A number of years ago, I remember reading a newspaper review for a kids TV show. This was a show that my kids loved at the time so I was familiar with it.
The
reviewer, an adult, picked apart the scientific inconsistencies with the story
– such as the fact it there was gravity on the moon. For kids aged 3 or 4, the
location didn’t matter as much as the bright colours, fun stories and funny
looking plants.
Writing
for kids, I’ve found similar issues. I’ve had editors tell me the words I use
wouldn’t be understood by children, or the language is too hard for children to
understand.
This
is where I’ve found giving my manuscript to children to read provides
invaluable feedback.
I
am lucky enough to have two children in my home who love to read, and they are
usually my first readers. Aged 10 and 12, they are advanced readers, but I
figure if they can’t understand something, then it needs changing. They are
very good at asking what something means or telling me that something isn’t
clear enough. They are also great at picking up typos.
Once
they have read it, I have a number of other children who are happy to read my
stories and give me feedback. They are average readers, rather than advanced
readers, and again provide me with valuable comments on whether or not they can
understand the story and the language.
I’ve
found that children are often a better judge of what they can and can’t
understand than adults are. This is one of the main reasons I ask children to
read my chapter books before they are sent to my editor.
If
you are looking at getting feedback from children, I recommend you print out
your chapter book and have it bound so it feels like a book. This is often
easier for children to read. I also give the children permission to write any
corrections or questions on the print out so I can act on them when they have
finished reading.
I
find this feedback from children is invaluable in developing the story; after
all, they are the people I want to read the stories once the books are
published.
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Melissa Gijsbers is an Australian author
and blogger. She has had flash fiction stories feature in a number of
anthologies, including "Teapot Tales: A Collection of Unique Fairy Tales" and "Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World." When she’s not writing or coming up with
ideas for stories, she’s running around after two active boys and working in
the family business. You can find her online at MelissaGijsbers.com or on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/melissagijsbers.
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