Part IV: Developmental Levels
Board Books: these sturdy books for babies and toddlers have cardboard pages.
The number of pages varies. They deal with very simple concepts: colors, shapes, farm animals, etc.
These small format, colorful books are designed so babies can hold them and turn the pages.
This is an early step in learning to read.
Example: Teeth Are Not For Biting by Elizabeth Verdick
Word Count: 0-100 words. Some of these books are wordless.
Early Picture Books: 32 pages. These books are geared toward preschool children.
They focus on concepts (counting, ABC’s) or simple stories. The storyline often has one main character
that the child can strongly identify with. Pictures on every page show what is going on in the text,
and the words and pictures work together to tell the story.
Example: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? By Bill Martin
Word Count: 1,000 words.
Picture Books: 32 pages. These are for children from 4-8 years old, designed for reading aloud by parent or teacher.
Example: King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey and Don Wood
Word Count: 1,000 to 2,000 words.
Beginning Readers/ Easy Readers: 32-64 pages. These are for children 6-8.
There are illustrations on each page to support the text. The sentences and words are short and simple,
as is the story line. There are usually between two and five sentences per page, set in a large font.
Example: Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
Word Count: 200-1,500 words depending on reading level.
Transitional Chapter Books: 45-90 pages. These are for children 6-9.
These books bridge the gap between beginning readers and full-length chapter books.
The text is double spaced, and there are illustrations on every few pages. The plot is simple and linear.
Example: The Cam Jansen series by Adler
Word Count: around 6,000 words.
Chapter Books: 150-300 pages. These are for children 8-12. These stories are more complex,
with sub-plots and more complete character development.
Example: Holes by Louis Sachar
Word Count: 6,000 to 10,000 words.
Young Adult Books: 300+ pages. Ages 12 and up. These books can be any genre, but focus on
the feeling teens have and the issues that they face. Subjects such as drug use, rape,
homosexuality and suicide are dealt with in some of the books for this age group.
Examples:
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
Word Count: 30,000 to 60,000 words.
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Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI