There is a wide range of children books available on the market. Books that range from teaching ABC to books that teach children about their bodies. B.B. & The New Student, teaches children about judging. It is an excellent book that every child should have. It helps to build strong character traits in our children and it reiterates the importance of not judging anyone before getting to know them.
Being quick to judge before acquiring knowledge about something or someone could possibly cause harm, whether it be to yourself or someone else. It is important to gain as much knowledge as possible before making judgment.
In B.B. & The New Student, B.B.’s perfect world was disrupted when a new student from outside of her world, joined her class. B.B. and her friends were quick to judge the new student based on his appearance and where he resided. Will she learn a valuable lesson about judging? Read B.B.& The New Student to find out.
It is never too early to teach our children these values, so that when they grow older it will have a positive impact on them and others that they may come in contact with. As adults we also need to set an example for our children by practicing what we teach them. Many of us fall into the trap of judging before acquiring knowledge. This can put us in a very scratchy situation when we discover that we are wrong.
Let us teach our children good character traits. Start now by getting them B.B. & The New Student.
Big Universe® is an online community where kids, parents, teachers, publishers, authors, illustrators, librarians, and others come together to explore the exciting world of online children’s books. We offer hundreds of fiction and non-fiction children’s books readable directly on our website, a self-publishing tool to create & publish children’s books, blogs on relevant topics, and much more. Video Rating: 5 / 5
A Bilingual Audio Book for Children to learn Spanish
Parents who look for a way to help their children to learn a foreign language (or to learn theirs) often rely on bilingual books for children. Since it may happen to be difficult to make children read, their efforts are not always rewarded. The latest language learning software, bilingual audio books for children, solves the problem. The Canterville Ghost has been chosen to become the first English-Spanish bilingual audio book. The sentence-for-sentence alternation makes it an easy language learning tool while sparing the learners the misunderstandings they often get when they listen to an audiobook recorded only in the language they learn.
According to MultilingualBookstore chief publisher, the choice of The Canterville Ghost, by Oscar Wilde, was made because it “meets linguistic, trade, and technical requirements.” The book to record should treat of a general subject, so that the vocabulary would be useful for anyone; it should be suitable for listeners of all ages; and not only should it allow cutting, but also had to keep its qualities despite the cutting.
The English-Spanish audiobook presents the recording of the original text (for the English part) that is to say: some sentences are quite long because, despite the classification “suitable for children” the book is a piece of art, not a teaching tool. The Spanish translation uses modern Spanish.
The Canterville Ghost is a parody of a ghost story. All the elements are in place: the old mansion, the armour in the hall, the blood stain, the chains, the secret corridor, etc, but they do not work the way they are supposed to. They are present, but the circumstances make them less ghostly than they should be, mainly because they are seen from the materialistic point of view of the American family, the Otises. For them, a detergent may remove the stain, the ghost’s chains may be lubricated, a syrup may improve Sir Simon’s awful voice etc.
Even things that are not related with the Otises refuse to work. When the ghost makes the terrible oath, using the “picturesque phraseology of the antique school” -something that is known to have yet proved its worth- though Chanticleer “sounds his merry sound” at once, then he remains mute, instead of serving Sir Simon’s purpose and allowing “deeds of blood” to be wrought. Everything goes wrong for the representant of the antique school, of the old England.
But in the end, it is the ghost who has a present for the new world. His legacy goes to Virginia, the one who will reconcile the two worlds by marrying an English duke.
While reading the story, children are entertained, not afraid.
Adult readers will enjoy the way Oscar Wilde pits an American family against a British ghost, one culture against the other. The inserted ads, that sounded so American one century ago, are still funny. The stereotypes of both cultures are reexamined.
In the Christian theology, the ghosts cannot exist, since a soul is or is not saved, but cannot choose a third way. No Christian can believe in ghosts. But it is the ghost himself who asks for someone praying for him, so that he can be forgiven; and it is Virginia, a believer and a member of the “Free American Reformed Episcopalian Church” who prays with and for him. The conclusion is clear: two choices are not enough.
Almost all Multilingual bilingual audio books, for children ???or not, follow a sentence-by-sentence alternation. It is what best mirrors the side by side bilingual books. It makes them perfectly suitable for beginners. The bilingual audio book Spanish-English works the same way, so that the beginners do not have to do guess work, they learn the easiest possible way almost as they learnt their mother tongue, except that they do not ask their mother to repeat when there is something that escapes their understanding, they simply hit the “Replay” touch. The bilingual audiobook is a little less than three hour long. Each one of the seven chapters of the Canterville Ghost has its own corresponding mp3 file, so that even children may listen to the story since the length of a file is within their ability to focus.
