Author Beth Bacon is teaching her popular online workshop “Writing for Young Readers ? Words of Honesty, Hope, and Wonder” for Writing It Real members March 15 – April 12, 2018. When I called Beth recently and asked her how things were going, she was very enthusiastic about a new batch of easy readers she was writing and publishing. I realized I had a lot of questions about that subgenre of writing for the young reader. Beth agreed to answer my questions by email. I think you’ll find what she has to say informative.

Sheila
What are easy readers? How do they vary from other books for young readers?

Beth
Easy readers are for children in the lower elementary grades. Easy readers are not picture books, which are for Kindergarten and preschool. Compared to books for older children, easy readers are shorter, less dense, and a little heavier on the graphics and white space. They also make use of different typefaces and visual cues that help readers grasp the meanings of words. Easy readers are also sometimes called beginner books. Then there are chapter books and hi-lo books. (Hi-low stands for ?high interest, low reading level.?) The genres aren?t exact, they sort of overlap.

Instead of picking a certain genre, it might be more clear to talk about the types of kids I write my books for. My books are created for children in second through fourth grade who already know the basics of reading but find it difficult and are reluctant to open a book.

I like to say my books are for reluctant readers, because that includes a lot of students: dyslexic kids, kids with attention deficit or behavioral disorders, kids who simply haven?t yet hit their ?reading sweet spot? for any number of reasons.

Can I tell you a little about each of my books?

Sheila
Absolutely!

Beth
In I Hate Reading, two brothers offer zany tips on how to get out of their 20-minutes-a-day reading requirement.

In The Book No One Wants To Read, a lonely book makes a deal with the reader: You turn my ages and I?ll make it fun.

In Blank Space, when a teacher asks her class to write about their favorite part of any book, this student answers honestly: the best part is the blank space. (Coming Spring 2018.)

In The Worst Book Ever, a book enlists its readers to help it get onto the banned books list.? (Coming Spring 2018.)

Sheila
I can see how kids relate to this humor. I do, as an adult! Can you share an excerpt from one or two of your easy reader books, even it is a paragraph or less, to show us what the language in an easy reader looks like?

Beth
My books don?t simply use words, they use graphic design to convey meaning. I am very intentional about the graphic design of my books because children today are highly visually literate. Some words may be difficult, but the graphics themselves help guide them to deciphering the meaning.

For example, in my book I Hate Reading, I use the familiar image of a smiley face to hint at the meaning of the page.

In Blank Space, I use concrete poetry to not only convey the idea of a magic carpet, but to suggest the ?free and easy? feeling that I?m trying to get across:

Your question asks what the language in an easy reader looks like. My books don?t look like other easy readers. I?ve discovered this highly visual form of writing is an untapped format. There are very few books like mine out there. I mentioned the synergy between text and graphics. This is vitally important in helping struggling readers get through the stories.

My books also consistently use bold colors, wry humor, honesty,? and meta-storytelling. (Meta-storytelling is when books refer to themselves.) Content-wise, my books are about the reading experience itself.

There aren?t a lot of other books like that out there. But based on feedback from parents and teachers, this type of book is succeeding in getting reluctant readers engaged.

Sheila
What drew you to writing in this genre?

Beth
I?ve always loved children?s literature. My personal goal is to win a Newbery Award for middle grade fiction. Middle grade fiction is for kids with a much higher reading level. It?s like literature for fifth graders. I was working on one such book about ten years ago. To get some feedback, I read it aloud to my sons. After about five minutes, my son Henry said, ?Mom, nobody wants to read a book like that. What I want is a book called I Hate Reading.?

Being an attentive mom, and one who respects the voices of children, I put down my draft and listened. My sons talked about their frustrations with all the pressure that schools put on reading and how they?d rather do anything than sit still in a chair and read. They confessed all of the tricks they?d come up with to get out of their 20-minute-a-day reading requirement. As they spoke, I was shocked by the realization that they didn?t like to read, yet impressed with how they figured out ways to handle the (sort of ridiculous) pressures of elementary school rubrics. I was also in hysterics. What they were saying made me laugh so hard tears were coming out of my eyes.

From that discussion, I took lots of notes, and my first book, I Hate Reading was born. You?ll notice that Arthur and Henry are co-authors of the book. It?s their story.

I?ve heard from many readers that when they read this book, they laugh to the point of tears, too. I am honored that I was able to capture the spirit of that frank conversation in a book. The success of I Hate Reading led to my other books?my readers literally demanded them. I realized that my writing and graphic skills can come together to help enrich children?s lives, so I keep on writing. By the way, I work with professional graphic designers to create my books. We cooperate on the visual concepts, and they make them look beautiful.

Plus even though my sons are older now, I continue to listen to the voices of thoughtful kids. They continue to inspire me.

