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• Are about something the author is interested in.
• Appeal to kids and adults.
• Are unique, not cliché.
• Have a plot.
• Have a shape.
• Are concise; don’t digress.
• Have real characters.
• Have limited description.
• Show, don’t tell.
• Don’t talk down to the child.
• Aren’t dated.
• Are unified in tone and style.
• Don’t moralize.
• Only use poetry if the story demands it.
• Jump right into the story.
•  Tie things up at the end.
• Suggest plenty of pictures.
• Keep moving.
• Vary sentence and paragraph length; alternate narration with dialogue.
• Use few modifiers.
• Use all the senses.