What is Middle Grade, Anyway?
by Kelli McKinney
When I tell someone I write middle grade fantasy, usually their response is “That’s nice,” followed by a polite comment about the weather and/or the time.
But sometimes I meet a brave soul who asks, “What’s middle grade? Is that, like, C+? Are you saying you write passing-level fantasy books?”
To be fair, I didn’t know middle grade was a genre until a few years ago. So I’m not picking on anyone. I’m still learning as I go, reading everything I can, and going to writers’ conferences as much as my budget will allow.
As part of that learning, I had the opportunity to interview Nancy Lohr, Acquisitions Editor for Journey Forth press. She says that middle grade is best defined by its readers.
Middle grade is the reader space between fourth grade and eighth grade; readers ages eight to 12. It’s smack dab in the tween years. These are kids who are too old for early readers but not mature enough for young adult books.
I love middle grade. They’re explorers, seeking the world through stories. They’re reading to complete an assignment for school, but they’re also reading to be entertained. These little explorers are also known to occasionally curl up next to a parent and ask them about a phrase or word they don’t understand.
The most widely-read middle grade books might be a series about a boy wizard or a long-lost Greek hero, but fantastic middle grade stories have been around a long time. For example:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
Charlotte’s Web by EB White
Holes by Louis Sachar
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Many of you might be thinking, “I read that when I was a kid. Those are middle grade?”
Yes. Here’s how you know:
1) The structure: There’s no “Jack sat on a mat” here. Word choice and sentence structure are more complex, because the middle grade reader is an independent reader.
2) The protagonist: Kids tend to read about slightly older kids. You’ll see protagonists from age 10-14 in middle grade books.
3) The problems: Middle graders are trying to figure out their place in the world. For most of them the world revolves around friendships and family. Puberty also wreaks havoc during this time.
Which brings me to why they’re so hard to write for. One of the most consistent things I’ve heard at writing conferences and read on other blogs is that for middle grade, content is key. We’re writing for readers who consider picture books ‘for babies’ and who are too young for mature themes.
How does a writer know what topics are too mature or too young for eight- to 12-year-olds? After all, every child is different, and there are so many things to learn in the world. As Ms. Lohr so gracefully put it, asking someone else what to write about is like asking them what you should have for dinner. Nobody else knows your pantry – not to mention your allergies – the way you do.
The best stories we write are ones that are ours to tell – those tales that spring from our souls. We risk trouble when we decide we’re going to teach a lesson. When we declare “XYZ topic is important. Kids need to know. I am the one to teach them.” This is where temptation deludes us into thinking that we can raise someone else’s child better than their own families.
If you want to write for middle grade, Ms. Lohr suggests, ask yourself this question:
“Where do we cross the line of Mark 9:42? And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”
Middle grade readers, like all children, are precious readers. May the words we choose and the stories we tell be used to inspire, not offend.
Sources:
Alison Weiss, Sky Pony Press, presentation at SCBWI August, 2015: Ten Things to Know about Writing for Middle Grade
http://writeforkids.org/2014/01/the-difference-between-middle-grade-young-adult/
Nancy Lohr, Journey Forth Press, interview
Nancy Lohr, Journey Forth Press, continuing workshop at BRMCWC May, 2016
Kelli McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time marketer, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing for kids. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK.
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2 Comments
Great article. I learned a lot. Thanks for sharing.
i wrote a family history with numerous stories related to our earlier lives (8 siblings and how they survived) as a Mississippi sharecropper’s children. We found garbage items that became toys; we coped with a difficult father; we played pranks and got in trouble. I am considering writing some of these stories as a middle-grade offering that could either redone as fact or as fiction. Do you find one or the other has more salability? Is this an overdone story in your opinion? Frequent moves will tie the stories together.