The Kind of Stories Kids Like (At Their Age)

If you want to read to your kids, but the stories you choose seem hit or miss, let me offer a few genre suggestions based on age breakdowns. This might help you to hit the bullseye a little more often.

I learned this in college, and these categories seem to make sense, though it might change in small ways from generation to generation. Here they are:

Age 0-3 Rhyming books (e.g. Goodnight Moon, Mother Goose)

Age 4-7 Personification of objects (e.g. Little Engine That Could, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel)

Age 6-8 Anthropomorphism of animals (e.g. Bambi, Wind in the Willows)

Age 9-11 Fantastical Tales (e.g. The Hobbit, Fairy Tales)

Age 12-13 Hero Tales (e.g. Theseus and the Minotaur, King Arthur)

I think the important thing to remember about these breakdowns is that they operate sort of like Russian Nesting Dolls. The older categories don’t eradicate the smaller. They frequently contain the smaller. For instance, a fairy tale might rhyme or a hero tale might contain animal protagonists. Still, perhaps these broad categories can give some direction.

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Zach Franzen

Zach Franzen is an illustrator and marketing strategist at Story Warren and Longtreader Games, where he helps shape both the art and messaging behind The Green Ember universe. He’s contributed covers and illustrations for 11 books in the series—now working full-time on the 12th as the team expands into video games. He lives in Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina with his wife and four daughters. He occasionally enjoys a hokey adventure serial.

You can find more of his work online at zachfranzen.com and on Instagram @zachfranzen.

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