Many adult listeners who are looking for a handy tool to refresh their Spanish will also find pleasant to stop saying: “I have not read it yet,” when asked what they think of Oscar Wilde’s tale and instead will proudly reply: “Actually, I prefer to listen to it in Spanish.”
Maybe you’re one of those lucky writers whose head is bursting with ideas. Or perhaps you have one idea that’s been nagging you for weeks, always at the edge of your thoughts. Either way, you’re itching to begin writing. That’s good. But before you rush headlong into your story, stop and ask yourself one question: Is this just an idea, or is it a book?
Ideas, of course, are the seeds of any work of fiction or nonfiction. But until an idea is fully developed, until you can envision its beginning, middle and end, that one idea might not be enough. The experience of writing for pages about an idea and ultimately getting nowhere (or getting a pile of rejections) has taught many writers to outline their books before they begin. But if the thought of an outline sends shivers up your spine, at least thinking your idea through and making sure it merits months of writing can save you future frustration.
Ideas for Fiction
A lot of writers, especially when they’re beginners, get ideas for fiction from their own lives. This can be useful for several reasons: you’re emotionally invested in the topic, you can relate directly to the main character, and if the situation actually happened to you, you’re less likely to be unconsciously basing the story on a book you’ve read. But remember, just because you find this thing that happened to you or your child fascinating, it doesn’t mean it will be fascinating to thousands of potential readers. Very often, a real-life event is just that–an event. It’s a vivid scene you recall with pleasure, or a family joke that’s repeated over and over. It evokes strong emotions when you remember it, perhaps you even look back on an event as a turning point in your life. But only rarely does reality provide a plot.
When writers stick too closely to what really happened they fail to develop the elements necessary for a good story: a believable main character who is faced with a problem or conflict, mounting tension as that character tries to solve her problem and experiences setbacks, and a tension- filled climax followed by a resolution that’s satisfying to the character and the reader. If your main character is really your son, you might not want to get him in trouble or throw rocks in his path. But you have to. It’s the only way you’ll create a story that will keep readers hooked and wondering how it will end.
Speaking of endings, if the resolution of your story comes too easily, it’s probably obvious and predictable. Try mixing up real life and have the situation evolve in a different direction. Surprise yourself, and you’ll surprise an editor.
However you get your idea, focus first on whether it’s a plot or a theme. Many times, an initial idea is really the underlying meaning of the story, what the author wants to convey to the reader. Themes should be universal in their appeal– such as friendship, appreciating one’s own strengths, not judging others too quickly. Then play around with the sequence of events until you develop a plot (what actually happens in the book) that makes this theme clear to the reader. And remember; if you’re using a childhood incident as the foundation of your story, tell it from your childhood viewpoint, not how it feels to you now as an adult.
Ideas for Nonfiction
Your nonfiction book should be based on something you’re truly interested in and passionate about. After all, you’ll be living with this idea for many months. The key to successful nonfiction is to take your idea and approach it in a way that no one else has ever done before. This means doing most of your research before you begin to write. Don’t settle for the most easily-found information on your topic–your readers have probably read the same information. Keep digging until you find an aspect to your subject that strikes you as unique. Then search through the library and book stores to make sure no one else has already beat you to it.
For a nonfiction idea to become a book, you need enough information to fill the number of pages necessary, depending on the age group for which you plan to write. Younger children need a foundation of basic facts, but you can also get fairly detailed within the scope of the approach you’ve chosen as long as you explain concepts in a simple and straightforward manner (how animals hibernate, why insects are different colors). Older readers can draw on a broader foundation of knowledge, and infer connections between your topic and related subjects. A detailed outline of any nonfiction book is essential to help you see if your idea has enough substance and originality, or if you need further research before you begin writing.
Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, your idea should mean something to you, but also have the potential to mean a lot to your readers. Think it through, add to it, take the nonessential elements away, and make sure it has a beginning, middle and end. Only then will your “idea” turn into “an idea for a book.”
From cbiclubhouse.com, the place to turn for children’s book writing information. There are four things that many successful children’s book authors have in common. In this video, you’ll learn them, and discover if you’re ready for your shot at the big time!
