A Plea To Ignore Trends
by Laura Hornick, Editor, Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers

Connection is the most important quality of effective writing. If a book doesn't establish some sort of emotional connection with its reader, it won't make a lasting impression.

We read to identify with the book's characters or narrator. Through reading, we are reassured that we aren't alone; that we aren't weird. We learn about ourselves--our hopes, our fears, our strengths and our weaknesses. The authors' particular take on the world expands and clarifies our own understanding.

The irony of establishing a personal connection with your reader is that in order to do so, you need to assert your own individuality. Jane Austen dared to be different by mocking society and imagining something better than her particularly restrictive era. As a result, her novels have continued to speak intimately to readers for almost 200 years. She's even the trendy writer of the moment--proof that by ignoring trends, you can sometimes create them!

Emotional honesty is even more important in children's book writing.
Kids are just beginning to figure themselves out, and they don't have the personal experiences to help them make moral judgments. Write honestly, present a genuine view of life, but go that necessary extra step and frame the view--provide an invisible commentary that can gently guide and instruct the reader.

Some of the most highly regarded children's books began their lives as high-risk projects. Harper & Co. released E.B. White's first novel, Stuart Little, despite the fact that one of the most influential librarians in the country, Anne Carroll Moore, urged them not to publish it. Nevertheless, Stuart Little sold 100,000 copies its first year.

It's true that publishers are often hesitant to take on risky projects; but every editor's true passion is the book that has something new--an uncategorizable spark. Editors understand the value, the need, the pleasure of honest, individual books.

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