Writing Children’s Books: Take Chances To Get Published
Saturday, January 5, 2002
In an editorial several years ago, I described a tree house in the backyard of a local restaurant. I wrote, “The entire structure has been pieced together from recycled lumber, much of which still bears the paint, logos or posters of the original walls from whence it came. The generous platform is ringed by a sturdy fence that includes branches of the tree itself, random two-by-fours, wooden signs, and even a pair of moose antlers. The ‘house’ is more of a lean-to, tall enough for kids (but not adults) to stand up inside, with a screened door and two screened windows positioned so occupants can easily spy on the diners below or out over the adjacent parking lot. A green padded bench that looks like it had once belonged in a diner adequately furnishes the space. Underneath the tree house hangs a rope swing, from which kids can fling themselves into a thick layer of hay on the grass.”
Fast forward to this summer. The restaurant revamped their backyard, including the tree house. The railing now consists of uniform boards about three inches apart. The house is reached not by a ladder and trapdoor, but via a bona fide staircase. The screen door is gone, the windows are covered in glass, and several of the tree’s branches have been pruned back to discourage climbing. But the worst part, according to my 10-year-old, is that the rope swing has disappeared. Matthew declared the whole structure “boring.” In today’s world, kids have far less freedom than in previous generations. Their lives are more controlled-sometimes because of parents’ fears of an increasingly dangerous society, but often because we’ve somehow come to believe that to grow into successful adults, children’s activities must be channeled, scheduled and programmed from infancy.
Danger comes in many forms, from a stranger encountered on the way to school (who may be a neighbor out walking his dog, but you never know), to free time not filled with “enriching” activities. But, in my opinion, kids need a little danger in their lives. They need to test their boundaries, to learn how to climb a ladder and squeeze through a trapdoor. They need to hurl themselves into a pile of hay and learn it’s best not to land on your face. If grown-ups clean up their world too much, kids will never learn how to push themselves. They’ll never have the satisfaction of trying things that are a little scary, a little off their parents’ radar, and accomplishing something that belongs just to them.
One of the few places kids can still push their limits is with books. It’s possible to step outside your safe life with a story, or try new ideas on for size. But many adults want to clean up their kids’ reading choices as well. I know parents who abhor Barbara Park’s perennially popular Junie B. Jones chapter books because the spirited Junie isn’t a good role model, or won’t read Winnie the Pooh because Christopher Robin can’t spell very well. I also know a lot of authors who are afraid to write books that are slightly subversive because they worry editors won’t publish them. But for every parent who insists on only “safe” reading for their child (and it’s every parent’s right to do so), there are at least two parents who believe it’s okay for kids to wade into the danger zone through fiction. I’m not advocating murder mysteries for preschoolers here, just books that might be considered slightly uncivilized, or more entertaining than educational. Let’s look at some popular examples:
When I first saw Walter, the Farting Dog by William Kozwinkle and Glenn Murray, illustrated by Audrey Colman (a picture book whose plot needs no explanation), I was worried that children’s publishing might be sinking a little too low. But as it started winning awards and spawning sequels, I changed my opinion. Let’s face it: farting makes kids laugh. And if your child finds this book hysterical, you should be glad. In order to get the joke, kids need to know that noisy bodily functions are considered impolite. Laughing about them is one of the perks of childhood. Don’t worry, they’ll outgrow it.
A picture book coming out this December that’s already creating a buzz is 17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Anymore by Jenny Offill, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. The heroine utters such statements as “I had an idea to staple my brother’s hair to his pillow. I am not allowed to use the stapler anymore.” She also glues her brother’s bunny slippers to the floor, and shows Joey Whipple her underpants. Both big No’s. This ingenious story should satisfy two camps of parents; those who want kids to see consequences for inappropriate behavior, and those who don’t mind letting their kids live vicariously through a curious, mischievous character. A pop-up book due out later this month from three publishing powerhouses-Maurice Sendak, Arthur Yorinks and Matthew Reinhart-lets young children face the monsters hiding in their closets and come out on top. In Mommy?, a young boy wanders into a haunted house looking for his mother and encounters creatures like a goblin, a mummy, and Frankenstein. Instead of running scared, the boy pulls pranks on each monster, deflating their power and showing how humor conquers fear every time.