Sheila
I’ve interviewed other children’s book writers and they have told me that they also get ideas from kids, that kids are quite forthcoming to those writers when they make school visits. I love thinking that books for kids are in some small part a collaboration between writers and future vivacious readers.

Are there pitfalls to be avoided when you write easy readers? What are some; how do you avoid them?

Beth
The biggest pitfall of all is to talk down to your readers. Many early reader books have an undercurrent ?baby talk? voice. Every writer who writes for young audiences needs to honor the fact that kids deserve an honest, respectful tone. Yes, the language and grammar in your book must be simple. But kids are much more sophisticated than many grown-ups think.

The presence of sing-song or ?cutesy? tones in children?s books is an indication that the authors are not aligned with their young audiences. I advise all writers of children?s books to regularly get your mind at the level of real kids and write from there.? Now that my own muses, Arthur and Henry, are no longer in elementary school, I make an effort to spend time with kids by substitute teaching. For the last year, I?ve taught at least one day a week. This gives me insights on today?s kids?and it?s super fun.

Sheila
You are committed to doing right by kids. This is certainly a way of keeping your books alive for the young reader.? What do you most want your easy reader books to offer their readers?

Beth
I want my books to make reluctant readers become eager to pick up another book?not one of my other books, but another, completely different book.

I also want my readers to feel that someone honors their experience. Hey, learning to read English is hard! I?ve been told that my books help kids who struggle to read feel like they are not alone. Of course, they?re not alone?but somehow many kids feel like they?re the only ones not catching on to reading.

Kids are emotionally perceptive enough to feel the pervasive stigma that equates poor reading levels with low intelligence. This is discouraging to kids, plus it is simply not true. My books honor the experiences of kids who may not be strong readers.

This mother?s words make my heart melt: ?This book spoke to my reluctant reader (8 years old). It made her feel proud to be this clever. There is something about sending a kid to school who is feeling confident, holding a book she wants to read over and over. ? My little girl felt ?smart.? It was a hit with her classmates and teachers, so feeling ?smart? and accepted was priceless.?

Sheila
My heart is melting, too, reading this. What are the compliments you?ve received about your books that are the most heartening?

Beth
My favorite comment was from a dad who said that his son, who didn?t like reading, went ahead and on his own picked up another book. It?s a tiny moment but to me it indicates a huge shift in a young reader?s life. He had such a good time reading my book, he wanted to read another one. Hooray!

I love reading my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. The feedback shows me that the goals of my books are being realized. One student wrote: ?I love this book that Mrs. Evans read to us. It reflects a lot of us. Especially me.? I appreciate comments like this: ?How creative? it truly defies gravity, can?t put it down. Write lots more, would love to read these quirky little things.?

Oh, and since I?m on the subject of feedback, there are negative reviews, too. I know my books are not for everyone. If you don?t enjoy irony are totally averse to potty humor, you won?t like some of my books. I appreciate those comments because I want people to know what type of humor and references are in my books. Not all books are right for all people. For example, some teachers work really hard to get their kids not to use the word ?butt.? A couple of my books use that word.

Some people of a certain age have told me they don?t like my covers. That?s fine. The covers are designed to appeal to the kids who read my books and their millennial parents. What?s important is knowing what the target audience likes.

The businessperson in me especially loves it when total strangers ?upsell? my books by mentioning my other titles (such as: ?I think it?s part of a series in that Bacon has another book about reading.?) Another dad wrote that he?s going to buy a copy of my book as a birthday gift for his son?s friend. Just a couple of days ago, someone wrote: ?It will get anyone reading! I got it as an ebook but decided to get a hard copy, it?s more fun that way.? Like?wow. Not only did this person buy two copies, but she?s telling others to buy the more expensive hard copy! You can?t create an ad that does that. That book is selling itself via word of mouth.

So now as I write new books, I use this feedback as a milestone. I ask myself, ?Is this book good enough to get readers so excited that they are compelled to evangelize it?? If I feel my books don’t have that ?magic? that allows them to sell themselves, it?s back to the drawing board for me. Do I want to spend my time creating books or promoting them? Creating them, of course. So if I use my creativity time right, I get to spend less time marketing.

Sheila
Thank you, Beth, for these thoughts and descriptions of your work. I can see why you are effective with your readers. The subtitle of your class, “Honesty, Hope, and Wonder” are words you live and write by!

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Beth tells us that childhood is a magical time for reading?and for writing. In her class, she focuses on picture books (target audience is ages 0-5), middle-grade writing (4-6th grade), and/or Young Adult books (7th grade through 12th grade). For four weeks, her class members submit one piece per week, as a response to one of four optional prompts, or some writing from what inspires them. She reviews and responds to a weekly word count of 1200 words per piece for middle grade or YA or a single picture book manuscript of 500-1200 words. The combination of Beth’s detailed response and comments and the response from the class members keeps people writing that children’s book they always hoped to finish. You can look at the class description by scrolling on our online class page.