Rogers 1

Jessica Rogers

English 59

Professor Horton

June 6, 2017

What Makes Childrens Books Age Appropriate?

Many childrens books that are now considered classics have a well said

message. The authors of these books do a great job of getting these messages across in

a way that remains appropriate for their marketed age range. Some examples of a

message are; loving where one comes from and showing it to those they consider

friends, that not everything that exists or happens is understandable, growing up is

more than just going through puberty, or that bullying is never okay no matter the

circumstances. There is obviously a reason that these books have stood the test of

time. But what is it? Could it be related back to the authors background? The writing

style of the books? The illustrations? The connection to child developmental

psychology? It is a combination of these things that makes these books classics, in the

minds of those who had read them and those who will read them in the years to come.

An important part of the writing of childrens books is figuring out what age

range that the book is marketed towards. Sometimes the age that the publisher or

writer believes the book is suitable for isnt the correct age range in regards to their

stage of development. Childrens books are usually split into age ranges; starting with

the picture books that are marketed to children age 2-7, going into early readers for

children age 7-12, and lastly young adult books that are for ages 12-15. Each of these

age ranges relate to levels and stages of psychological development. Obviously, these

are age suggestions, since some children may be reading young adult books early. An

example of this being 5 or 6-year-olds reading the Harry Potter series, books that are
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marketed to children in the age range of 8-12. Each of these age ranges correlate to

different psychological development stages in children. The age range of 2-7 years

correlates to Piagets Preoperational Period (Russell 23) and Eriksons stage of

Initiative versus Guilt (Russell 25). The next age range of 7-12 years correlates to

Piagets Period of Concrete Operations (Russell 24) and Eriksons stage of Industry

versus Inferiority (Russell 26). The last age range of 12-15 years correlates to Piagets

Period of Formal Operations (Russell 24-25) and Eriksons stage of Identity versus Role

Confusion (Russell 26). Each of these stages correlate to specific types of books, and

decide how the message of the story gets told.

The books written for the first age group are the books written for small

children, ages 2-7. These are usually picture books because at this age a book is

something that is read to the child and the pictures are what catches their attention.

An example of this being, Bienvenidos a Mi Barrio!: Mi Mundo De La A a La Z by

Quiara Alegria Hudes. While looking at this type of book, one which has text

completely in Spanish, it is important to look at one of the many things that are

important to the background of a book. Sometimes the background of the author will

be an influence on the book, but not always. One would want to look at what their life

was like as a child, where they went to school, things they experienced in both

childhood and adulthood, and other projects and endeavors of theirs besides their

writing. Sometimes these endeavors outside of their novels or picture books will be a

major influence to the writing and/or the overall message of the book. This author is

most well known for her work in the musical theatre world. The best-known musical

that she has worked on is In the Heights (Hudes/Miranda). This is a musical about the

Puerto Rican, Dominican Republican, and other Latino/a ethnic peoples from the

culturally rich barrio in Washington Heights in New York City. She wrote the book that
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this musical is based off and worked closely with the composer Lin Manuel-Miranda,

another Puerto Rican member of the musical theatre world. Working with this musical

and the story of this barrio could have easily been something that influenced her to

write this childrens picture book. That and maybe her upbringing as well as her

ethnicity. Q. A. Hudes has a Puerto Rican mother and a Jewish father, and obviously

knows about the way that minorities live, seeing as she grew up in the West

Philadelphia neighborhood that may have been an inspiration for the setting of this

book.

This books underlying message is to embrace diversity and to find things to

love about a neighborhood by showing it to others. Although the message of the book

might be difficult for a child under 5, it is important to read this to them because the

exposure to this idea can change their way of thinking. And, by the time they are 6 or

7, they may catch the underlying messages of accepting diversity and loving where one

comes from. This book follows a little Latina girl and her friend who comes to visit,

who happens to be a little Asian boy. Already this book is representing diversity with

the characters chosen, as well as making it so that both young girls and young boys

would want to either read it or have it read to them. She shows him around her barrio,

which is the Spanish term for neighborhood, and it is done using each letter of the

alphabet. Starting with A being for Abuela, which in Spanish means grandma, and

going to Z being for zona escolar, which means school zone. The text is completely in

Spanish, but the illustrations give someone who doesnt speak Spanish, or someone

who isnt fluent, an idea of what is being said. This books illustrations are straight

forward while still maintaining a sense of uniqueness to them that could relate to the

neighborhood that they are depicting.