Speaking of scary, if you haven’t read any of the enormously popular Series of Unfortunate Events middle grade novels by Lemony Snicket, do so. With titles like The Bad Beginning, The Miserable Mill, and The Penultimate Peril, and cautions from the author such as, “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book,” these are clearly stories where adults dare not tread. But children brave enough to venture between the covers will find hilarious plots full of nail-biting twists. The intelligent Baudelaire orphans have unusual skills (Violet for inventing, Klaus for reading and researching, and baby Sunny for biting) that make them admirable heroes.
Lauren Myracle enters the private world of teen girl talk in her young adult novels TTYL and TTFN. The titles alone might raise some parents’ suspicions because unless they’re well-versed at IM (instant messaging), they won’t know what the abbreviations stand for. In fact, the entire novels consist of conversations between three high school girls written in emails, text-messaging and IM’s, using the standard computer shorthand that includes abbreviated spelling and quirky syntax. If you’re not an IMer yourself, you’ll find the books somewhat difficult to read. But you and I aren’t the target audience here. And though the format might keep adults from examining the books too closely, the plots are standard upper young adult fare-relationships, family trauma, peer pressure, even drugs and alcohol-handled in a believable manner that conveys growth of character by the end of each story.
As an author, if you’re inspired to delve into the slightly dangerous, dark or subversive corners of childhood with your books, feel free to do so. Don’t limit yourself to all that’s bright, safe and up to code. Allow kids places where they can wander away from their parents’ watchful eyes and have an adventure. If the adventure’s in a book, they’ll always come home safe and sound. And if you’re still not convinced, consider this: In the backyard of the restaurant, the tree house now sits empty. But the books I’ve described above are flying off the shelves.
This article excerpted from Children’s Book Insider, The Newsletter for Children’s Writers. More information at http://write4kids.com
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Help answer the question about children books
what are some good links/books about children that were kidnapped then adopted?I am writing a story about orphaned children. I saw an article on msn a while back about children from Africa that are kidnapped, sold to adoption agencies, and then put up for adoption as orphans. I can't find the article, though. Does anyone have informative books, websites, magazines, news articles, etc that deal with this topic?
About Author
Laura Backes is the publisher of Children’s Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children’s Writers. For more information about writing children’s books, including free articles, market tips, insider secrets and much more, visit Children’s Book Insider’s home on the web at http://write4kids.com
January 5th, 2002 at 11:23 am
dude, you own! this looks identical to a photograph
January 5th, 2002 at 11:51 am
it’s almost like a photo
great painting 
January 5th, 2002 at 11:01 am
- A math or science book (not a workbook) geared for young preschool / Kindergarten aged girls or girls and boys. I'm looking for practical and simple, non-technical writing that my daughter could understand. She enjoys learning about volcanoes, plants and animals, the human body, physical science, basic math, word problems, etc. The books I find are usually too technical or geared for gradeschool or they seem geared for boys (i.e. getting dirty and gross with slime). I'm interested in finding something that is not so gender-specific either. For example, not looking for princess stuff. Just something that a preschooler/Kindergartener can grasp and remember. I think kids around this age ask a lot of "why" questions. My daughter can get pretty technical and can grasp things if I use simple language. Typical questions might be: "Why do hot things make steam?" and "Why are owls awake at night?" Today she told her grandma what nocturnal meant: Nocturnal means when animals are awake at night because that's when they hunt for their food and they sleep in the morning. Sorry if I'm going on and on, just trying to give you some ideas here.
I'd also like to see more Learn-To-Read series of books, something like the Biscuit dog series. I'd like to see basic sight words worked into an engaging story, more modern pictures. I don't mean abstract, I just mean something newer and more updated. The illustrations and basic story line play a big role in how much my daughter wants to read the series. The story line can be kept pretty simple with the holidays, basic play, manners, etc.