Learning Chinese for Young Children Including Preschoolers and Toddlers
Native Speakers for Teaching Chinese
On method for those households that don’t have a native speaker is hiring of a nanny who speaks Chinese. The NY Times had an article noting the increase in au pairs from China. It is also possible to arrange play dates with other children who are learning Chinese as well as finding a Chinese speaking babysitter. Local universities will often have spouses of Chinese working on Masters and PhD’s who are looking for extra income. Another option is finding a local nanny, and there are a number around. If you are in public service, please remember Zoe Baird on the requirements for legally hiring a nanny. Truth to be told, there is a large population of people in the US from China who don’t have papers who work as nannies, so be careful. Nannies are also taking care of your children, so picking the right person is extremely important, especially if they live with you. Friends of ours have gone through multiple nannies and it was not a good experience.
Online Programs for Teaching Chinese
There are also programs to expose Children to Chinese at a young age. I am not aware of any that are online for English speakers at this time. There are online programs for adults learning Chinese as well as native speakers.
Private Chinese Schools
Traditionally non-public Chinese Schools in the US start teaching children when they are old to sit still and copy characters. Most schools are still using traditional teaching rote teaching methods still used in Taiwan and China. For the most part with children in the US, it does not work due to culture classes. There is a huge amount of independence in children in the US and using boring teaching methods that do not capture the interest of the child so they want to go to school without a lot of parental pushing will end up in failure. With the child being forced to go to school and often treating it as just babysitting, and not learning Chinese.
An alternative is finding a school that uses more of a Montessori Method or what is used in ESL where there is a lot of conversation. I was pleasantly surprised by my daughter’s public school language teacher who spoke of using this method in the classroom, instead of the traditional focus on grammar in learning many foreign languages. At a young age, I would suggest programs that teach using a lot of singing and other fun activities.
Summer Camps
Going to a summer camp in a full immersion environment is a great way to learn Chinese! Each year ChildBook publishes the largest list I have found of Summer Chinese Programs. These range from weekend programs in the US to programs that include a boarding school to programs in China and Taiwan. I favor the full immersion process as a great way to Learn Chinese.
Chinese Learning Products
CD’s for Learning Chinese
CD’s come in two different types. One is products that are 100% Chinese of Chinese Children Songs or stories only in Chinese. Some products include a book of lyrics in Chinese, and other’s don’t. Other products are designed to teach Chinese and have a booklet with lyrics in English, Pinyin, and Chinese Characters. The teaching Chinese products are both from from the US (the majority) and a series from Singapore. The products for Teaching Chinese are bilingual, so the songs are sung in both Chinese and English. What I like about the CD’s is they give a parent a chance to be part of the process where they can Sing Happy Birthday in the Teach Me Chinese CD and Book in both English and Chinese (this series focuses on popular songs in Chinese and English). The other series have specially written songs for Teaching Chinese. The Teach Me Chinese Series has Teacher Guides available. The Sing & Learn Chinese CD & Book includes a track of the songs without words (like Karoke). Let’s Sing Chinese is a 3 product series from Singapore that has both familiar songs and new ones. 3 is the most I have seen of any series of Cd’s for Teaching Chinese to Children.
Video’s for Learning Chinese
Video’s such as from Mei Mei use more of a hands on approach teaching basic Chinese vocabulary and she currently has five video’s in her series. From the first one that teaches counting and parts of the body with songs through an approach that children love to later ones that progress such as her Play and Learn Chinese with Mei Mei where an actual Chinese Kindergarten is visited. What is great about this video is it gives your Child the chance to compare their experience and see the differences between their school and the one in the video. From lunch to PE to naps. To select the right video for your child, I recommend reading the reviews (both good and bad).
Books for Learning Chinese
A great book for those just beginning to Learn Chinese is I Won’t Bite. It’s a touch and feel book that has Pinyin, Chinese Characters, and English. The challenge of using a book is often you need to know how to read Chinese, in order to teach from it. A fun book for exposing Children to Chinese Characters is Long Is A Dragon by Peggy Goldstein A selection of books for Learning Chinese Character
Software for Learning Chinese
Any day some Software should arrive that has been highly recommended by customers.
Gone are the days, when the works of foreign authors seldom reached the Indian readers. As the reading community is growing (Thanks to novels like Harry Potter, The Lord Of The Rings and The Da Vinci Code which managed to gather a lot of admirers and made the present generation believe that books can be real fun!) the book market of today is flooded with manuscripts from the foreign authors. Same is true for children books. We have a number of authors both from Indian and foreign origin introducing their efforts to make children grow up as ideal humans. Children books are basically fictions bearing a moral to teach the kids basic virtues. Authors like Enid Blyton, Gail Haley, Katherine Paterson etc. have created a virtual world where the kids celebrate their childhood. In their own special way, these authors had tried to induce virtues like honesty, modesty, bravery and diligence in the tender hearts. Though these stories aim at the readers belonging to the age bracket 4 to 12, they sometimes hook up the elders too. Even the mothers enjoy reading and narrating these stories to their young ones.
