Despite popular belief, a chapter book is more than a children’s book with chapters. Au contraire! It’s actually a unique age category all its own. These are the classic serials that every library seemed to have hundreds of: Goosebumps, The Babysitter’s Club, The Magic Tree House. Nowadays, Ivy & Bean and Diary of Wimpy Kid are some of the heavy hitters in this space.
What is a chapter book?
A chapter book is children’s novel meant to bridge the gap between picture book readers and novel readers. They’re full novels with complete plots, but they also often have some kind of illustration, and the reading level is at the low end of middle grade.
Who is a chapter book for?
7-10
A chapter book reader is an independent reader who has graduated from picture books and early readers. They might be reading middle grade alongside chapter books, but they’re on the young end of middle grade. At lower reading levels you have Cam Jansen and Magic Tree House, and on the slightly higher end, there’s The Babysitter’s Club.
How long is a chapter book?
96 to 200 pages.
It depends entirely on where in the age range you’re aiming at.
How long should a chapter book be in words?
10,000-20,000 words.
Again, this entirely depends on the age of the reader, but the key here is to think short and snappy.