-Illustrations should have a simple, colorful but entertaining style. I see a lot of stuff that's either too stylized, too CG or animated looking, dated, or cluttered.
-Really enjoy books that have lift-up flaps and things to pull but they often get stuck or torn. Wish there was a way to make this work better and also that there were more books with these features that were not just meant for toddlers. One set of books that were terrific that were age appropriate were In The Country and At School by Francesco Pittau and Bernadette Gervais
You can actually see inside this book if you click on the picture of the cover here:
http://www.amazon.com/Country-Lift-Flap-Learning-Book/dp/2020694182/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241033751&sr=1-1#
Just some suggestions, hope this helps.
January 5th, 2002 at 11:54 am
How about weekly trips to your local library. Get a new pile of stories every week. It's a great outing that kids love.
January 5th, 2002 at 9:36 pm
Awesome work Williamsshamir
Great video.
Much love Kat
January 5th, 2002 at 6:03 pm
Well I prefer to donate them to a public library because then everyone gets to read them but on the other hand I like a school because they have less books…I would do a public library because a school would only have 1-2 grades that are interested and a public library more people would read them and I think you get some money off of your taxes…ask for some tax form thingy.
January 6th, 2002 at 7:35 am
HOLY CRAP! Comparing this to the original picture, they’re identical!
January 6th, 2002 at 10:21 am
That long? I'd be willing to bet that it come up around 2010, just in time for the next election.
January 6th, 2002 at 5:31 pm
i use photoshop
January 6th, 2002 at 11:41 pm
wich program he is for doing this ? beside a tablet ofc
January 6th, 2002 at 5:29 pm
Doctor Dan the Bandage Man- sexist and stereotypical. In my opinion he behaves in a condescending manner while interacting with his female playmate and treats her like she is inferior just because she is a girl.
January 7th, 2002 at 1:48 am
véiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, que difuu
January 7th, 2002 at 11:34 am
awesome stuff man,….ama practice hard to get to yo level!
January 7th, 2002 at 11:55 am
Try amazon they have some good ones:
http://www.amazon.com/tag/pagan%20childrens%20book
January 7th, 2002 at 12:40 pm
The Curious George collection is good, Dr Suess of course, Where the Wild Things Are is classic, and don't be afraid to challenge them. Our eight year old read Harry Potter to our five year old. It was a wonderful experience for both.
January 8th, 2002 at 2:03 pm
A-W-E-S-O-M-E your works is very awesome! cool!!!! very good
January 8th, 2002 at 12:37 pm
I think there are lots of them, but it's a little hard to identify them because they don't always state that they're "gifted."
Here are some I can think of that may apply:
Roxaboxen / Alice McLerran: A hill covered with rocks and wooden boxes becomes an imaginary town for Marian, her sisters, and their friends. Marian called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.) There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill — nothing but sand and rocks, some old wooden boxes, cactus and greasewood and thorny ocotillo — but it was a special place: a sparkling world of jeweled homes, streets edged with the whitest stones, and two ice cream shops….
Christina Katerina and the Box / Patricia Lee Gauch: Christina finds many uses for the large box that housed the new refrigerator.
The Big orange splot / Daniel Manus Pinkwater: When a seagull drops a can of orange paint on his neat house, Mr. Plumbean gets an idea that affects his entire neighborhood.
Meggie Moon / Elizabeth Baguley: Normally, no one dares to play in the yard where Digger and Tiger spend all their time, but when a girl invades, they soon realize that she has some brilliant ideas for playing with the junk found there.
The legend of the Indian paintbrush / Tomie De Paola: Little Gopher follows his destiny, as revealed in a Dream-Vision, of becoming an artist for his people and eventually is able to bring the colors of the sunset down to the earth.
The fossil girl : Mary Anning's dinosaur discovery / Catherine Brighton: In simple cartoon style, tells the story of a twelve-year-old English girl's discovery in 1811 of an ichthyosaurus skeleton.
