Five Characteristics of Great Chapter Books

Yesterday, on the heels of the announcement of the Cybils finalists for 2011, I shared my five characteristics of a great easy reader. Today, I'm continuing that thought process with five characteristics of great chapter books.

The most important component of a chapter book is a strong voice. Characters who sound like kids, or who speak to kids in their language, will undoubtedly be the best-received. Whether the character has a deadpan sense of humor like J.J. Tully in the Trouble with Chickens, a spirited and bouncy nature, like Grace from Just Grace and the Double Surprise, or a sweet and sassy temperament like Clementine, kids relate to characters who come alive on the page and begin to feel just like real people.

The plot of a chapter book should also come alive through a series of memorable events. The most wonderfully written chapter books are the ones that stick with the reader long after the book is finished. Images like Clementine wearing her father's tool belt, Vince the inside dog wearing his cone, and Eleanor's description of her beloved babysitter in Like Pickle Juice on A Cookie are all examples of moments that are so salient, they begin to feel like a part of the real world. Moments like these cause children to fall in love with books and also teach them, in a subtle way, the art of storytelling.

Though chapter book readers are getting more savvy and will soon move on to middle grade books, they still need some cues to help them understand story structure. Just Grace's illustrations and comics help bring her problems and questions to life. In mysteries like The Case of the Library Monster, it helps to have the characters occasionally recap the information uncovered so far. The Trouble with Chickens even goes so far as to cue the reader to changes in point of view by changing the way the chapter number is displayed. Kids who are still learning to navigate different types of stories really benefit from the subtle guideposts pointing them on their way.

Concise and powerful text is another major feature of great chapter books. Chapter books can include more vocabulary than easy readers, but they are still short books, with short chapters, so authors have to find ways to be economical with their language while still conveying all the information needed to tell a story. Toys Come Home does this very well, managing to paint these lovely pictures with words while maintaining a reading level low enough for kids who are not quite ready for novels.

Finally, as with easy readers, chapter books should speak to readers on their level. Kids reading independently want to read about kids like them, or people with concerns similar to their concerns. By keeping the language fresh and current, focusing on the child's mind instead of adult reasoning and being careful to insert lessons subtly instead of preaching, authors can really win kids over and get them excited about reading. Grace learns how to deal with disappointment, Clementine learns how to accept unexpected news, JJ learns never to trust a chicken, and Eleanor learns to let go and move forward, but they all do so on a child's terms, and it is only through immersion in these stories that the lessons even begin to come to light.

To learn more about the nominees and finalists in the Cybils Early Chapter Book category, visit Cybils.com.

Five Characteristics of Great Easy Readers

The finalists for the 2011 Cybils were announced on Sunday, and among them were the five chapter books and four easy readers chosen by the first-round panelists in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book Category, of which I was one. Since I have now officially come to the end of my Cybils duties for this year, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what I've taken away from the experience, and what I have learned about easy readers and chapter books. Today, I'll discuss what makes a great easy reader, and tomorrow, I'll do the same for chapter books.

The first key aspect of a successful easy reader is well-written text. The writing must be both easy enough for its audience to read, and artistic enough to make the book interesting. This means that not only is an author limited in the vocabulary he or she can use, but he or she is also presented with the additional challenge of stringing few words together in a way that is not cliched, boring, or awkward.

An example of perfect easy reader text comes from the first page of Aggie Gets Lost by Lori Ries, wherein Ben walks his dog and the action is described as follows:

Left foot, right foot, two feet, four feet.
We walk to the park.
Aggie pulls hard.
She wants to play fetch.

Making an emotional connection to the reader is a second sign of easy reader excellence. Whether the mood of a story is silly, as in the Elephant & Piggie books or the Fly Guy series, sad, as in Aggie Gets Lost when Aggie is missing, or even scary, as in parts of Gus Gets Scared, the reader should feel that emotion along with the characters. Children can more easily relate to new characters and settings if they can recognize feelings and concepts they have experienced themselves.

Easy readers should also be told from a child's point of view. This means that the characters speak to the reader at his level, rather than at him in an adult tone. Even adult characters, like Mr. Putter, and adult-like animals like Dodsworth from Dodsworth in Rome, should embody child-like characteristics to which kids can relate. Revealing adult characters' anxieties and imperfections makes them interesting to read about, and giving them dilemmas similar to those found in childhood creates stories that really speak to their audience and keep the reader invested in their outcomes. Embodying a child's point of view also eliminates the urge to preach at kids, and makes the story, rather than the message, the central focus. Most kids aren't interested in morals, but they become quickly invested in the fate of a favorite character.

 

It's also important for easy readers to focus on familiar themes. New readers like to read stories that reflect their real lives, and by keeping things close to home, authors can help kids find comfortable ways of learning new vocabulary and story structure. By beginning with those simple themes of family, friendship, school, and home, kids begin to build a strong foundation that will later help them tackle new genres and settings.

Finally, a truly great easy reader includes illustrations that are not only beautiful to look at, but also complement the text and assist the reader with understanding new vocabulary and new concepts. Illustrations in children's picture books and easy readers are an integral part of the story, not just the icing on the cake. Not only should the illustrations clearly depict what's happening in the text to provide context, they should, like those in Flip Flop and Dodsworth in Rome, also include other visual content that expands the story beyond the words and gives the reader a greater understanding of the setting, plot, and characters.

To learn more about the nominees and finalists in the Cybils Easy Reader category, visit Cybils.com.

Cybils Nominations 2011

Cybils Nominations are open!

I have been making a mental list of titles I wanted to nominate for the last couple of weeks, and I got them all in there right away. No guarantees that each book is eligible, since this is my first year involved with the Cybils, and they haven't been approved yet, but here is my list, by category. (Category links are to the lists of nominated titles, title links are to my reviews.)

Easy Readers: Back in the Saddle by Catherine Hapka
Early Chapter Books: Invisible Inkling by Emily Jenkins
Middle Grade Science Fiction/Fantasy: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
Fiction Picture Books: Shoe-La-La by Karen Beaumont
Middle Grade Graphic Novels: True Things (Adults Don't Want Kids to Know) by Jimmy Gownley
Middle Grade Fiction: One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin
Middle Grade/YA Non-Fiction: How to Die of Embarrassment Every Day by Ann Hodgman
Poetry: Dear Hot Dog by Mordicai Gerstein
Young Adult Fiction: Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing-Smith

What will you nominate?

Cybils 2011

Now that the official announcement has been made, I am very happy to be able to tell you that I will be a first-round judge for this year's Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils) in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. Since I already have a number of blog posts scheduled for the months of October and November, I don't think this will cause a decrease in blogging activity for the foreseeable future. In fact, with all the books I'll be reading, it's pretty likely I'll be posting even more reviews!

Cybils nominations will open this Saturday, October 1st, and will remain open for two weeks. I really encourage everyone to think of those wonderful titles that stood out for you throughout this past year and put in your nominations! Anyone is welcome to participate. Each person is allowed one nomination per genre, and any book published between October 16, 2010 and October 15, 2011 is eligible. I will post reminders throughout the two weeks here in the blog, as well as on Twitter (@sharingsoda). Please spread the word and encourage all your kidlit-friendly friends to nominate  their favorites as well.

I look forward to reading all the nominations in my category, and helping to find the year's best books. For more on the Cybils, visit http://www.cybils.com/.