We get a lot of questions here at Go Teen Writers about writing books for kids and teens.

“What’s the difference between chapter books and middle grade?”

“What distinguishes YA from adult? Is it the age of the characters or the content of the book?”

The truth is, it depends. Middle grade and young adult novels usually feature main characters who are of a similar age as their audience. That said, some adult stories follow the lives of young people as well. Think of The Night Circus, Orphan Train, White Oleander, and All the Light We Cannot See among others.

Oftentimes the book cover, the tone of the writing, and the summary on the back of the book (or inside flap), make it clear the book was written for adult audiences, but sometimes it’s hard to tell. And for a young writer trying to work out who they’re writing for, bookstore shelves can muddy the issue.

So, let’s talk about it. What are the categories of children’s fiction? And which audiences are these books written for?

Board Books

You remember board books, right? These are books created for very young children, usually toddlers. The pages are made of thick paperboard to limit the damage little hands and mouths can do, but really, if a board book hasn’t been gnawed on by a little one, I’m not sure it’s fulfilled its life purpose.

Primary audience age: Three and under

Age of the main characters: Not applicable. Board books can feature people or animals or objects. They can be heartfelt, silly, educational, or starkly simple. The pictures may be black and white or bright and vibrant, depending on the publisher’s goal.

Average length: 100 words or less

Some of my faves: Day Dreamers, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Guess How Much I Love You

Picture Books

For many of us, our first memories include being read picture books, either by a teacher, parent or other adult. While picture books can be read to the youngest among us, they’re longer than board books and are written to appeal to both grown-ups and children alike, as their reading is usually a shared experience.

Primary audience age: Toddler to second grade

Age of the main characters: Like picture books, there is generally a wide range of characters, ages, perspectives, and themes.

Average length: Less than 1,000 words, often in a 32-page format

Some of my faves: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, What to Do With an Idea, Stay Through the Storm

Early Readers

This is a very exciting reading stage for so many kids. They’re finally able to read words on their own. To service these readers, publishers produce leveled reading books. These books start with very few words per page and include pictures to help convey the story. The complexity of words and plot increase as new readers level up.

Primary audience age: Early elementary

Age of the main characters: Like picture books, there is a lot of variety here, with the goal being to keep the interest of young children as they attempt to read on their own.

Average length: 200 – 3,500 words, depending on reading level

Some of my faves: Little Bear, Bathtime for Biscuit, Amelia Bedelia

Chapter Books

Chapter books are geared for intermediate readers. They feature a broader vocabulary than early readers and use words to tell the story instead of leaning heavily on pictures.

Audience age: Seven to ten years old

Age of the main characters: If people are the main characters, they are often children near the audience’s age. That said, plenty of chapter books focus on animals as main characters.

Average length: 4,000-12,000 words, with short chapters

Some of my faves: The Magic Tree House, Ivy and Bean, Whatever After

Middle Grade

As children age and their reading abilities increase, so do the plot complexities, story problems, and maturity of the novels. Middle Grade books are often full of growing pains, exploration, and curiosity. Many of these books appeal to readers of all ages, though they are written with a very specific age range in mind.

Primary audience age: Eight to twelve years of age

Age of the main characters: Usually the main characters are close in age to the primary audience, though again there is plenty of middle grade that focus on non-human characters.

Average length: 20,000 to 40,000 words (though many novels exceed this, especially if they are part of a larger series and the characters are aging alongside the readers; think Harry Potter)

Some of my faves: Harry Potter, Seeing Cinderella, Keeper of the Lost Cities, The Warriors series, and Percy Jackson

Young Adult

Young Adult is a very exciting category, and can be among the most frequented shelves in a bookstore, attracting teens and adults alike.

Young adult books often have heavier themes and showcase more intense relationship dynamics than books for younger readers. They also present challenging emotional responses as they often feature characters experiencing situations for the first time–coming of age stories are very common and can be presented against many backdrops.

Primary audience age: Thirteen to eighteen years of age

Age of the main characters: Usually thirteen to eighteen, and this is the first category where things are going to get a bit more rigid in that regard. We’re not featuring main characters younger than this, unless they quickly age in the story. And, for the most part, we’re not seeing books with an adult protagonist. The main thrust of the novel is almost always focused on a teen character or characters.

That said, there have been an influx of books that feature college-aged leads, and bookstores have often opted to shelve these books in the young adult section. It can make deciphering true YA from New Adult a challenge.

Average length: 60,000 to 120,000 words

Some of my faves: The Hunger Games, A Northern Light, Scorpio Races, Six of Crows, and Code Name Verity

Additional Thoughts

I hope this has been helpful, but please realize there are always exceptions to these rules. Keep in mind that publishers and book sellers can choose to market a book as they see fit. The Night Circus, for example, could just have easily fit on YA shelves, but it was acquired by an editor looking for adult fantasy. All the Light We Cannot See has much in common with Code Name Verity, but one was shelved and marketed to adults while the other made waves in the YA community.

There will always be overlap and books that push the boundaries of a category, but I hope these rough guidelines help you as you decipher just who it is you’re writing for.

Looking at these kidlit categories, can you pinpoint who you’re writing for? Do you write for more than one audience? Any other questions I can answer?

Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.

Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.

It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.

To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.

For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her websiteInstagramFacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.