The happy thing I learned about writing this series is that once I settled on my character and the recurring story elements, each book flowed more easily than the last – though I will never say that writing chapter books is easy! The trick is to make it look easy, and it turns out that is actually a lot of hard work. She solves the problem through inward reflection, which is something young readers can relate to and achieve (even if they don’t have winter magic!). Her parents are loving and supportive of her, but it’s not until Lina realizes for herself that her uniqueness is her strength that she is able to control her magic.
I finally decided that in the first book, SNOW PLACE LIKE HOME, Lina’s struggle would be that her powers are different from other members of her family. When I first started drafting the series, I found it tricky to find a balance between presenting her with a problem that wasn’t too dark and scary (ice monsters turned out to be too frightening!) but that would challenge her enough so she could grow. My main character, Lina, is descended from a long line of royal beings with magical weather powers. The problems that your MC faces will be similar to problems that any 6-9 year old might face: losing a friend, having anxiety, finding their voice, etc. Problems should be age-appropriate – and the MC needs to be the one to solve them! This was actually a tricky one for me to figure out! Because chapter books are aimed at the young elementary school set, the topics and tone tend to be light, funny, and accessible. For my series, I decided that each book would have two storylines: a “school” problem and a “family” problem that get resolved by the end of each book.Ĥ. In a chapter book, there just isn’t room to weave all that together. In a novel, you may have B, C, and D subplots, and an entire cast of supporting characters who all have their own emotional journeys. Your overall storyline should also be streamlined. Sentences don’t necessarily need to be short, but they should be simple to read for kids who are just starting to learn the rules of grammar. Chapters and paragraphs should be on the shorter side. But you do need to make sure that your text is encouraging, enticing, and supportive of emerging readers. You aren’t limited to vocabulary lists the way “easy readers” are. Some kids may be reading your books independently others may be listening to an adult read them out loud. Chapter book readers are in the early stages of getting hooked on reading. Lina’s magical royal family plays a big role in each book.ģ. limit it to just one device, otherwise things can get confusing for young readers. And if you use a device to break up the text – such as a diary format, text messages, fun facts, etc. And make sure it’s something that you will enjoy writing about again and again and again.
Whatever you choose, make it authentic to your character and relevant to the storyline. Memorable chapter book characters have something that sets them apart. The main character is the heart of a series, and the reason that kids keep returning for more books. Your character should stand out from the crowd. I discovered 4 key essentials that made my work easier:ġ. What made these beloved books so good? How did the I turned back to these favorite series and read many more with Territory, and we have read many fantastic series together: JASMINE TOGUCHI (byĭebbi Michiko Florence), JADA JONES (by Kelly Starling Lyons), IVY AND BEAN (byĪNNIE BARROWS). Luckily, my daughters are now in prime chapter book-reading Just once, but multiple times for a series. And chapter book authors must build a compelling story not Shorter in word count, but they still pack just as much story and character Oh, how quickly I was humbled! Chapter books might be I will admit that my first thought was, “Oh, this should be easier.” After all, at 6,000-10,000 words, chapter books are a fraction of the size of middle grade novels, right? I had already written several middle grade novels before I began writing the DIARY OF AN ICE PRINCESS chapter book series (Scholastic, July 2019).