Like in adult books, kids books need a compelling storyline to keep their attention. Remember, the little guy's don't have the same patience as an adult to weave through chapter after chapter to find out what the book is about, or when the action is going to begin, or find out who the character is.
It's the emotional connection to characters that thrill and excite them, stepping into their shoes and pretending they are they hero or heroine. For example the Harry Potter books. Kids dug right into that series because Harry was real for them. They cared about him and his friends, They cried for him when someone died and knew Harry was upset. And they cheered Harry on his quest to fight Voldemort. If children cannot connect or care for the character then you risk losing their interest.
Another kids love is to read characters that are a few years older than them. Not sure why...I've been out of the kid realm a few years. GRIN!
As writers, we need to remember that children can only relate to social themes and subject matter they have experienced or heard about in their young tender age. So topics must be age appropriate. When you can draw them in on an emotional level and connect with your main character's obstacles he will face, then you're on the right path of capturing a reader for upcoming books.
And make sure to study children, their body language, and most importantly -- dialogue. I've read several new writers' work and see the stale and robotic tone in the dialogue. Children tend to say 'Let's' and not 'Let us'. Read your work out loud to capture the tone and flow of your dialogue.
Any other children writers out there willing to add more tips to our readers?
4 comments:
Hi, Lea,
In my WIP children's picture books that was and still is to some degree one of my problems - keeping the dialogue age appropriate.
Thanks for the tips!
Karen
Some great advice here, Lea. Another tip is to read lots of children's books and stories yourself. Check out my blog for more: www.kidsbooksuk.blogspot.com
Hi Lea,
Great tips. In my kids' book I focused on the differences among people and low self-esteem. I think it's very important to highlight common problems using an entertaining story and nice pictures. I actually believe that illustrations play a big role-the story alone can;t attract attention. Also young kids love drawing and painting. I used to provide my students at school with extra drawing activities at the end of each story.
Being a book report enthusiast, I often find myself spending hours on reviews on children books. There is something about children books that catches my attention. I've always wanted to write for the kids. It's challenging since I know that kids have a low attention span to things and trying them get them into reading the book is complicated. Since I have friends who are essay writers, I often ask them about the idea of writing children books. According to some of them, it have crossed their and someday they will try to write one. As for me, I'm thinking about my options since I am up with the challenge...
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