This may be one of those situations where you simply cannot cater to all readers. Some children will go right along with complex vocabularies, and will quickly grow bored at simplified text. Others will not be able to engage with the story unless the vocabulary is matched to their emotional and literary development.
You cannot please both groups. It is pointless to try.
It may, perhaps, be possible to find a middle ground which is acceptable to both groups. In my experience, however, this is difficult to do, and generally results in a story that everyone agrees is passable but nobody adores.
Me, I'd rather write the story that a small group of devoted readers adores.
|