There are 6 reading levels for books from picture books through toddlers and children through to teens.
- First level: Infants and toddlers
- Second level: Toddlers and kids in Kindergarden up to 3rd Grade
- Third level: 6 — 9 years old
- Fourth level: 7 — 10 years old
- Fifth level: 8 — 12 years old
- Sixth level: 12 and up. One character may stand out as a hero or the focus of the story.
As a writer, you can write picture books of all descriptions right through to complex plots.
Picture Books can be broken down into roughly three age groups:
- simple stories, rhymes, illustrated pages, colours, animals, bodies; some books are printed on cloth, some on hard coated cardboard
- very simple stories about every-day life, or fairy tales, rhyming short sentences
- Plots are simple (no complicated twists and turns or complex sub-plots) with generally one main character being the focus of the child’s emotions, concerns and viewpoint.
What type of children’s book are you thinking of writing?
Which age group are you aiming for?
Finding out Reading Levels for Books
Here is a video which you might find interesting — it searches for published books you type in, and displays their “level” (suitable for which age of child):
The link mentioned in the video is: http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/
Let us know if we can help :-)