Have you ever given a thought, why children shun studies and schools? It is because their first lesson had been dry and mind-numbing. So, they resort to their toys and start believing that books are something to stay away from. Why don’t we make their first ever lesson fascinating and motivating? Their first book should have the calibre to talk to them in their own language. The online book stores led a helping hand in the popularity of these books. If you are looking for some of the most interesting and informative children books then books such as ‘Chunky Trucks’, ‘Aladdin Maxx Trucks’, ‘Chunky Pack 3′ and ‘Chunky Book Tray’ hold some of the most innovative modes to make your child familiar with the world. They come with a hardcover, to prevent your little imp turning them into a pile of junk. These books are from some of the most eminent names in the world of children books like Roger Priddy. If your child is between 6 to 12 years of age, give him Golden Myths and Legends of the World written by Geraldine Mccaughrean which will teach your kid everything which our ancestors would have liked to tell us. These are just a few from the extensive collection of books available online that can really give a proper direction to your child’s life.
It is a human tendency that a person never excels unless and until he develops an interest in whatever he does. Make your child have fun while studying through the children’s books so that reading is never a tedious and arid task for him.
Audio books for children compose a high percentage of the material available in the music book industry. By building a large audio library with music books for children, you can benefit both you and your children. They can be educational for your children in an entertaining way.
Audio books for children also help kids expand their imagination in ways that television and video games can not. With internet technology, you can get a wide selection of music books for children in just a matter of minutes.
Audio books for children are a great learning tool that children will undoubtedly enjoy. Kids who are not avid readers will still gain some of the advantages of reading by listening to an exciting music book.
They can also learn other skills that reading alone may not offer, such as listening skills. In addition, if your child has difficulty reading, an audio book can help them hone their reading skills by following along with the narration while having the book in front of them.
Audio books for children are ideal in that they have many of the same benefits that reading provides. By listening to an audio book, children can acquire a larger vocabulary and increase their imagination skills. Listening to a book also stimulates reading in that once a child has listened to how exciting a book can actually be, they are more likely to pick up one of their favorite books and read it.
A child music book is also a great idea for children as a bedtime story. Although it is no substitute for a parent reading a story to the child, the right selection can provide a calming atmosphere in a way that the parent might not be able to do at times.
For parents who want to evaluate what music books for children can do for their family, several websites are dedicated to helping them make informed decisions. For instance, childrensroom is a website that parents can go to where they can read reviews of books and audio books to help them make the best choice for their family.
Another site – playtime-books – offers similar services, as well as stories in music book download format. The music books MP3 format makes this option readily available from the convenience of home. Parents can also visit their local library where trained librarians can help them find the best audio books for children.
Finally, when a parent decides on a child music book for their children to listen to, they should take into consideration some other specifics. For instance, listening to the book beforehand will help a parent decide if the book is age appropriate for their child. Is it too scary for them? Will they understand the story? Are the issues too mature or not mature enough to hold their interest? These are all questions a parent should ask before allowing their child to listen to the book.
In a society where television and video games are the norm in a typical household, music books for children are an exciting and educational alternative. While entertaining, audio books for children also provide excitement that helps to expand a child’s imagination and enhance their listening skills.
With the popularity of the internet, parents have quick and easy access to a variety of titles that their children will be sure to enjoy.
Gifts for Children and Teenagers- Stimulate Their Senses While They are Playing
It is a well known theory that the type of toys, games and activities that a young child plays with can stimulate their mental development. This has led to a influx of educational and creative toys and games into the market place.
In this very short article I am going to introduce 5 creative and educational gift ideas for children, that them to have fun and also helps to stimulate their mentality.
Kids Colour Your Own Umbrella- A unique and functional gift, this child-child sized range of umbrellas are printed with outline shapes which can be painted. The gift comes complete with permanent glitter paints and paint brushes.
Personalised Children’s Story Books- These range of high quality books is quite recent addition to the market place. Books of course are an excellent way to improve a child reading and writing skills. Personalised books on the other hand can also help to build children’s self-esteem and self-image because they are stars of the stories. All stories are thoughtfully written to convey positive, wholesome messages. Illustrations are colourfully drawn to maximise a child’s sensory enjoyment. The books become a valuable teaching tool and a unique family keepsake.
