Kelly Starling Lyons is the prolific author of award-winning books for young readers, including ELLEN'S BROOM, GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY, MY HANDS TELL A STORY, and the TY'S TRAVELS series. Her work celebrates and centers Black characters and families.
TY'S TRAVELS is a popular series about a little boy with a big imagination. The series highlights the strength of the Black family and Black boy joy. Kelly puts Ty at the center of the stories, along with characters of cross-cultural backgrounds. Luckily for all kids, more books in the TY series are forthcoming.
What are early readers?
K.: Early readers are picture books. They are easy to read and meant for kids to feel independent. Kids get to feel pride in reading a book on their own—to feel mature like an older reader. With an early reader, you'll want kids to feel confident. The characters will become the reader's friends. When writing, you'll need to decode the meaning of the words
without sacrificing the meaning of the story.
without sacrificing the meaning of the story.
Tip: Try using repetition, onomatopoeia, and sounding out simple words.
Inspiration: The MESSY BESSY series by Patricia and Frederick McKissack, and the READY? SET. RAYMOND! series
How did you come to the genre?
Long story short, I attended a conference and won a writing contest! After speaking on a chapter book panel at the Kweli International Literary Conference, I was approached by an editor at Harper Collins. They were looking to publish a diverse, easy-reader series and asked me to pitch a character and ideas. The rest is pretty much history! In general, the media tends to portray Black boys as much older and more mature. They adultify Black boys. I wanted to focus on creating a Black child who experiences joy, friendship, and family. As a mom and creator of a book club for children in Raleigh, North Carolina, I poured many of my experiences with kids into the books.
What's important to know
Be sure to tell a complete story that does not lack in readability or engagement.
Out of all genres possible, why do you find easy readers important?
With an early reader, you're creating a child's first book! Easy readers are for preschool-age kids, kindergartners, and first-graders. At that age, children are just beginning to experience the pride of recognizing words on a page. That's everything for a child! How can you make that child smile? How can you help them to face challenges, feel successful, and be resilient? That's a lot, but don't forget to be sure to make the reading experience fun. It's important not to frustrate a child with reading. Don't make a child shrink and feel small. Write stories that make kids soar and feel valued and loved.
Tips
Easy readers are full-formed books. Be sure to give children respect and care in the stories you write. Remember, like all stories, early readers need a hook, rising-and-falling action, and momentum. What's at stake? What is the payoff? The story needs to be simple without skimping on quality. Recommended reading: Horn Book article by Sylvie Shaffer. Quote: Words are simple to sound out, but the story is not simplistic.
A few selected books by Kelly Starling Lyons:
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