In this audience-specific article, we continue honing our skills for appraisal and recognition of good writing, but this time with a specific focus on the world of writing for under eighteens. This is an exercise in thinking as a reviewer first and a reader second, and in being able to take ourselves out of our own subjective mindset and into an empathetic mode, where we think about the reading needs of others. This article takes us through four key age groups and assesses what a good book should be providing for them.

In books for readers aged 6 and under, a great deal of reading along with adults takes place, and there needs to be a lot of additional stimulation besides the words of the book itself. This stimulation comes in the form of illustrations and in interactive elements like pop up features, but also in the soundscape of the book through rhymes and onomatopoeia (sound effects like ‘buzz’, ‘pop’ and ‘bang’). Great books for new readers include a clear visual typeset and plenty of bright colors and images to aid the understanding of the plot. Common pitfalls include the usage of vocabulary that is too long or complex for the reading age, as well as the use of complex grammar (often found as a result of trying to force a rhyme scheme to work).

From ages 6 to 9, we enter the world of early chapter books, where children are starting to read independently. In this age range, it is still acceptable to find images which aid the imagination of characters or settings, but the plot will have more complex elements, and small paragraphs will form the structure rather than single sentences. Structure-wise, fairy tales are a really good benchmark for the complexity level of stories at this age. Anything more or less complex than this is probably not suitable for the average reading age. Common pitfalls to watch out for when critiquing this section are chapters that are too long (over 1000 words, for example) and stories that contain too many characters who are lifeless and easy to forget.

At age 9 through to around 12, we encounter the realm of middle-grade fiction, where complexity, diversity, and atmosphere all begin to play a much more impactful role in novel development. These books are likely to range between 30,000 to 60,000 words on average, leaving room for the emotional development of characters and a fully realized plot. The early Harry Potter books are an excellent example, and authors who can create larger than life personalities and atmospheric worlds that kids want to leap into are to be praised. But always beware of common mistakes like overcomplicated plotlines, and heavy prose that is not broken up properly with lots of dynamic dialogue.

As we move into teen fiction at 13 plus, we reach the height of sophistication for our young readers. The coveted and competitive YA genre praises novels which contain a lot of dynamic action and interpersonal drama, whilst at the same time balancing layered world-building and an atmospheric, almost cinematic attention to detail. This is a tall order indeed, and any single one of these qualities done well is certainly worth your praise as a reviewer. YA books should be stimulating and complex enough for adults to find them satisfying, but also fast-moving in their plot and focused on coming of age issues and situations which would be relevant and relatable to their teenage readership. Common errors here can often be caught in inauthentic dialogue that sounds ‘too adult’, and characters who lack the fully rounded emotional development of real teens.

With these key areas in mind, you can critically examine writing for under eighteens and get yourself into the right headspace for the needs of this very specific genre. If it ever gets too tricky, it always pays to think about the kinds of books that you enjoyed reading at these specific ages, and what qualities drew you into those stories in the first place.