Chapter Length

No. The chapters should begin and end at a natural point. If that means having uneven chapters, so be it.

I think mixing it up works (except for early MG, where it's more important to be brief), though my personal preference when I read and write MG is for short chapters with enticing endings--so the reader is able to stop at a natural position, yet really want to continue.

We are doing a read aloud of How To Eat Fried Worms in the class where I work, which is surprisingly fresh despite its age. The chapters are really short, and the children literally wail whenever we reach the end of one, and cheer when we have time to read just one more. The pace is fast but not too fast.

Chapters should be as short or as long as they need to be. End them when they should end, and with a cliffhanger. Always leave them wanting more. There was a funny story about this. A few years ago I was in central park and there was a hobo and a horse and the horse had ...

I have to go. Be back later.

King of irregular chapters is James Patterson and he does alright His chapters range from a single page, to a dozen or so.

A chapter should be long enough to carry a story-vital part - no more, no less.

I remember reading a kids book that was kinda like Alice in Wonderland, but not as good. In fact, all I could remember was this (and even now I'm paraphrasing):

"Do you want to see the world's shortest chapter?" He asked her.

She took a second to consider, then have her answer.


CHAPTER XXX

"Yes."

See? If one word is enough, then strict length guidelines there ain't, lol!

Dave

Chapters are the length they need to be. Yours sound fine to me.