Author's Purpose

It is beyond exciting to get to finally hold a book you have been working on for over a year.  Then comes the realization that your work is not done.  You have to figure out ways to get the word out about your book and hope to find opportunities to share it with the kids you wrote it for.  One of the teaching standards we have for reading is learning the author's purpose of a book.  There are three main purposes: to inform, to entertain, and to persuade.

When I wrote I am Not a Pirate, my "author's purpose" was to inform. My target was kids that may have an eye issue or some other physical difficulty they have to overcome.  I sent books to eye doctor's offices and spread the word on parent forums for families dealing with strabismus and amblyopia. 

My author's purpose for Nicken Chuggets though, is to entertain.  This story is about two science-loving boys that cook up a plan to earn money to go to science camp.  Cooper, the main character, often talks in spoonerisms. (Spoonerisms occur when you accidentally transpose the beginnings of two words.)  I had a lot of fun playing with words when figuring out the things Cooper would say.  My target audience is kids that like to read funny books that let you be silly.  When I was trying to figure out a creative place to do a book signing, I figured most people would think of chicken nuggets when they hear the title, Nicken Chuggets.  Where do you think of when you think of chicken nuggets?  McDonalds of course!  And what would fit my target audience better than one of the favorite eateries of kids in this age group?  I had a lot of fun at the book signing and am so grateful that I got to get books into the hands of some really great kids.

---