Moon in My Room- this is a unique educational product which is aimed at the older children in their young teens. This clever gadget illustrates twelve authentic lunar activity effects and includes a remote control to display the visual effects at night. The Moon is an accurate curved reflection of the real thing, and is designed to be mounted on your bedroom wall. Using a mini remote control, you can control the phases of the moon, or leave it on automatic and watch is phase through twelve stages from Waning Crescent to New Moon. As it gets dark a light sensor in your moon illuminates the moon automatically and there is an auto shut-off (30 mins) to preserve the battery life (this feature can be over-ridden by you). It also comes with a 15min educational audio CD tour, where teenager and learn fact about the moon.
Star Theatre 2- The Star Theater® 2 is a Home Planetarium with interactive Meteor Maker™. Watch as hundreds of stars and constellations are projected on your ceiling and walls. Listen as you are taken on an exciting audio CD tour of the night sky. Control the Meteor Maker to create streaking comets and meteors overhead. The star theatre turns into a lamp, allowing it to project constellations all around your room, just as if you were up in the sky with the stars giving you a full 360 degree planetarium.
Wild Science Atlantis Nature Reserve- Wild Science is one of the most recognisable, best selling and popular science brands in the UK offering a diverse range of collectable science kits with real attitude. The child can Hatch and grow pre-historic triops in ‘Triop lagoon’, watch ants as they dig tunnels, feed and explore ‘Ant Island’ and grow vegetation to make the scene complete.
Children Books Store- Get the Best Books for Children
Children have always loved reading books. Books are their best companion and give them knowledge. They love to read and get complete information regarding various aspects of life. In school we used to study a number of books on different subjects to gain insight. Every child spends considerable amount of time with books. Story books have always been a great source of entertainment and awareness for kids. Children books help the kids to understand various subjects and learn them in an easy manner.
Every child begins his foray into the world of knowledge and wisdom with the incredible books. Beginning with the initial level nursery rhymes and picture books to the intricate mathematics and science subjects in the middle level, books provide knowledge to children. No one can imagine education without books. Thus they are extremely important for every child. Children books are full of interesting facts presented in funny and comprehensive manner. These books endeavour to present various topics to children in easy and interactive manner so that they can easily understand the important lessons. Books have always contributed in facilitating knowledge and awareness in children.
Storybooks and fairy tales have always attracted children. The awesome tales of Cinderella, Snow White and Rupenzal have entertained kids since ages. How can one forget the fun filled journey of Alice in the Wonderland and the Red Riding Hood’s perils in the forest with the cunning wolf? These stories have entertained the kids. Fairy tales books are quite popular amongst children. These best children fantasy books have characters which take children to the world of whims and fancies; they enthrall them with their magical and wonderful extravaganza and entertaining anecdotes. Kids get thrilled with the amazing stories. Stories are wonderful way to teach them small and important lessons of life. Stories give them the true knowledge about the morals and values through the imaginative characters.
Interactive learning is provided by the various books that have been specially crafted for giving children innovative lessons about the various topics. From numbers to alphabets, from science to literature –books are the source of knowledge on every subject. It is very important for the young ones to learn the basics of various subjects well and then only they shall be able to understand the complex topics at later stage. Books play a very vital role in this aspect. There have been many highly successful series of books from various authors and publishing houses that have given children the most important and valuable lessons in the most intelligent manner.
From time to time new books for children are published which deal with the various aspects and subjects from different arena. With the advancement in technology and enhancement in lifestyle, today children have better understanding and increased level of comprehensibility. This change has also influenced the children books. Best selling children books are now speaking about the internet and technology etc.
The best place to avail the most awesome childrens books is the various children book stores. These days various online books stores are present on the internet with which one can get the books on various genres and topics for children of all ages.
You can find innovative and interactive picture books and children reading books that teach numbers and alphabets for beginners. For kids between 3 to 4 years you can have books with interesting poems and nursery rhymes. For a bit older kids who can read well, various story books and fictional novels are present. Kids between 7 to 11years love reading comics and thriller books. The famous characters like Archie, Richie Rich, Superman, Sherlock Holmes etc have always entertained children.
Online children book stores are the most reliable place to search for your child’s favourite books. You can avail these books at great prices and avail amazing discounts. The best aspect is that you can avail these books easily right from your home. All you need to do is, select the book and order it online.
