We have been looking at ways to invest in your writing career. Often, that means spending a little money on the reference books for your writing library. For children’s authors, that includes tools to get just the right words for your young readers. So far, we have looked at dictionaries and specialty dictionaries. Today, lets explore thesauruses. 

A thesaurus offers synonyms for a given word. Often, when we write for children, there is a tendency to choose words that are too simple. For example, you might describe people who become Christians as happy. Young readers, however, will benefit from a variety of rich words. Instead of happy, you might choose glad or joyful.

You can find a thesaurus for any age level. Having a variety of thesauruses (for children and adults) helps the children’s writer use the best words to engage and hold the attention of her readers.

If you are gearing up for a productive year in writing for kids, I encourage you to look for a good children’s thesaurus to add to your bookshelf.