Chapter Book

jkillan · May 7, 2013

I've got a chapter book written for 7 - 10 year old boys. How long do you think it should be. I've received numbers from 6000 to 15000. Just want to know for that age if it should be less or more? Thanks for the help.

Also they find a diary and read it, so a couple chapters are 1st person, and POV of the diary owner, an old guy, where the book is 3rd person, POV of an 11 yr old boy. Can you see this as being problematic? Thanks

Tigerlilly79 · May 7, 2013

That word count is correct for that age group. My chapter book I completed is 12,000 words. The POV/ diary thing should be fine as long as it's done in a way that's not confusing. There's plenty of books done that way. Good luck!

Debbie V · May 13, 2013

Chapter books are generally for the same age range as picture books -they are for new readers who are ready for longer works and almost always come in series formats. You could have an older chapter book, but the 11 year old protagonist says middle grade novel to me. Middle grades are for ages 8-12. The themes skew older than chapter book themes. Check out your library and book store for chapter book versions of Magic School Bus and Fancy Nancy. The Magic Tree House books are chapter books as are Judy Moody an Junie B. Jones.

Middle grade novels include many series also: early Harry Potter, Chet Gecko, the Chronicles of Narnia and many Newberry winners fall into this age category.

Compare what you are writing to these and then you'll see where you fit. There is more info in the stickies that head this section.

Chapter Book

jkillan

Jace Killan

Tigerlilly79

Maybe I should see someone . . .

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others