writers.com bookstore

Writing for Children

Arranged alphabetically by author; click on title for more information.

The Children's Writer's Word Book
Alijandra Mogilner
Provides alphabetical lists of age-appropriate words, a thesaurus sorted by reading level, and advice on sentence length and syntax for various reading levels.

2005 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (Annual)
Alice Pope
The ultimate market source for children's writers and illustrators. An excellent place to start finding out about this market. Information on book packagers, educational publishers, children's magazines, etc. Make sure you get the most recently published edition.

Worlds of Childhood: The Art and Craft of Writing for Children
Maurice Sendak, William Zinsser (Editors)
Book Description: "In this revised edition...six prominent authors of classic books for young people search their own childhood for the sources of their inspiration and discover a common theme: to enter the worlds that children inhabit, a writer must know the magic word -- honesty."

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books, Second Edition
Harold D. Underdown
Not a "how-to-write" book, but the best overall guide for beginners interested in kid lit. What types of children's books are out there? Who illustrates picture books? How do you make submissions? What's a contract like? What about marketing? What does an editor (and everyone else in a publishing house) do? marketing (getting the word out on you and your book), who does what at a publishing house (why do changes happen and who makes them?), etc. This 2004 edition includes info for illustrators and expanded material on agents and many other aspects.

Writing for Children and Teenagers
Lee Wyndham & Arnold Madison
The authors -- experienced in writing, publishing, and teaching -- offer practical advice on writing for children and how to sell what you write. There's valid step-by-step advice for writing stories, plotting, and advice on how to keep your work organized. Information on the business and getting published is, however, woefully outdated. (Example: "For any age, fantasy is the hardest material to write, and even harder to sell.")

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