When writing for young people, the different reading levels and ages that your writing can target are; Babies: 0-1 yrs, Toddlers: 1-3 yrs, Young Children: 3-6 yrs, Older Children: 6-11 yrs, and Young Adult: 11+ yrs.
Each age group has its own specific needs and there are many differences to what is relevant for each group. For example food, bed, clothes and playing are all relevant to the "Toddlers: 1-3 yrs" group but for the "Young Adult 11+ yrs" group it is things such as puberty, part-time employment, and a first date that are now relevant.
When writing stories aimed at different groups it is important to remember what these relevancies. A Young Adult will not be interested in reading a story on "going to bed" which would be more suitable to a Toddler, and likewise a toddler will not be able to comprehend the subject matter of puberty that a Young Adult would.
Three examples of different writing for different age groups include Thomas the Tank Engine by W. Awdry (aimed at Young Children: 3-6yrs), The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (aimed at Older Children: 6-11 yrs), and the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (aimed at the Young Adult: 11+ yrs).
First published in 1946, Thomas the Tank Engine by W. Awdry, follows the story of a train called Thomas and concentrates on themes like friendship (between Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel, Percy and Toby etc.) and co-operation between the different trains. With J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series she concentrates on issues of growing independence and social awareness (Harry is made to realise early on that he is a pure-blood wizard whereas Hermione is not). Finally in the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the character Laura develops throughout the series from a young girl (Little House in the Big Woods), to a married woman with a new baby struggling to make a new life for herself and her husband (The First Four Years).
All three examples are successful series in their different age groups and demonstrate again the need to write about and concentrate on what is relevant to your targeted readers.
