Want Honest Feedback? Ask a Child

I’m both excited and apprehensive about this next step.  Our little children’s book is ready to go on its first sleepover to some friends’ houses, to see if it could stand on its own and fend for itself. 

A very good friend of mine teaches in an elementary school in Key Largo, Florida.  She read our little story and thought her class would enjoy it.  So, she’s going to read the story to the class and ask for their feedback. 

What did they like about the book? 

What lessons did they learn from the story? 

What were their favorite characters?

What character(s) would they like to know more about?

If you want honest feedback about anything, just ask a child… but you also have to be adult enough to listen to and accept their opinions.   Children tend to tell you what they think without softening the blows for you. 

So, this will be more a test of my maturity more than theirs — and I’m afraid that I may not pass this test.

If they write back that they like the book, then it may help us with publishers.  If they like the book, we’d like to plan a little field trip down to Key Largo to visit them.  We may even add them to our dedication page of the book to show our appreciation…

But only if they like

 the story…

If they don’t like the story, then forget that I even mentioned any of this.  None of this ever happened.

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