When writing a children’s book, one of the first questions authors ask is: how many pages must my book have?
The length of a children’s book depends on a few key factors:
- The age of the target audience
- Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction
- The book format (hardcover, paperback, ebook, etc.)
In this post, as a professional children’s book printing manufacturer, I’ll break down the standard page count for different types of kids books. I’ll also explain why page counts matter from both a creative and business perspective.
Why Page Count Matters
Before we dive into specifics, it’s important to understand why page count is even a consideration when writing children’s books.
There are a few reasons:
Attention Span
A book’s length should align with a child’s ability to stay engaged. You don’t want a 200-page novel for a 4-year-old who gets distracted after 10 minutes of reading.
Production Costs
More pages equal higher printing expenses. Going overboard on length drives up your costs as an author.
Bookstore Categories
Brick-and-mortar stores organize books by age group. And each section comes with unwritten rules for book sizes.
Reader Expectations
Length is tied to age range and genre. Readers expect a standard size when they grab a picture book, chapter book, or middle grade novel.
Book length isn’t arbitrary. While you do have flexibility as the author, aligning with reader expectations matters.
Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of standard children’s book page counts.
How Many Pages for Picture Books?
Picture books are geared toward kids ages 3-8. They tell simple stories through a combination of illustrations and text.
Fiction
The standard length for a fiction picture book is 32 pages. This typically breaks down to:
- 24 pages of story content
- Front and back matter like title pages, author bio, etc.
That said, anywhere from 24-40 pages is common. Especially if it’s a paperback.
Popular paperback picture books range from 32-48 pages. Hardcovers tend to be shorter.
Nonfiction
For nonfiction picture books, 48 pages is standard. Sometimes even longer.
Since nonfiction is educational, more pages allow the author to explore a topic in greater depth.
Word Count
Fiction picture books range between 500-1,500 words. Anything above 1,500 words is considered a novella.
For nonfiction, up to 3,000 words is typical. But there’s more flexibility on upper limits.
How Many Pages Are Early Chapter Books?
Early chapter books (or early readers) are for kids ages 6-9. They ease the transition from learning to read to reading independently.
The standard length is 32-64 pages, broken into short chapters.
Anything below 3,000 words would be too simple. An ideal target is 5,000 words or less. Enough to challenge young readers while maintaining engagement.
How Many Pages Do Middle Grade Books Have?
The middle grade category targets kids ages 8-12. These novels tackle more complex storylines than early chapter books and picture books.
The standard length for middle grade books is 90-250 pages. While the upper limit can go to around 300 pages, 250 keeps things tightly focused.
30,000-50,000 words is typical for middle grade. However, commercial fiction for ages 10-12 may exceed 50,000 words.
Page Requirements for Young Adult Novels
Young adult (YA) books are for readers 12-18 years old. Since we’re talking teenagers, these books explore mature themes and complex relationships.
From a page count perspective, YA novels contain at least 90 pages. The upper limit lands around 500 pages or 150,000 words.
That said, the sweet spot for YA books is 250-350 pages or 50,000-75,000 words. Bestsellers like The Hunger Games and Twilight fall within this range.
Key Takeaways on Page Count
To close things out, here are some core takeaways on page counts:
- For the youngest genres (board books, picture books), illustrations matter more than word count
- Middle grade and YA books have wider ranges based on story complexity
- Nonfiction should be longer than fiction for a given age group
- Ebooks can bend the rules since printing costs don’t apply
While children **’s books must align to reader expectations, great stories captivate kids no matter the length.
Focus first on writing something engaging and age-appropriate. The page counts will work themselves out after.