Coppa,+Allyssa+A.

For my unfamiliar genre project, I am thinking about doing either a children's book or something found in either a newspaper or a magazine, such as a review or other article. I am mostly interested in doing a children's book because I think it would really challenge me, especially since I feel like I haven't related to or even read a children's book in so long. I'm used to writing research papers or pieces of writing that are suited for adult audiences, and I think I would really be pushed in order to write for a young audience. I would also be really interested in researching this genre. All I know about it so far is that its writing is catered to children, and that a lot of times it contains a lot of pictures or some kind of moral. They are usually fun and sometimes eduational as well. The other genre I'd maybe like to write about is that of a newspaper/magazine article. I think I would probably be better at or at least feel more confident in writing in this type of genre. I am interested in it because it would be something new and I'd enjoy learning how to write in a very competitive field and I also think that the stylistic qualities of this genre would be fun to learn. The only things I know about this genre is that the writer really has to know their audience, it requires a lot of research, and like I said, it is based in a competitive field with a pretty distinctive style.

Alyssa: Naturally there is wide range of ages for children's books: some are entirely pictures and others may rely more on the text. If you intend to rely on pictures, you have to be able to draw them or insert them from graphic files. Consider what age and authors would be your models, so proportion of pictures to words is targeted and planned. This is a good project.

Crum, Shutta. //The Bravest of the Brave//. New York: Random House, 2005. Print.
====  This is a children’s book about a skunk who goes on a mini adventure. There are great illustrations that all lead up to a happy ending. The summary of the book states: “A fearless little skunk sets off through the woods alone at night encountering scary creatures, which the reader can correctly identify as various forest animals.”  ====

Collington, Peter. //Clever Cat//. New York: Random house, 2000. Print.
====  This is another children’s pet, also with an animal main character. However, this book is more humorous and very entertaining. The illustrations are also great and there is an overall good message. The inside summary of the book states: “When Mr. and Mrs. Ford discover that Tibs the cat can get his own food, they give him a house key and a credit card, but when they make him get a job, do the shopping, and pay the rent, he begins to wonder if he is really that clever after all.”  ====

De Paola, Tomie. //Four Stories for Four Seasons.// United States: Prentice-Hall, 1977. Print.
====  Although this book was written a fairly long time ago, the four mini stories are still entertaining and I could easily imagine them having the same effect on children. The stories are simple, fun, and light. Inside summary states: “Four friends, a cat, dog, pig, and frog, share the delights of each season.”  ====

Harris, Robie H. //Don’t Forget to Come Back!// Cambridge, Massachusetts: First Candlewick Press, 2004. Print.
====  This book was probably my favorite of the four children’s books I read. My favorite part about it was that it taught a good lesson to children while still being a lot of fun at the same time. This books summary is: “When her parents go out for the evening, a little girl threatens to run off to the South Pole but has a good time with the babysitter instead.”  ====

====  Czech, Jan. “How to Write a Children’s Book: The Basics of Writing for Children”. //Suite101.com//. 5 May. 2009. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-write-a-childrens-book-a115096  ====

====  The first step of the process in writing a children’s book is just like any other. It’s definitely best to start by brainstorming or making lists. While doing this brainstorming, it’s very important to search for a simple event or conflict, which should be relatable to children but also intriguing. This conflict or event will be the basis of the story. ==== ====  Since you will want to write from a child’s perspective, it is best to consider language and target age level. Children’s books can vary greatly in depth, vocabulary, and level of difficulty, so it’s very important to have an age level in mind. Also, because of children’s attention spans, it’s best not to write a book that’s too long, but you definitely don’t want to cut the story (and possibly it’s meaning) too short. Keeping the book under 30 pages is usually a safe move. It’s also important to not get too abstract when writing children’s books. The more concrete the writing is, the more “involved” the child will feel, based on the fact that this concreteness will be the closest thing to “sense experiences”, including taste, touch, sight, etc.  ==== ====  Character development is also very important when writing children’s books. The main characters should definitely be fun, relatable, and most importantly, likeable. Keep in mind that some of these characters may potentially become these children’s next favorite heroes, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re creating positive models and character traits. ====

==== Personally, however, I think the best advice is that you should have a lot of fun while you’re writing a children’s book. You definitely want to experience the same fun and imagination that your child audience will hopefully have while reading your book. Some of the most important features could be playful language and a certain aspect of silliness. I also prefer children’s books that have some kind of lesson or moral that can be introduced to children. I really like the idea that these books can be both fun yet meaningfully serving a purpose at the same time. The final point is that children’s books absolutely need a lot of illustrations. These should be bright, happy, and capable of assisting in the story telling. ====