Archive for 04/17/2014

Appropriate Audience Age For My Books

I am in the happy position of getting to write books for kids and books for adults under my own name. This is a wonderful position to be in, and it’s a position I hope to remain in until I’m dead and have no more books in me.

It does sometimes lead to confusion about the audience my books are written for. Of course I would like adults to enjoy my kids books in the same way I enjoy kids books, and I also hope some kids, with the participation of adults positioned to help determine what’s appropriate for said particular kids, will enjoy my adult books, just as I enjoyed a lot of adult books when I was a kid.

But without further blabbery, here’re some comments from the author (me) about the targeted age group for my various books.

Norse Code: Adult. Contains graphic violence and dirty words.

Kid vs. Squid: Middle grade, listed by the publisher for grades 3 and up, or ages 8-12, based on vocabulary and complexity of language rather than subject or content.

The Boy at the End of the World: Middle grade, listed by the publisher for grades 5-8, or ages 10-14, based on vocabulary and complexity of language rather than subject or content.

California Bones: Adult. Contains graphic violence and dirty words. Because most of the characters in this book are barely out of their teens, young adult readers might be interested in having a look.

Hope this is useful.