Writing for Kids #3

Clear, vibrant, vigorous, varied!

Are the goals of engaging prose for kids, just as for adults. Also, funny.

Writing for Kids #2

As in all good writing, keep the focus tight.

Younger readers in particular are easily sidetracked. They’re not good at predicting where a sentence is going or spotting the main subject among clauses—so when writing for them, it’s a good rule of thumb to stick to 1/1: one idea per sentence and one big idea per paragraph. (As at any age, for paragraphs.)
The exception is in bridging, explicitly making connections: then the "one idea" of the sentence is the connection.
"Polar bears hunt on the ice. If the weather is warmer, winter ice doesn't last as long. So in warmer years, with less ice, polar bears have a harder time hunting."