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This book, overall, can appeal to this age range because of the stage of

psychological development in the children that it is marketed to. These children, aged

2-7, belong to Piagets Preoperational Period where children become less egocentric

and start making friends (Russell 23). As well as Eriksons stage of Initiative versus

Guilt, where children decide what they want to do and when (Russell 25). This book

fits into the Alphabet Book category, books that most of the time have no story and

may just be an aesthetic treat for readers to enjoy (Russell 90). However, this story

has an underlying message, which is not very common, and is a book that the reader

can grow with.

The next age range that books for children are marketed towards are the early

readers. These being beginning chapter books that are marketed to children ages 7-12.

These books are where stories begin to have a plot. An example of a book for this stage

is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine LEngle. This story has the message that not

everything seen must be explained, and that ones differences are what bring people

together. There are three main characters in this book; Meg, Charles Wallace, and

Calvin. Seeing as two of these characters are male, boys reading this story can most

likely relate to one of them. And since Meg is very tomboy-ish, that character wouldnt

alienate boy readers in the same way as Margaret from Are You There God? Its Me

Margaret would. Given the characters, this story can appeal to all genders, especially

of children in the age range of 7-12, although 12 may be a bit old for the writing style.

The language of this book is fairly simple, anything difficult wasnt spoken by the main

characters, but instead by Mrs. Who, who speaks in quotes. All of the quoted material

was in a different font and if it was in another language, it was translated for the

reader to understand. These quotes were from other pieces of literature, giving these

young readers different ways to think about problems. There were very few
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illustrations, about three total, and they were only used to explain the theory of

wrinkles in time, which allow our main characters to travel through space to save Meg

and Charles Wallaces father from IT.

This book falls into the genre of science fiction and speculative fiction (Russell

215). These books have settings that are only there to catch the readers attention and

to give a backdrop to tell a story with more substance. This age range correlates to

Piagets Period of Concrete Operations, where children learn to use the tool of

assimilation. This being the way that children can relate fantastical ideas to their

everyday life (Russell 24). The fantasy characters and events dont actually exist but

they can now begin to relate them to reality. This age range also correlates to Eriksons

stage of Industry versus Inferiority where these children desire success and friendship

(Russell 24). This being shown in the strength of friendship between the main

characters in order to succeed and defeat IT. Overall these books embrace the ideas

and settings of fantasy in order to get these children thinking about deeper issues by

giving them a sense of escapism, such as going to different planets, even though these

problems can be seen in everyday life.

Sometimes books for children cover topics that should be read by children of a

certain age group and of certain genders, such as Are You There God? Its Me,

Margaret by Judy Blume. This book fits into those marketed towards the next age

range of 12-15. These are young adult books and they usually cover tough topics that

are age specific. The book in question, Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret by Judy

Blume, covers the topic of growing up by following a girl who is waiting to get her

period. The main character is dealing with wanting to be normal. This meaning,

wanting to be just like everybody else and wanting to get her period, without

understanding these things happen at different times to different people. She is also
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struggling with other parts of growing up. Including discovering how she deals with

problems, learning about religion, moving to a new neighborhood, and taking

responsibility for her actions.

