Kung Pow Chicken: more than just a meal and What exactly is a Chapter Book?

12/8/2014

With the completion of the Illustrating Children's Picture Books course and the advent of the upcoming Chapter Book Alchemist course, there's been a lot going on in my life. So I present to you Tuesdays with Mira! The new course also got me thinking, "Hey, wait a sec, why haven't I reviewed Chapter Books??" Late is better than never right? So here I go, I present to you Kung Pow Chicken! by the amazing wordsmith Cyndi Marko. This book is just chock full of funny puns and superhero suspense, I found myself laughing out loud on nearly every page. This book is also a perfect example of second visual stories, so please check it out!

Also, I apologize for the lighting, I only had one chance to record and it was just as the sun was setting! Still, it should be fun!

Next up I have for you another quickie video I put together called What Is a Chapter Book?? So often Chapter Books are mixed up with Middle Grade novels. And if you liked Kung Pow Chicken then you'll understand why they're such a great niche in the Children's Publishing world.

Chapter Books allow writers the freedom of WORDS. Have you been struggling to write a Picture Book but cant keep it under 400 words? Chapter Books open up a whole new world, and not to mention they are still fabulously illustrated. Still need some clarification? Check out my little video :)

If any of this has you tempted to consider writing your own chapter book (it's easier than you think) check out our highly interactive Chapter Book Alchemist e-course right here. Super specials are ending December 15th!

24 Comments

Miki English link

12/9/2014 12:32:19 am

This was my first real definition of a chapter book, although I read them as a kid, and all my kids read them as well. I've never considered writing one before now, but it might be a possibility.... Thank you!

Mira

12/9/2014 11:57:25 pm

Thank you for your comment Miki. It's actually WAY easier than you think with good step by step guidance. One person wrote 2 during the last course. This course promises to be even better.

Manju link

12/9/2014 01:37:17 am

Thank you for sharing the huge range a chapter books. My writing is akin to the Magic Tree House series.

12/10/2014 12:01:34 am

My pleasure Manju. Sounds great about your chapter books. Because CBs often end up being series, writing them is kind of like a golden goose that keeps on giving with kids (and publishers) eagerly waiting the next book. It's pretty cool. Thank you for your comment.

Nicole Popel link

12/9/2014 01:41:03 am

There is a difference between early readers and chapter books, which Mira explains perfectly on these videos. Chapter books are a growing market, and Mira and her talented staff know the current CB pulse in publishing.
I was lucky to take this class in 2014 when it was offered the first time. In one word...DYNAMITE!

12/10/2014 12:06:31 am

Thank you Nicole. It's been a gift getting to know you too. Figuring out the difference between chapter books and middle grades is so frustrating because of how they both overlap in the older CBs and younger MGs and are looking more and more like each other where subject matter, age group and even appearance can be so similar. Thank you for commenting.

Dianne Burch link

12/9/2014 02:36:16 am

This was great information regarding the differences between chapter books, middle grade novels and picture books. As a new writer, I still think in terms of stories and go with the inspirations, not clear on the best format for the end work. This will help me define the best structure as a part of the process. Thank you for the clarity!

12/10/2014 12:08:02 am

Diane, thank you for your commenting. What can I say? Writing chapter books rocks.

Kim Chaffee link

12/9/2014 02:39:07 am

Mira, thanks so much for these two videos. It really helps to see some great examples of chapter books and to hear your explanation of how they are different from MG and early readers. Kung Pow Chicken sounds like a real enjoyable, funny read. Thanks for the recommendation!

12/10/2014 12:13:50 am

Kim - thank you so much for commenting. Branches (a chapter book imprint of Scholastic) published lots of great early chapter books and in fact closed house Branches editor Katie Carella will be accepting 2 submissions as part of our in-course talent search/contest. No guarantees of course but she's looking for great chapter books for their line.

Johnell DeWitt link

12/9/2014 02:41:40 am

You definitely answered some questions I had about chapter books. Thank you. And I'm loving the selections. My son would really like Kung Pow Chicken now that he's hitting the right edge for chapter books.

12/10/2014 12:17:40 am

Yay Johnell. That is such a wonderful age. He's going to have a great time reading them whether they're fiction, non fiction, or biography, there are lots of awesome chapter books out there. Thank you for commenting <3.

Jennifer Birkenhead

12/9/2014 04:16:29 am

Thanks for the info, Mira! I had wondered what the difference between a Chapter Book and how it differed from a Middle Grade Novel. My son loves chapter books! We're reading the Boxcar Children series right now, and even he as a beginning reader (he's 7) can understand the words, and likes seeing the pictures sprinkled throughout. So helpful! Thank you! And we love Kung Pow Chicken (he takes karate, so it's even funnier). :)

12/10/2014 12:20:36 am

Double Yay Jennifer. The Boxcar series is great. So many awesome chapter books out there. So many new ones needed. Thank you for commenting and good luck to your lucky kid.

Ann Wagner

12/9/2014 04:57:29 am

I love the Kung Pow Chicken series. At the library where I work as a Children's Librarian, we have a special section called "Bridges," which is the bridge between early readers and longer novels. That's where this series lives, and it's a very very popular and growing area of our library.

12/10/2014 10:15:48 pm

Ann thank you for sharing this. Your library is lucky to have you. Librarians saved me as a kid amd I swore they wore Grecian goddess robes when my sisters and I visited after school.

Jami Butler

12/9/2014 06:08:22 am

This information was helpful for me too. Although my kids are 9 and right in the middle of chapter books of various levels, I still had a limited perception of "chapter books" being more specifically young adult (and upward) books.

As always, Mira's wisdom is concise, fun, and positive! I'll listen any day of the week.

12/10/2014 10:19:07 pm

Thank you so much Jami. Not sure that I'm always concise but I try :) Bet your kids aer having a great time. It's a magical age.

Angelo Lopez link

12/9/2014 10:24:18 am

Wonderful informative videos. I learned about what makes a chapter book a chapter book. It's especially helpful to know how these books are geared to help beginning readers get hooked on the love of reading. I like how you emphasize the fun and magic that chapter books offer to a young reader.

Diane Hearn link

12/10/2014 12:34:44 am

Thank you so much for your explanation of the difference between early readers and chapter books. Your review of Kung Pow Chicken was delightful. The enthusiasm you have for books is contagious and inspiring.

12/10/2014 02:31:43 am

My original comments disappeared, so here they are again. These videos were very informative and clearly explained the differences between early readers and chapter books. Mira, your comments are delightful and I enjoyed the baby's laugh at the end.

Jill Siegel link

12/10/2014 04:29:57 am

Kung Pow Chicken sounds delightful! I'm definitely going to check the series out.

It was interesting learning more about chapter books. I enjoyed seeing the collection of chapter book covers in the second video. Very inspiring! Thanks Mira!! :)

Debbie Best

12/10/2014 12:43:48 pm

Mira, I always enjoy your 'spirit' when doing your educational videos! For a long time, I just couldn't figure out the difference between chapter and middle grade books. Which in turn, can be a huge mistake when submitting to publishers. Thank you for this week's valuable lesson! :)

Cecilia Clark link

12/13/2014 08:57:13 pm

Thank you Mira, I am using this part of summer to catch up on lots of reading and viewing and I am so glad I began with this post. The video on chapter books has me thinking I might move up from PBs because I want to tell so much more story. Have a wonderful holiday time and keep this awesome information coming. <3

Children's Book Academy

Kung Pow Chicken: more than just a meal and What exactly is a Chapter Book?

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