Children's Stories

Write for a Young Audience

Understand how to create a story that is simple, engaging, and age-appropriate for children in grades K–5. Use clear language, fun characters, and a strong message that teaches or encourages curiosity about technology or learning.

Create Illustrations That Match the Story

Be able to design or draw colorful, child-friendly illustrations that enhance the meaning and appeal of your story. The images should support the narrative and help young readers connect with the characters and lesson.

Present and Explain Your Work Confidently

Practice explaining your story’s purpose, how you developed it, and what lesson it teaches. Be prepared to speak clearly, answer questions from judges, and reflect on your creative choices.

Understand Story Structure

Be familiar with basic story elements like characters, setting, problem, solution, and ending. A well-organized plot helps make your story easier for children to follow and more memorable.

Documentation Portfolio

Storybook

1. 1. Title page (title of the story, team ID, event title, year, and conference city and state)

   2. Table of contents

   3. Purpose of story

Intent

Summary of storyline and theme

Intended audience (age, gender, demographics, special disabilities, etc)

1. 4. Photographic verification of book construction and binding

   5. Work log

   6. Field test summary: the reading of the storybook to a group of children in the intended audience range

Minimum of 2 tests must be done

Detail the outcome findings

Date, time, and location of the test

Must be signed of by an advisor

1. 7. Research Summary: summary of research, writing strategies, problems encountered, and solutions developed

   8. Project Summary: process and challenges the team encountered and the solutions they made, and a written summary of the research into the creation of storybooks

   9. List of tool, softwares, and techniques used to create the storybook

   10. References

1. Must be your team’s original work, created during the school year

2. Should be of high quality and must be designed to meet the age group

3. Must delight, enlighten, and contribute to wholesome development of the child

4. Should be able to read it under 10 minutes

5. Minimum of 7 illustrations

6. Must include the name of the author(s) and illustrator(s)

7. Must be less than or equal to 1500 words

Narrative: The structured story or plot that includes a beginning, middle, and end.

Theme: The main message or lesson of the story, often related to a technology or educational topic.

Storyboarding: A planning method where you sketch out each page or scene before doing the final illustrations.

Character Development: The process of creating believable and engaging characters with clear roles in the story.

Setting: The place and time where the story takes place, giving the reader context.

Dialogue: The written conversations between characters, which should be clear and simple for young readers.

Moral or Lesson: The educational point or message that the story is designed to teach children.

Visual Consistency: Keeping the art style, colors, and design similar throughout the book for a professional look.

Start with a Simple, Clear Message

Choose a main idea, moral, or theme (such as teamwork, honesty, or a basic technology concept like recycling or coding).

Keep it age-appropriate and easy to understand without being too obvious or preachy.

Create a Kid-Friendly Plot

Use a simple story structure: beginning (setup), middle (problem), and end (solution).

Make sure the problem is relatable and the solution is satisfying and clear.

Use humor, imagination, or adventure to keep children engaged.

Develop Relatable Characters

Use characters that are fun, lovable, or memorable—like animals, robots, or kids.

Give your main character a clear goal and emotion (e.g., wants to invent something, is afraid of something).

Add personality through actions and dialogue.

Match the Text with Illustrations

Plan how each page will combine visuals and text (this is called storyboarding).

Make sure illustrations enhance the story and help communicate feelings, setting, and action.

Use Age-Appropriate Language

Keep sentences short and vocabulary simple.

Use repetition, rhythm, or rhyming to make the story more fun and memorable.

Read it out loud to hear how it flows—if it sounds clunky, revise it.

Make It Interactive or Engaging

Add small surprises, fun sounds, or silly moments to hold attention.

If appropriate, include a question or invitation to think at the end ("What would you do?").

Revise and Improve

Read it aloud multiple times to check for flow and clarity.

Ask someone younger or an adult to read it and give feedback.

Fix any confusing parts, awkward language, or unclear illustrations.

Story Planning & Writing Help

Scholastic Story Starters: Generates fun prompts to help start your story.

Read Brightly: Tips and steps for writing children’s books.

Reedsy: Guides on plot, characters, and writing for kids.

Institute for Writers: Expert advice on writing stories for children.

Storyberries: Read free children's stories for inspiration and ideas.

Illustration & Design Tools

Canva: Design storybook pages with easy templates and art.

StoryJumper: Create and publish illustrated children’s books online.

Book Creator: Make digital books with text, drawings, and voice.