Growing Up and Growing Out: What’s Middle Grade?
Introduction – Overlaps and Age Gaps
Hello and howdy, folks! This is the first of three blog posts discussing middle grade, young adult, and new adult literature.
There’s been some contention over genre conventions, particularly regarding literature aimed at readers dipping their toes into full-length, complex novels. These transitional genres of literature—middle grade (MG), young adult (YA), and new adult (NA)—are broadly aimed at readers between the ages of eight to eighteen with some exceptions (as we’ll see later when we discuss young adult and new adult literature) and the exact definitions of each genre are muddled by a host of parties and problems: Publishers, authors, and audiences may have different definitions of all three genres; the genres themselves may have large degrees of overlap in content and context; and the fear of censorship by outside groups may lead authors or publishers to relabel their books.
Middle grade literature, while subject to all these issues, has a bit of an easier time as the oldest and best established of these genres. We’ll jump into what middle grade means to publishers, authors, and audiences, and some important considerations to genre and overlap with regard to young adult literature.
“I don't write for children. I write. And somebody says, that's for children.” - Maurice Sendak
Prerequisites – Middle Grade, Not Middle School!
Part of the confusion that arises, at least for Americans, is that middle grade must correspond to middle school, right? It’s a bit of a misnomer, but middle grade literature can be aimed at readers from late elementary school to early high school (or primary to secondary school, for folks outside the United States) depending on the work. The biggest focus on middle grade as a genre is transition across a variety of forms:
from chapter books to full-length novels,
from a self-centered mindset to a greater awareness of external issues,
from a focus on immediate family to the complexities of friendships, and more!
The goal of middle grade’s genre conventions is to support the growing complexity in readers. In addition, middle grade rarely stands on its own as a genre: Middle grade is often coupled with several other genres like fantasy, realistic or historical fiction, or traditionally more complex genres like mystery or science fiction.
Warm-Up – Which Stories Stick?
Think back to what you read as a kid between your first chapter books and the (sometimes dreaded and dense) canonical works of literature. For me, that’s best exemplified by Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series or Alan Gratz’s Refugee. For other readers, it might be something more along the lines of E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web or R.J. Palacio’s Wonder. If you’re having trouble thinking of specific books, head on over to the New York Times “Bestselling Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover” list to get an idea of what the kids are reading nowadays. These works are often formative for many readers and have the potential to shape reading styles and viewpoints.
Take note of a few things in these books:
When did you read this work for the first time? How old were you?
What is depicted in the narrative? What isn’t?
How is the prose written? In what point of view?
How did the narrative compare to your life at the time you read it?
Why do you remember the work?
Reflecting on these works can give you a better grasp of what makes any story, especially a middle grade narrative, stick!
“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” - Madeline L’Engle
What Makes Up Middle Grade?
The defining traits of MG vary slightly depending on who you speak to; educators, librarians, publishers, agents and audiences all have differing views on what constitutes MG literature. However, there are a few traits common to most works found within this genre.
Age
The most basic and embraced definition of middle grade literature is a book intended for eight- to twelve-year-olds. While that may seem like a small range, it covers a vast array of reading styles. What an eight-year-old finds cool may not be what a twelve-year-old finds cool, and this is influenced in large part by a reader’s development as both an individual and as a reader. Their independent choice in what they want to read may lead them to heavier, more complex books that resemble contemporary adult fiction or lighter fare that mirrors chapter books. In addition, MG protagonists often skew a bit older than their intended readership since the older kids always seem a bit cooler. (Whether they are is up for debate.) Take, for instance, the titular protagonist of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: He begins the series as a twelve-year-old and ends the series as a fifteen-year-old (on the cusp of his sixteenth birthday). The entire series is classified as middle grade even though Percy spends half the series in high school. (This example also tacitly ignores the fact that a great number of readers, myself included, are or continue to be adult fans of the series.)
Regardless of how old your readers may be, the primary age audience as defined by the genre dictates the vast majority of what makes a middle grade book.
