- to 12-year-olds; books for pre- and early-teen readers aged 11 to 14; and books for older teenagers aged 15 to 18. Within the age categories, genres range from realist works to fantasy novels to animal stories.
Publishers and writers say children’s literature is under-represented in newspaper review sections and many children’s authors are forced to supplement their incomes by working as writing teachers, participating in school visits or taking jobs on the side. For new writers, the odds that their book will get published in this country are slim.
Yes, it’s a new game invented especially for you by us. Now go get your shovel — there are caves to finish.
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