Ross,+Danielle+I.

Project

The Proposal

I've struggled a bit with deciding what I would like to explore for my Unfamiliar Genre...but I think I've narrowed it down to three:

__//**Children's Book**//__
 * I love children's books... Especially //Where the Wild Things Are// and //If You Give A Mouse A Cookie//. I'm fascinated by Dr. Seuss and I've recently become enamored with Skippy-Jon Jones. I'd like to know what it is about these books that make them so lovable... What makes children (and clearly adults) come back to them time and time again?
 * These stories have the power to change a kids perspectives on life. They can teach morals and values.

__//**Fairytale**//__
 * Much along the same lines as the children's book, these have the power to teach morals and values.
 * I'm a fantasy addict at heart. I love reading stories that have magic and myth, dragons and unicorns. They add a different element, an unfamiliar element to life. It plays to the unexpected. To the unknown.


 * __//Sonnet//__**
 * If you know me, you know I love Shakespeare. I love the whole time period. Courting, wooing... Writing love poetry and sometimes not so loving poetry. I really adore reading them... But I haven't a clue how to go about writing one.

I'm still up in the air... I don't know what I'd like to learn about more... I'm leaning towards the first two though.


 * User's Guide**

What is it about Where the Wild Things Are that draws us in time and time again? Why have parents read The Poky Little Puppy countless times to their child? Is the rest of the series as successful as If You Give A Mouse A Cookie? There is a plethora of Children's Books out there; some of them we love and remember well into our adult lives and others who remain forgotten and neglected on the bookshelf. These tips should be helpful in creating a Children's Book that is loved and memorable.

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 * Age Appropriateness: Makes sure the book you are writing fits the age group you are intending to be your audience. There are two main genres in Children's Books.
 * Picture Books (for ages 3 and up): These books typically come in 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 pages with 32 pages being the norm. They are shorter in text length and it is the general rule that the younger the audience, the shorter the sentences should be. They have simpler story lines and often focus on teaching a lesson in some way; ie. Telling the truth, explaining how you feel, being brave. They have only one or two main characters and are usually the same age as the intended audience.
 * Chapter Books (for ages 7 and up): Just like they sound. These book have more complex story lines broken into chapters. These books focus on bigger themes, tougher issues and have multiple characters.
 * Relate- ability: This is how closely a child can relate to the characters (thus making it a much better liked book.
 * Age: The main character should be around the same age as the target audience. If you are writing for a five year old, make the main character five too. If you have slightly older kids, same deal.
 * Gender: This is not AS important as age, but keep in mind if you are writing for kids that boys will not be as drawn to books with girls as the main characters and vice versus. This is more relevant in older children than younger children who are drawn more to the story than the character.
 * Race: There is a huge push for multi-cultural children’s books. The more you are able to show more than one culture, the better. Not only does it bring the children who previously had unrelateable characters, but it also opens the door for perspective taking in children of a different culture.
 * Complexity: In general, the more complex the story is, the harder it is for a child to follow along.
 * Word usage: Repeating, Rhyming and Rhythm. These three things can make or break a book.
 * If you are going to **repeat** a word or phrase be sure that it is something that bears repeating… Trust me, repeating “William the walrus with a wagging tail” in NO WAY resembles “Good night Moon”, “If you give a mouse…” or “Roll-y polly, pell mell, tumble bumble”.
 * If you are going to use **rhyme**, be sure that your rhyme scheme actually works. See and seen, while sounding alike, do not actually rhyme. It doesn’t sound right and throws off…
 * **Rhythm**. Just like rhyming, your rhythm must be spot on if you are going to utilize it in your book. Just because a sentence technically has the right number of syllables does not mean it will actually sound good read aloud. Avoid bigger, harder- to- pronounce words.
 * The Name Game: Max. The Cat in the Hat. Skippy Jon Jones. Amelia Bedelia. These names are memorable. The names you give your characters should be too!


 * The last, and probably the MOST IMPORTANT part of writing a children’s book is to make sure that you have something for the character to DO. A task to be completed. A goal to be reached.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With this is mind it is VITALLY important that the character complete this task without the assistance of a grown up. Advice is fine, guidance is fine… But in the end it must be the child character that completes the quest all on his or her own.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> You’re now ready to start writing… What will your book be about?

Annotated Bibiliography

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Underdown, Harold D. "Writing, Illustrating and Publishing Children's Books: The Purple Crayon." The Purple Crayon. 2 Oct. 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. <@http://www.underdown.org/cig_3e_ch08a.htm>.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This website is made and maintained by the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's books. It is a wealth of knowledge and full of links that will get you started, give you ideas, keep you writing and provides the some resources that may help you get on the track to having your book published.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Barancik, Steve. "How to Write a Children's Book... Right Now- No Kidding!." Best Children's Books: Find, Read or Write. 2006- 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. <http://www.best-childrens-books.com/how-to-write-a-childrens-book.html>.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This website gives you step-by-step guided instructions on how to write a children's book. It actually tells you to open up a notebook and start writing, describing the process as you go along.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Mora, Pat. "20 Tips for Writing Children's Books." Pat Mora. 1999- 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. <http://www.patmora.com/tips.htm>.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Pat Mora is an author and poet. His website is designed to give you 20 tips on writing which include fostering creativity, attending workshops and reading the books of the genre you would like to be writing about.

Numeroff, Laura Joffe., and Felicia Bond. //If You Give a Mouse a Cookie//. New York: Harper & Row, 1985. Print.

This book is about the trials of giving a mouse a cookie and all of the things he is going to ask for if you do. The age range is probably for 4-8 year olds. This is a whole series (//If You Give A Pig A Pancake, If You Give A Moose A Muffin//... ect.)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Roberts, Bethany. "Writing Tips for Children’s Writers." Writing for Children Workshop: Writing Children’s Picture Books. 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. <[]>.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bethany Roberts is a children’s book author. Her tips are designed to be easy to follow and very informative. As a children’s book author herself, I am sure these are all things she follows or implements as she is writing her books.

Schachner, Judith Byron. //Skippyjon Jones Book Set//. New York: Dutton Children's, 2007. Print.

This is a series about a Siamese cat who is resigned to be anything other than a regular cat. In one book he is a Chihuahua and goes on a Mexican adventure. The age range for this is probably around 4-10. There is also am interactive website designed around this series.

Sendak, Maurice. //Where the Wild Things Are.// [New York]: Harper & Row, 1963. Print.

This is a beloved childrens book about a boy named Max who runs away to an island where the wild things live. He becomes king but eventually decides to return home. The age range for this book is probably 5-10 (although I'm much older and STILL read it every time I pass it in a store).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"2010 Parkway Summer Reading List Elementary School Students." Parkway Schools. 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. <[]>.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is the recommended summer reading list for Parkway Schools in St. Louis, MO. I included this because it is recommended that students read at least three of the books recommended for each grade level before the school year starts. I think it is important to see what books are being recommended.