children book advice

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Hi, I am creating a children's book for an age range of 8 to 16 years of age. The book is about children refugees, My questions are how do I approach this subject in a kids book.
what would make you want to buy the book to educate your children?

That’s a wide age range. 6 year olds and 16 year olds will have very different vocabularies, interests and understandings. It would be a unique book which could engage children through the entire spectrum of age.

I’m not a fan of fiction books which are mostly didactic - I read fiction for pleasure; to explore the world created by the writer’s imagination.

I suspect your best course will be to imagine your ideal audience and then write the book you want to write, for the people you want to read it.

I can't change the age range as it is part of my brief, therefore I was thinking of separating the adolescent and teenagers so they have different illustrations.
The brief is about unaccompanied child refugees, and raise awareness of this growing issue.
What would parents like to see if the book was about refugees?
What would it be too far for you guys?
would you read your child a book about children refugees?

Try reading The Boy at the Back of the Class to see how this can be done - an interesting and well written book where the subject of refugees is tackled but doesn't seem to be artificially shoehorned in.

I was thinking of creating a digital comic book about children refugees.
I would like to know if parents with children 8 to 16 years old will show their children the book?
What kind of books would you like to show your kids and why?
will it be better to use an animal figure to tell the story or should I use a human figure instead?

I think that by secondary school age kids are likely to be finding their own books rather than reading parent recommendations - they might take parents' suggestions but might not. I was doing that by 8 My DS1 was an enthusastic reader from 8-12 but has hardly picked up a book for a few months - I hope 'he'll get back into it. DS2 is a capable but reluctant reader but even he's read more than DS1.

There's nothing I wouldn't actually allow my kids book wise - I read some very unsuitable books by my early teens! - lots of the content probably just went over my head, but most books aren't scarier than the real world, sadly. I would love them to read anything just now.

If looking for something they might enjoy I'd be wary of something that looked commissioned/written to a formula. I'd be looking for a stories that might grab their attention, are reasonably written etc. Ideally authors that aren't too obnoxious - sadly some whose books sell very well are pretty horrible. There are some Roald Dahl books that I wouldn't want to deprive kids of the fun of reading but the man..... ugh! And while I wouldn't prevent them reading David Walliams - DS2 has read a lot of his books and DS1 also enjoyed some - I won't spend my money on buying any more by him.

As for animal vs human figures, I'd be inclined to say human ones.

DP and I are white and born and brought up here, but my sister is married to a black man and I would love to see more books with black and ethnic minority characters, though I would also like to see them in a wide range of situations, not just as refugees. Are you planning to focus on how your characters have become refugees, their journey(s) or after their arrival? Particularly in the latter case, refugee kids might go to a school with already settled refugees before them, or kids born in Britain who are black and brown as well as white. They might meet kids - or even teachers - whose parents were refugees.

If you are not sure how to approach the subject then try reading the many books already about child refugees like When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit or The Boy at the Back of the Class.

The age range is very wide and you'd do better aiming at the lower half of it. At 16 I was reading adult books and unless you're going to write Animal Farm I'd avoid animals as characters. Although I notice you haven't said if you are going to write fiction or non-fiction I'd say I'd not buy a novel that was too preachy.

Thank you all for your suggestions, I will negotiate with my teacher if I could change the age range.
The book will be a comic book, I will be showing the kids life in their country and their journey to Calais Jungle until they reached the UK.
I have written a script on how the story will develop, but am scared it will be boring.
If you guys wish to see the script plz let me know.

Like I will be telling the book in a child's perspective.

Hi guys do you think this poster is suitable for teenagers if not how would you change it?

Do you think this book cover is suitable for children of the age of 8 to 11?
How could I improve this illustrations?

the mud hut picture seems pretty stereotyped - I wouldn't use that.

maybe just a person / people with a backpack heading towards the city?

Ok, thank you. Do you think the text work or should I change it

Hi again, I have taken your opinion into consideration what you said and I was wondering if you approve this book cover?

Hi everyone I was wondering if you would prefer colour or black and white in a children's manga.

Hi everyone, I was wondering if you guys could answer a three question survey for me plz.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0U20V9essitbP95FWWKF8mIbp_cduRPErtRGsxadOPsm3_w/viewform?usp=sf_link