About this quote

Good children's books respect both the child's imagination and the adult's attention. If a story only works for the youngest readers, it often lacks depth or craft. Try a simple test: read the draft to a child and then to an older reader and note which scenes still land. Tweak small details, a line of dialogue, or a quiet observation so the story keeps its play while offering something extra for adults.

When to use it

• At the writers' workshop I told the group, 'Think of C. S. Lewis: if parents can't enjoy it too, we should add depth instead of dumbing it down.'
• When I picked books for my fourth-grade class, I said, 'Choose titles that will spark the kids now and still mean something to the adults at home.'
• During bedtime I murmured, 'I want a story my kid will adore and I won't resent — something clever for both of us.'
• In the toy-company pitch I argued, 'Design the story so parents like it too; that makes the product sell better than a flat slogan.'