How to Write School-Library Books for Children
Teachers depend on supplementary material to support lesson plans and curriculum from pre-school through high school. Much of the supplementary material comes from school-library books, written specifically for the school-library market. If you are interested in writing library books for children, follow these steps.
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Instructions
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Contact an appropriate publisher about work-for-hire assignments or submit a nonfiction proposal. Perhaps a dozen publishing houses have school-library imprints. Many are listed in the annual "Writer's Market." Search for writer's guidelines through the publisher's website or by requesting them directly from a publisher.
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Review published books from the publishing house in greater depth after receiving an assignment. A large number of school-library books come in series with a specific format. Not only should a publisher give you series guidelines, many will send you a book or two from the series on request. If you write for a series, don't stray too much from the format.
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Do your homework. Research is key to nonfiction library books. Check the accuracy of your sources. Locate the best information in primary or secondary sources. Look in public and university libraries. Internet sources from educational institutions and academic databases tend to be more reliable than public search engines.
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Outline your book. School-library books depend upon an established logical format, so this should be easy. Listing the main points that you want to cover in each chapter or section helps you stay on target.
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Begin with an interesting introduction that grabs a reader's interest. Use specific details and include action when appropriate to hold a reader's attention. Write to your audience, never down to them.
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Write naturally. Although most school-library books include a glossary, give the reader an idea of the meaning of a new word within your text as well. Use active sentences whenever possible. Depend more on dynamic verbs and precise nouns over modifiers like adjectives and adverbs.
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Revise your book with an eye on sentence and paragraph structure based on reading level. Regardless of age, you want the text to flow smoothly with unnoticeable transitions. Read your work aloud to check the rhythm of the story.
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Tips & Warnings
Check "School Library Journal" for publishers and reviews of children's library books. Once or twice annually, "School Library Journal" also publishes a specific resource for school-library books called "Curriculum Connections."
