I’ve been reading a lot of children’s literature these past few years. I started off, like most parents, reading to my kids, rediscovering the old favourites and discovering new ones along the way. Then as the kids began to read for themselves I started to read what they were reading – just to monitor – oh who am I kidding – it’s because there are some really good stories out there and I simply couldn’t help myself!!
And of course, since I find myself increasingly drawn towards writing for a younger audience, I’m reading them as a writer - curious to see what I can learn from these other writer’s success.
So it seems appropriate for me to start to review some of the books I’ve been pinching off my kids – the ones they can’t put down – asking the question ‘what makes them work so well?’ and trying to answer it from a writer’s perspective.
I’ll be posting these analyses on this blog, so keep an eye out for them. But I’m also going to look at some of the books that they didn’t get on with, and try to work out why they stopped reading where they did, and what we, as writers, can learn from that!
That should be an interesting journey. I wonder how The Mouse and the Motorcycle would read now?
ReplyDeleteI write women's fiction, but I finally tried my hand at a children's book and I truly hope it will be published someday.
ReplyDelete~ Wendy
Ah Wendy - you and me both!
ReplyDeleteThere's some fantastic YA fiction out there at the moment. I really wish some of those books had been available when I was young.
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