literature assignments : Solution Essays

Final Project: Proposal for 3-Book Children’s Novel Series

Often, children (and adults) will read a book about a character and wish they could follow their character on further adventures.  Savvy authors will know how to “extend” these adventures by writing interesting sequels.  Many 3-book series have been published throughout the years and you will have an opportunity to propose one of your own.

Write a 4 – 5  page proposal for a 3-book series of children’s novels. You are writing for children around 11 – 14 years old.

Page 1-2

1.  Basic Summary:  What is your book about? Write a general paragraph introducing the publisher to the set of books.  What genre are you writing in?  What is the overarching theme of your three-part story?  Then, provide a title for each of the books in your series and a basic summary for each one of the individual novels. (1 paragraph answering each of these questions).

2.  What is special about your main character(s)?  Why will kids who read your first novel want to buy the sequel? (1 paragraph).

3.  Target Audience:  Who will read your book?  What kind of child will be interested in your story?  (For example, a fantasy book will have a very different audience from a biography). (1 paragraph).

4.  Specifications:  How long will each of your books be?  (How many words?  How many chapters?)  Will you include illustrations?  How many?).  (A short paragraph).

5.  Author Bio:  Why are you the right person to write this novel?  (1 paragraph).

Page 3 – 5:  Outline  (2 – 3 pages)

For each of the three novels, do the following:

1.  Provide a title for each chapter within the novel.

2.  Write a short 2 – 3 sentence description of what happens in each chapter of each novel.