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Reading Time for Children's Books Calculator
Children's books have very different word count norms by age group. Use this calculator to benchmark your manuscript and estimate reading time for your target audience.
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Updated January 2026
Children's Books Word Count Benchmarks
Picture book (ages 2–5)500–1,000 words
Early reader (ages 5–8)1,500–10,000 words
Middle grade (ages 8–12)25,000–40,000 words
Young adult (ages 12–18)50,000–80,000 words
Children's audiobooks are growing fast on Audible Kids. Middle-grade novels (25,000–40,000 words) produce 2.5–4 hour audiobooks ideal for family listening.
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