Middle Grade Isn't Kiddie Lit

The first time I heard the term “middle grade” applied to books was at a writing conference. I’d shared my novel, Digital Dryad, in a revision seminar as a Young Adult (YA) novel. And one of the reviewers commented, “Because of Sierra’s age, this book really should be considered middle grade, not YA.” Later, one of my writing group members gave similar feedback. And the final nail was when my editor said the same thing.

So I went back to the manuscript and did yet another editing pass to age down my protagonist and make sure there weren’t any glaring issues that a parent or teacher of a student aged 8–12 (the typical age range for middle grade books) would object to.

I Caved, Then Resented Caving

Did I agree with the commenters? Mostly, yes. I saw their point and agreed that a younger protagonist might be better for marketing.

But I didn’t like it.

The first time I told a friend my book was middle grade, she got a quizzical look on her face. “What’s middle grade?” She’d heard of YA, but when I explained middle grade to her, her face did that thing I’ve grown to dread. The “Oh, I don’t generally read kids books” thing.

And that is a really common reaction. Most people think middle grade books are automatically simple. And simple just isn’t worth an adult’s time.

Lots of Adults Read Middle Grade Books

120 million copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone were sold worldwide¹, and it fits the definition of middle grade even if that wasn’t a category when it came out. Other popular middle grade books include:

• the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
• Wonder by R. J. Palacio
• A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

I read all of those books as an adult. None of them were simple, they were all engaging and fun and I would read them again and recommend them to anyone who likes fantasy or satisfying stories. Wonder isn’t fantasy, but it was easily as good as the others.

What is a middle grade book?

The stories I write that I’ve classified as middle grade I wrote for the 7th or 8th grade me who wanted fantasy stories that were longer than most books the librarian handed me. I wanted to read books about girls who liked similar things as me, girls I could see myself in.

I used to go to the library every week and come out with a stack of between 10 and 15 books. New librarians would say things like, “That stack is as tall as you are.” And, “Shouldn’t you only check out what you can read in a week?” And my mom would chime in with “Oh, she’ll read those in a few days, and then pester me to bring her back to the library for more.”

The day I discovered the fiction section in the “adult” part of the library, I was hooked. The books were longer and had even more intricate plots and there were cool sections with things like historical fiction and cyberpunk that didn’t exist in the children’s wing. I was sure that at any second a librarian would come and shoo me back into the brightly colored kids area, and I would stack the books I found in the middle of my pile like they were contraband.

Officially though, the rulebook says middle grade books are shorter books with protagonists around 8–12 years old. They avoid mature content like profanity, sex, and realistic violence (but there may be fantasy violence).

Digital Dryad fits the above definition and my own desires when I was that age.

But I Hate the Categorization

It’s a category made solely for marketing execs and bookstore shelves. It might help librarians and busy parents, but not the kids who are supposedly reading them.

What I’d Rather Have

I’d rather see more general categorizations like Fantasy, Historical, and General Fiction. Maybe stack the books by length. Sometimes I might want to read a short book and other times a super long one. Grouping by series is nice because then when I fall in love with the main character I can continue reading about her in the next book.

The categories should describe where the books can be found in the store or library, but not who the reader is.

I Don’t Read (or Write) Kiddie Lit

I write fiction that some adults haven’t bothered to read since they were in middle school or younger. But just because they can’t be bothered doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile to read.

So no, I don’t write kiddie lit. I write the books you stopped reading—and you’re the one missing out.

8th grade me wasn’t afraid to read the books she wasn’t “supposed” to like. Maybe it’s time you considered doing that, too.