In some circles, children’s and young adult literature is viewed with a touch of derision. It is seen as a training ground for starters taking their first steps. Simple plots, straightforward characters, plain language. This article highlights just how much more there is to it.

In some circles, children’s and young adult literature is viewed with a touch of derision. It is seen as a training ground for starters taking their first steps. Simple plots, straightforward characters, plain language. This article highlights just how much more there is to it.

The world of children’s and young adult literature has long since grown far beyond the supposed sandbox. It is an independent, dynamic market with expectations, needs, and an engaged fan base for whom writing is worthwhile.

Just like all other genres, the field of young adult literature has its own peculiarities and characteristics. As always, you are not just writing for yourself, but also for your readership. In the field of children’s literature in particular, several factors come into play here: the text must be appealing and entertaining for children, reflect the concerns of young people, and at the same time still win over their parents, who often make the decision to purchase. This puts the sector in the somewhat unique position of having to satisfy two different target groups and strike a balance between fun and education.

We have compiled a few points that children might expect from your books – and, in turn, those that parents particularly value.

For children: Keep the text simple. 

Of course, this varies depending on the age group, but one thing is undeniable: books for children should be simpler than those for adults. Many narrative tricks and devices that go down well in adult literature would only cause confusion and create major barriers to understanding here. Children’s literature probably owes its somewhat inglorious reputation in part to precisely this aspect: literary devices such as flashbacks, rhetorical figures or a multitude of perspectives are usually avoided.

Texts can be complex and demanding in various ways. This may be a dense narrative with multiple plot lines and deliberately opaque sequences – or it may simply start with the vocabulary. It is by no means certain that children can only understand simple things, but bear in mind that, purely in terms of content, questions of comprehension or unfamiliar expressions may arise due to a simple lack of life experience, which cannot yet be assumed in the audience. Always keep the target audience in mind.

For parents: the book’s appeal to the child

Parents rarely buy a book for their children without first considering how it will go down with them. They want their child to be interested in the book too. Particularly among education-focused groups, there is a strong trend towards encouraging their own children to read books rather than use smartphones.

But this only works if the book doesn’t bore the children. So there must be something in it that can capture their attention and interest. And that’s when parents ask themselves: does the child like animals, witches or dragons? If so, they’ll be more likely to choose books on those topics.

Staying informed about such trends and interests therefore plays a vital role. Conversations with parents, in nurseries or even observing your own children can be a real goldmine here!

For childen: A picture is worth a thousand words

Here we are talking primarily about a very young audience, who may not even be able to read yet. Pictures are – and not just for children – a quick way to grab attention. An appealing cover image can convey a greater impression of a book than a blurb – and do so at a glance. 

But that’s not all: pictures inside the book also play a major role. Children in particular, who cannot yet read or are just learning to do so, recognize a story primarily through the pictures. They help them find their way around the text and also make it easier to empathize with and follow the narrative. And, incidentally, when reading aloud, illustrations also allow auditory and visual perceptions to be linked, thereby training important areas of the brain.

For parents: A lesson in teaching

When it comes to persuading parents to make a purchase, this is probably the most important factor: they need to see that it offers added value for their child. Whether it’s a book, a game or a children’s TV series – parents always prefer those that not only entertain but also allow the child to learn something.

They aren’t necessarily looking for simple, dry knowledge transfer – after all, that’s what schoolbooks are for. Rather, lessons are sought that teach children something in social terms. Be it living alongside other people, interacting with nature, or something as simple as a first visit to the dentist. A story that shows children something from real life and prepares them for it holds particular value for parents and acts as a little support in their parenting, which, as we all know, is hard work

For children: Boredom is out of the question!

What many of us suspect has now been confirmed by research: attention is a precious commodity in our society. The constant little dopamine kicks we get from our smartphones reduce our willingness to wait long for reward hormones – and with that, our attention span also shrinks.

Children are also exposed to this trend. A story that takes too long to get going, however entertaining, beautifully crafted or educationally valuable it may be – if the child stops listening, it won’t have the desired effect.

Of course, many factors come into play when it comes to attention that you, as an author, cannot influence. Distractions present during reading or storytelling disrupt concentration, and ultimately, the child’s mood on the day also plays a part. However, you can structure your text in such a way that it is easy to stay engaged. A linear, step-by-step structure of the narrative is a simple yet effective way to achieve this. Let action and reaction, plot and consequence follow one another immediately, thereby laying a trail of breadcrumbs that makes it easy to stay on track.

For parents: In the interests of education

This final point may seem the least obvious, but it probably has the greatest influence on parents’ purchasing decisions. Ultimately, they are the ones who decide which books their children should and should not read, and parents’ attitudes determine what their children read. No single book will be found in every household. Whether parents are more liberal or more conservative affects what they wish to teach their children.

From an author’s perspective, this factor cannot be influenced. As with all other genres, the simple fact remains that not everyone likes the same books. However, many parents are particularly sensitive when it comes to their own children. Even minor aspects or trivialities that contradict one’s own worldview – and thus also the one someone wishes to convey to one’s own children – can tip the balance. If you wish to write a children’s book with a moral or social message, it is therefore advisable to commit to a particular stance and stick to it. Don’t try to please everyone – you’re unlikely to succeed, and you’ll often end up upsetting more people than you win over.

Even from these few points, it should be clear that writing children’s books is an art form in its own way, as it is aimed at two audiences whose needs could hardly be more different. Aspects that play a major role for one group are barely noticed by the other.


Novum publishing is proud of its wide range of children’s books and of having supported many authors through the publication process. Writing such books is no walk in the park, which is why we regularly provide support resources in our writing workshop, in our advice articles, and here on our blog, so that you can let your fingers fly across the keyboard!

Follow our blog if you want to read more book stories, writing tips, and literary recipes!

– The novum publishing team