Genre Of The Month: Children's Fiction

As a children's writer, I may be biased, but children's fiction is awesome. From evergreen classics like Lewis Caroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, to Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (published in 2023), children's stories enrich the imaginations of their readers and provide endless entertainment, comfort and a sense of belonging. But how did the genre start? And, more importantly, how has it evolved?

Once Upon a Time

Though the first written children's book was A Little Pretty Pocketbook by John Newbery which blended entertainment and instruction, children's fiction truly blossomed through fairytales and fantasy stories. Authors such as The Brother's Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson brought magic to children's stories, creating characters we know and love today. Building on this tradition, Lewis Caroll and other writers crafted complex and magical novels which were hugely popular and helped elevate not only children's fantasy, but children's fiction as a whole

The publication of Caroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, led the genre down a rabbit hole and into its golden age. This period brought with it iconic characters like Peter Pan, Dorothy Gale and, of course, Alice, who took their readers with them on their various adventures. These fun, fantastical tales captured the readers imagination and can be argued to be the blueprint for children's fantasy.

The Now:

Though children's fantasy remains just as popular, realistic children's fiction has seen a real surge in popularity these last 20 years. Authors like Jaqueline Wilson and Onjali Q Rauf tackle real world issues in their books, offering readers relatability and emotional character arcs.

Different types of children's fiction:

• Board books (Ages 0-3):

Simple books with minimal text (usually under 100 words. Designed for babies.

• Picture books (Ages 3-8):

Richly illustrated stories with word counts between 250–1,000 words. These books often rely on visuals to support the narrative.

• Chapter Books (Ages 6–9 or 7–10):

More developed plots and characters, with word counts ranging from 8,500 to 12,000 words (sometimes up to 20,000)

• Middle Grade (Ages 8–12):
  Stories with more complex themes and subplots, usually 25,000–50,000 words. The main character is often slightly older than the target reader.
• Young Adult (YA) (Ages 12+):
  Books that explore more mature themes such as identity, relationships, and societal issues. Word counts typically range from 50,000 to 75,000 words.

My Favourite Children's Books

Some of my favourites are as follows:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Jacqueline Wilson's novels.

The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer

Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton

That wraps up this dive down nostalgia lane. Let me know what your favourites are and what genre you would like me to cover next.

Love,

Em x