This book is in first person and it has very simple language. Any time the reader

sees Margaret talking to God, the text is in italics. The lack of illustrations in this book

does nothing to detract from the story. The addition of illustrations probably would not

add to the story either, seeing as this age range is past picture books and early

chapter readers and no longer need prompting for visuals. They can imagine things

themselves. Given the subject matter, this book is obviously marketed to pre-

pubescent girls, or girls who recently got their period. It is unlikely that a boy would

read this book given its subject matter. Given the subject matter, this book falls into

the genre of the problem novel, covering topics like sexuality in a way that is

sensitively written, since it gives no graphic descriptions of anything and gives the

reader the opportunity to think things out with Margaret (Russell 28). It would

probably be a book that can be read while asking an adult about any questions they

have on the subject instead of learning through rumors.

Such types of books, the ones that cover tough topics, are ones that should be

introduced to young readers delicately. Another example of this kind of book that

covers a different difficult topic is Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. This book

attempts to discuss bullying, in a way that is not too subtle. Harriet is an aspiring

writer, and writes things about people she watches into a spy notebook. Whether these

things are good or bad, it doesnt matter to Harriet because who is ever going to read

it? When those at school read the notebook, Harriet learns a valuable lesson. That

lesson being that you shouldnt say or write things down without thinking about them,

because all words have consequences. Although Harriet, at the time of writing these
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things down, doesnt understand that they can be taken badly, she also has a bad

attitude. This along with Harriets need to have things go her way, like when she and

her friend Scout play town, she is not a good role model to have in a book for

children. This book does a great job of covering a topic like bullying in a great way, but

the main characters personality detracts from the overall message because it seems

like Harriet doesnt learn her lesson and maintains her poor attitude even at the end of

the book.

The books for this age range correlate to later psychological stages. Piagets

Period of Formal Operations and Eriksons stage of Identity versus Role Confusion.

Piagets stage is where these children reach full cognitive maturity and are ready for

more mature topics (Russell 25). These mature topics can be things like taking

responsibility for your actions and learning your role in society. Eriksons stage states

that these children begin to discover who they are and that they crave openness and

honesty, preferring stories about others like them (Russell 26). Much like how

Margaret is learning to grow up, these children reading these stories will learn about

life events through the characters, events that they too may have experienced. These

books begin to tell readers exactly what they need to hear in a way that allows them

to engage in a true exchange of ideas (Russell 24-26). These books prepare them to

deal with real life ideas and allow them to form opinions of their own.

Books for children cover topics across the entire board, from diversity to

puberty to bullying. Some do a great job of this and others fall short because of the

characters actions, not so much because of the story or message itself. The things

that build into the age appropriateness range from the language, to the

characterization, to even the illustrations and author backgrounds. The most

important of all the pieces that decide age appropriateness is the correlation to child
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psychology. If they correctly correlate to each age ranges stage of development, they

are most likely an age appropriate book which, all things considered, makes these

books what they are, Classics.

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Works Cited

-Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. New York: Delacorte, 1970.

Kindle E-Book.

-Blume, Judy. Judys Official Bio. Judy Blume.

http://www.judyblume.com/about.php. Accessed 20 May 2017.

-Fitzhugh, Louise. Harriet the Spy. New York: Yearling, 1964. Kindle E-Book.

-Hudes, Quiara Alegria. Bienvenidos a Mi Barrio!: Mi Mundo De La A a La Z. New York:

Scholastic, 2010. Print.

-Hudes, Quiara Alegria and Lin-Manuel Miranda. In The Heights: The Complete Book

And Lyrics Of The Broadway Musical. Milwaukee: Applause Theatre & Cinema

Books, 2013. Print.

-Hudes, Quiara Alegria. "The Playwright." Quiara Alegra Hudes. Web. 16 May 2017.

<http://www.quiara.com/theplaywright>.

-L'Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Square Fish, 2007. Print.

-Louise Fitzhugh Literary Ladies Guide. http://www.literaryladiesguide.com/author-

biography/fitzhugh-louise/. Accessed 20 May 2017

-"Madeleine L'Engle's Website - Author of A Wrinkle in Time." Madeleine L'Engle.

Outbox Online/ Crosswicks, Web. 16 May 2017.

<http://www.madeleinelengle.com/>.

-Russell, David L. Literature for Children: A Short Introduction. 8th ed. Boston: Pearson

Education, 2015. Print.