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| One of my son's favorite 4RV Books |
by: Stephanie Burkhart
Children enjoy a good story. My son is 7 now and he's a very
enthusiastic reader. His favorite stories are the Dr. Suess books. They're whimsical
and appeal to his imagination. Other favorites include the Magic Tree House and
Magic School Bus series.
Themes are the glue that help bring a story together, and
when it comes to children's writing certain themes have a tendency to attract
children. The books I mentioned above have an element of "magic" or "the
unbelievable" which appeals to the imagination, but I noticed most of them
have a theme that deals with facing adversity.
Other themes that appeal to children include:
Sharing
Caring
Good vs Evil
Telling the Truth
Rags to Riches
Friendship
Being Fair
Rooting for the Underdog.
When you're getting ready to write your story, take a moment
to reflect: What's the theme? Is it strong enough to hold the story together?
What will a young reader remember? Themes help to grow and develop your
character and they give your plot a good, solid backbone.
Here's a challenge: Pick out your favorite children's book
and share the theme with us. If you're a children's writer, what themes do you
gravitate toward writing? Can you suggest any themes I haven't mentioned? I'd
love to hear your thoughts.
Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD.
Her short story, "Made in America" placed 8th in the
Mainstream/Literary category in the 82nd Writer's Digest
Competition. She lives in Southern California and is a Den Leader for her son's
Cub Scouts Den.
Her children's book, "The Giving Meadow" is
published with 4RV Publishing. Caterpillar travels through a meadow learning to
care and share with others.
"The Giving Meadow is
a charming story about friendship, generosity, kindness, and support when
changes occur which are out of our control." 5 Stars, Tami Dee, Reviewer.