Content
While content varies wildly depending on what additional genre(s) a book falls under in addition to the focus of a book itself, a few thematic ideas remain constant. MG is often marked by a greater degree of curiosity beyond the immediate self: evolving relationships with family members and friends, a greater awareness of societal issues, and so on. However, since readers skew younger, this curiosity on the page is often more focused with an awareness of a given topic, rather than delving deep. For example, romance (if there is any depicted) often stops at just a kiss on page. This is by no means a hard and fast rule, though. If a book deals primarily with LGBTQ+ themes, it may choose to focus more on what romance means. This also extends to topics that can be tricky to discuss with younger readers, such as mental conditions. Traditionally darker topics can get books censored or reclassified as young adult literature. Keep in mind that the intended audience for MG literature usually don’t have direct access to books; guardians, teachers, and librarians may judge certain themes or topics unsuitable for younger readers.
Craft
MG literature is often the first real taste of complexity that intended readers will encounter. As such, MG literature can and is written with nearly any point of view or topic in mind. Plots tend to be clearly marked within the text, and a book may be structured in smaller arcs underneath an overarching or guiding narrative goal (especially if written as part of a series). However, these books serve first and foremost as an introduction to complexity, not a master class. Multiple points of view (or more than two distinct points of view), flashbacks, and other non-linear narrative devices usually don’t appear in MG literature as they can severely complicate the plot and lose younger readers. Much like the previous section, this is by no means a hard and fast rule of the genre. If included, these narrative devices appear sparingly and are relatively easy to follow.
One of the most important facets of any good literature, but especially MG, is voice. MG literature tends to feature stronger and more expressive narration, with humor often a central focus. A heavy focus on emotional narration is key to a good MG book and lends to a suspension of disbelief and sympathy with the narrative.
Compared to Young Adult
Newer on the scene is young adult (YA) literature, and there’s been more than a little bit of confusion over the difference between MG and YA literature. It’s due, in part, to the fact that middle grade as a term is used primarily by publishing professionals (like editors, agents, and authors) and not as much by readers and influencers. Many people mistakenly think that the only difference between the two genres is content: YA generally has more freedom to discuss sexuality, violence, and more. However, MG literature can often deal with those topics as well (and perhaps should, as many of these complex topics affect middle grade readers). The primary difference between these genres is in how a book handles certain themes. YA is intended for readers between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. As such, these readers often have (or are developing) a better emotional and semantic understanding of complex topics that middle grade readers may not have. The way a given book tackles a difficult subject should be informed by what readers the book hopes to reach.
In addition, it’s not uncommon—and even somewhat expected—for middle grade audiences to read up. Take The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: The book is technically YA, but many readers encounter it alongside MG literature and may retroactively classify it as MG literature. The two genres exist in an informal pair, and it’s important to acknowledge that the two will often share shelf space due to their shared characteristics: a lack of explicit content (though that facet of YA is changing a bit, which we’ll explore in a later blog post) and a focus on external and internal exploration. However, content and the way it is handled still serves as the primary divider between MG and YA.
“I think kids want the same thing from a book that adults want—a fast-paced story, characters worth caring about, humor, surprises, and mystery. A good book always keeps you asking questions, and makes you keep turning pages so you can find out the answers.” - Rick Riordan
Conclusion
There’s a lot to love about middle grade literature, regardless of who you might be: an author, editor, agent, or (sometimes adult) audience. Whether you’re looking to dive into what middle grade has to offer or are looking to write the genre yourself, I hope this guide has been more than a little useful.
In the next blog post, we’ll talk a little more in-depth about young adult literature and what that entails. Until then, onwards and upwards!
Resources
Navigating Middle Grade Books — Shannon Maughan breaks down what exactly constitutes a middle grade book.
The Key Differences Between Middle Grade vs Young Adult — Marie Lamba discusses the differences between writing young adult and middle grade literature.
How to write a children’s middle grade book — Penguin UK goes over how to write a middle grade book.
Top 5 Tips to Write Successful Middle Grade Books — Host Linda Goldfarb and author Taryn Souders give tips on how to write and publish successful MG books.
New York Times “Bestselling Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover” list — A list of the current best-selling middle grade books and a good place to look for the current industry standard.
Tara Jay VuPham (he/him/they/them) is a queer Vietnamese American writer, editor, and occasional narrative designer. You can find him on Instagram as @tj.eats.words, or at your closest museum or botanical garden reading every sign way too slowly for your liking.
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