Emma's rug / Allen Say: A young artist finds that her creativity comes from within when the rug that she had always relied upon for inspiration is destroyed.
Benny : an adventure story / Bob Graham: When Benny the dog steals the show from Brillo the magician, he is forced to look for a new home where his rare talents such as juggling and tap dancing will be appreciated.
My family plays music / Judy Cox: A musical family with talents for playing a variety of instruments enjoys getting together to celebrate.
Granite baby / Lynne Bertrand: Five talented New Hampshire sisters try to care for a baby that one of them has carved out of granite.
Looking for Daniela : a romantic adventure / Steven Kroll: Antonio, a street performer who admires a rich merchant's daughter, must use his talents in juggling, tightrope walking, and guitar playing when he rescues her from bandits and tries to get her home again.
The seven Chinese sisters / Kathy Tucker: When a dragon snatches the youngest of seven talented Chinese sisters, the other six come to her rescue. (And of course the Five Chinese Brothers by Clare Huchet Bishop, or the Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy)
213 valentines / Barbara Cohen: Wade has trouble adjusting when he is transferred to a special fourth grade class for the gifted and talented, so he plans to send himself 213 valentines signed by celebrities.
Amanda Bean's amazing dream : a mathematical story / Cindy Neuschwander: Amanda loves to count everything, but not until she has an amazing dream does she finally realize that being able to multiply will help her count things faster.
Frosted glass / Denys Cazet: Gregory the dog's vivid imagination gets him in trouble at school, leading him to draw cities and spaceships when he should be doing something else, but his artistic ability does not go unrecognized.
Painted dreams / Karen Lynn Williams: Because her Haitian family is too poor to be able to buy paints for her, eight-year-old Ti Marie finds her own way to create pictures that make the heart sing. Ti Marie dreams of being an artist. Whenever she gets some time away from watching her little sisters and helping Mama in their market stall, she finds a cement wall or a scrap of waste paper and lets her imagination soar….
Alistair and the alien invasion / Marilyn Sadler: When aliens invade from outer space, boy genius Alistair is the only person able to save the Earth.
This is the story of Archibald Frisby : who was as crazy for science as any kid could be / Michael Chesworth: Archibald Frisby, mad about science and wise beyond his years, is sent to camp to have fun and ends up broadening the horizons of his fellow campers.
Herbert Binns & the flying tricycle / Caroline Castle: Herbert Binns is such a clever mouse that some of the other animals are jealous of his talents and plot to sabotage his new invention, a flying tricycle.
Baby Brains superstar / Simon James: A musically gifted baby is invited to play the electric guitar at a star-studded rock concert.
Alphabet soup / Kate Banks: A boy's ability to spell words with his alphabet soup comes in handy during the magical journey he takes in his mind with a friendly bear.
Porkenstein / Kathryn Lasky: Lonely after his two brothers are eaten by the Big Bad Wolf, Dr. Smart Pig invents a wolf-proof friend to keep him company on Halloween.
M & M and the super child afternoon / Pat Ross: When best friends, Mimi and Mandy, turn out to be more talented at each other's special choice in a "Super Child" class, they decide to go their separate ways after school.
First graders from Mars. Episode 4, Tera, star student / Shana Corey: Although she is smart, Tera must learn the importance of working together on a group project. Tera is a star student. So when Pod 1 is assigned a group project to build the solar system, Tera is sure she has all the answers. But with her overzealous nature and her know-it-all ways, Tera ruffles a few tentacles. Why does being right sometimes feel so wrong?…
Regards to the man in the moon / Ezra Jack Keats: With the help of his imagination, his parents, and a few scraps of junk, Louie and his friends travel through space.
January 8th, 2002 at 5:37 pm
There's a book called How to Raise a Gentleman, it was actually published a few years ago by Brooks Brothers if you can believe that! As far as kids books I would check with the local Christian book store I bet they would have some.