Reading Resources by Genre
|
|
Why Read One Hundred Picture Books? This was an exercise posed to me by an editor from Dutton, who was kind enough to critique my picture book manuscript at a conference in San Diego. He said my work, while engaging, wasn't a picture book, and suggested that I read one hundred picture books in order to understand what makes a picture book work. It's a worthwhile exercise. You do get a good idea of what editors are looking for.
|
|
Concept Books
A concept book is a picture book that teaches a child a basic life concept, such as telling time, the change of seasons, days of the week, colors, opposites, etc. Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar is an example of a concept book that teaches the days of the week as well as the concept of metamorphosis of the butterfly.
|
|
Wordless Picture Books
Wordless picture books serve as a foundational step towards reading, and in understanding the fundamentals of story: beginning, middle and end. A wordless picture book can also be a concept book, such as I See a Song by Eric Carle, or Alison Jay’s quite brilliant Picture This, about the four seasons.
|
|
Middle Grade Chapter Books
Chapter books are designed for the independent reader, generally between 8-12 years old, who has the ability to follow the emotional arc of a story. Middle Grade chapter books generally have few, if any, illustrations, another indication that the reader is able to follow the story without the visual cues provided by illustration. The story is richly told, with a strong plot and essential subplots, however, the main character is always the focus of the story. Subplots are generally a reflection of the main character's goal or conflict. Themes are also more substantial, or at least explored in a more detailed way than in early chapter books.
|
|
Young Adult Novels
Young Adult (YA) novels are typically written for teens from age 13-17. The protagonist in the YA novel is generally an adolescent, with subject matter within the interests and experiences of teens. In general, plot and subplots are more complex than middle grade chapter books, as are character relationships. Overall, there is an "authenticity of voice" that resonates, that makes the novel memorable and lasting.
An excellent resources for learning more about YA novels are the American Library Association's Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) which publishes a annual booklist and book awards list of noteable YA novels.
|
|
|