Talk:Chapter book

SLJ's Top 100 Chapter Books

 * WARNING. There are only two SLJ Top 100 lists. The "chapter books" are identical to the "children's novels". Evidently the name was revised during July/August, possibly because other people reacted as I did, Preserved here.

Top 100 poll results, School Library Journal, A Fuse 8 Production (slj.com/afuse8production):


 * Top 100 Children's Novels
 * Top 100 Chapter Book --ranked list 2012-07-07
 * Top 100 Picture Books (?)

Perhaps the Children's Novels and Picture Books are available only as PDF and by request. (Hint: "The Top 100 Lists Are Nigh. Nigh, I Say! Nigh!", Elizabeth Bird, 2012-08-15.)

Apparently Bird covered each of the 100 chapter books in its own blogpost May 15 to July 2. I recognize most of the first 25 and I would call every one of those a children's novel. -- books intended for older readers or middle grades in contrast to young adults -- whereas chapter books are books for younger readers, newly independent readers, [which happen to be] long enough for layout in chapters.

So I wonder what is a children's novel per Elizabeth Bird. Is it something more advanced, even a young-adult novel? And I wonder whether School Library Journal anyway endorses the rough classification implicit in these three polls. And, if so, how do librarians, publishers, and booksellers use these terms if/when they do? Does this list of chapter books fit the term as commonly used by any of those experts?

--P64 (talk) 21:44, 28 May 2013 (UTC)


 * WARNING. There are only two SLJ Top 100 lists. The "chapter books" are identical to the "children's novels". Evidently the name was revised during July/August, possibly because other people reacted as I did, preserved here.
 * --P64 (talk) 21:55, 28 May 2013 (UTC)


 * This is how Betsy Bird finally described each category at the head of its fancy poster:
 * "Stretching the definition of what constitutes a 'picture book' to include everything from board books to easy titles ..." --SLJ's Top 100 Picture Books
 * "Considering only fictional titles for children between the ages of 9–12 ..." --SLJ's Top 100 Children's Novels
 * --P64 (talk) 16:45, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

ISFDB
The ISFDB appears to've changed their "chapterbook" categorization to "chapbook". The "Alternative Meaning" section is thus largely pointless as the only example of the alternative meaning isn't anymore. Delete, or are there other users of "chapterbook" in this sense that could be mentioned? Orcoteuthis (talk) 10:28, 12 August 2016 (UTC)
 * Did their change in terminology suddenly stop others from using the previous terminology? -Jason A. Quest (talk) 19:19, 13 August 2016 (UTC)
 * No, but there seem to be no indication that anyone else did use the previous terminology. Checking a number of online dictionaries, none recognizes it. Orcoteuthis (talk) 08:21, 15 August 2016 (UTC)

Question about a sentence
I don't agree with this:

"The name refers to the fact that the stories are usually divided into short chapters, which provide readers with opportunities to stop and resume reading if their attention spans are not long enough to finish the book in one sitting."

But don't know exactly how it should be changed. According to that definition, Moby Dick is a "chapter book." Les Miserables is a "chapter book." I think "chapter book" is term used in discussions of children's literature, something about the level it represents - the same as, or very close to, a "grown up book" or something like that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.16.14.237 (talk) 15:48, 10 February 2017 (UTC)
 * It isn't a definition, it's just an explanation for where the name comes from. –Jason A. Quest (talk) 20:08, 24 May 2017 (UTC)

Innocent but basic question
Those of us of a certain age won't remember hearing about "chapter books" as children. Could someone who does analytical bibliography maybe explain the origin of the term? Merriam-Webster's webpage gives first documented use as 1968, but does not say where or by whom. Thanks! Johannes der Taucher (talk) 16:25, 1 January 2022 (UTC)


 * The article already says, "The name refers to the fact that the stories are usually divided into short chapters..." Do you not feel that's sufficient? Dan Bloch (talk) 19:35, 1 January 2022 (UTC


 * Thanks for picking this up so quickly. The term definitely makes sense. I just wonder where, surely as a neologism, it might have been coined, and by whom--perhaps a publisher, an advertising agency, a teacher, librarian, historian of books, or maybe a child? And what did we call the genre of children's literature before? It's not urgent or important; it's just a curious term that even today still sounds "new" to me. Johannes der Taucher (talk) 13:46, 2 January 2022 (UTC)


 * That is an interesting question, but I'm afraid I don't know the answer. Dan Bloch (talk) 00:22, 3 January 2022 (UTC)

Physics,English, chemistry and math
No 2409:4080:D1D:79A7:8D5F:3B20:37EB:2987 (talk) 01:51, 30 June 2024 (UTC)