Does my children's novel need be written in a narrator's point of view?

Question

For those who are knowledgeable and up-to-date about writing for children: I have been working on a middle grade novel for about 12 years. Instinctively, I wrote the first draft in narrator's POV, but other writers in a group told me this was author intrusion and advised changing it to the viewpoint of the main character. However, I have seven main characters; it doesn't work to highlight one. At a writers' conference, I asked an author who writes books with large casts. She said to do it in omniscient. I did, and got an agent to try to sell my ms. After 2 years with no publishers' interest, she dropped it. I have rewritten the ms and am trying again. But I just read an article from 1998 first published in The Writer that says multiple character viewpoints must be introduced by a narrator. This is the first I have heard this. I have read other children's novels with omniscient POV. Is this a new trend, or is it that beginning readers can not follow the story sufficiently?

Answer 1

I'm not a publisher, or even an author, just a fairly well-read children's librarian, but there is no reason that you can't use an omniscient POV, middle graders should be advanced enough to follow it, or since you have several important characters, how about using the alternating chapters method of using different characters points of view in separate chapters. For an example of this style you could read Criss Cross, the 2006 Newbery Award book.

Good luck with your book.

Answer 2

I'm not an author or publisher, but as an avid reader when I was a child, I remember that it didn't matter if the voice was first person, omniscient, or focused on one character. What mattered was good writing. I just looked through a few of my favorite books (1950s era), and they are not all the same where point of view is concerned.

Answer 3

The Writer is not the end all be all of writing. It is a good jumping off point. How you should write it is from the point-of-view that is most conducive to the story itself. Not every story lends itself to the same venue.

Everyone thinks that they are an expert but you need to follow your instincts and go with what you believe is right. You need to stop getting advice from adults and have some kids read and review it. Contact a local school and hook up with the librarian. Explain to them you need some "kid" input and see if they can't work something out. In the end these are your most valued critics.

Answer 4

No reason to abandon omniscient POV. Some stories won't work any other way. Much of what we see in modern media gives us the omniscient view, so children should be used to it.

One thing I always recommend in self-editing your story: read it out loud. Does it flow? Does the dialog sound natural? If not, make changes as you read.