The habit of reading books nurtures the capabilities and skills of the readers. Reading books permit the reader to explore the wide horizon of facts. However, books for children should be very carefully chosen. Fairy tales and adventurous books enthrall them a lot. Parents should always try to cultivate the reading habits in their children. They should try to understand the like and dislikes of their children and develop their reading habits. We are always guided by the notion that boys like adventurous books whereas; the girls like romantic or fairy tale books. Though to some extent this notion holds true, but story books enable all the children to wander in their fantasy world, be it adventure or fairy tale. There are various genres of books available these days to provide the readers the ultimate amusement. Reading books help to stir up the thoughts and imagination of the children. This in turn enables them to imbibe good moral values in them.
Children books are found almost in every nook and corner. The main question that concerns us is, what actually constitutes or defines a children book? How should we interpret that a specific book is for children for adults? To answer this debate there are many definitions. The most popular concept defines that children books provide fantastic reality and also imaginative story. As children like to wander in their fantasy islands, imaginative stories are assumed to cultivate their reading attitude. Another popular concept defines that a story books that has a child character should be regarded as their book. This is because the children can easily relate themselves with the character.
To understand the imagination of the children, one need to do careful research. Books like Harry Potter develop the ability among the readers to visualize the images and ideas in their mind. This book has been written so brilliantly that it portrays the semblance of reality. As such Harry Potter has become so popular among the kids that they impatiently wait for the next issue. Further, children books that are versed in very simple language help them to utilize their leisure time with fun. There are various genres of books available such as historic, adventurous, fairy tales etc. Books that are narrated in such a manner that helps to develop the curiosity and knowledge of the readers are very beneficial. Whatever the genre of the book is, the mellow flavor in those stories should sustain to enthrall the children readers.
Today in our fast pace of life, everybody seem to be very busy. People fail to pay attention to the likes and dislikes of their children. This technological boon has come to swirl away all those concerns. It is playing the genie role in our daily activities by fulfilling all our desires. A person who can access the internet can easily serve all his or her official and entertainment needs. It has greatly turned everybody very techno savvy. As such people tend to do all their works online. With the click of a mouse the user can easily log on to the preferred website. If you are an avid reader of books, the online shopping stores would help you a lot to get best price for children books. The internet would easily enable the users to access their preferred online book stores within few minutes. Browse those sites to avail the books of your choice. The exciting feature of this online shopping would facilitate your search option by the name of genres, authors etc. The users would no longer have to wander round the shop corners to purchase the books of their favorite authors. These online stores would further enable them to read the reviews of readers to avail the latest launched story books.
Check out these I See Me! personalized children’s books that are popular with Brooke Shields and Courteney Cox. They’ve been featured on The View, Good Morning America, and the Today show. Perfect gift for babies and young children!
The Basics of Writing for Children; Two: Start With a Situation
When writing for children a popular way of getting started is to begin with an incident or happening. Any particular incident, whether you’ve read about it, or maybe heard about it on the news, or maybe a chance phrase or a meeting with someone may create an sudden unshakeable conviction that this is something which may one day be the beginning of a book. Writing for children is, contrary to what many people believe, just as difficult and challenging as writing for adults, indeed in many ways more so, so when you are writing for children, do select your incident or happening carefully as you need to gain, and keep a child’s notoriously fickle attention.
In any case it may take years for you to begin writing for children, but the idea remains firmly fixed in your mind, and so does its potential for a good storyline. Consider the story of the manager of an orphanage who was aware that many of the children in her care had invented “real belonging mothers” all of their own. In some cases the mothers actually existed, but many of these absent moms were invented by the children themselves to fill an aching need, because they didn’t know who their real mothers were, they simply invented them.
When you are writing for children, you could perhaps consider this situation- store it away in your mind and give it time to take root. Possibly years later you may be able to use and develop it. Here’s one possibility ….
Children in an orphanage create fantasy mothers for themselves. Some fantasise about wonderful, cuddly moms who love them deeply and only left them at the orphanage because they had no other option in a cold, hard world. Maybe other children that fantasise about heartless, evil women who simply abandoned them out of cruelty and spite – sounds a bit like a wicked stepmother – doesn’t it? And we all know what wonderful tales have been woven around wicked stepmothers!
Of course not all situations will develop well. You do need to consider carefully what might be worked into a good storyline and which scenarios should be left well alone when writing for children. After all, you don’t want to make your stories too scary! Remember those fantasy moms – those kids needed make-believe mothers who would support rather than hurt them, and any writing for children should always leave the reader feeling warm and reassured after the conclusion has been reached.
