All Things Middle Grade

SuperKate

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 15, 2013
Messages
265
Reaction score
42
Location
DC
Website
www.kidbooklist.com
On the thread of 'celebrity' moments, a friend of mine teaches Grade Four (or fourth grade...sorry, Canadian here) and whenever I have another manuscript in early drafts I take it in and read it to his students. At the end of every reading they line up to get me to sign their notebooks. It's pretty darn cute, actually.

That's so great! Aw, I love MG-ers!
 

Supergirlofnc

New fish; Swimming with the current
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
Messages
577
Reaction score
61
Location
North Carolina
On the thread of 'celebrity' moments, a friend of mine teaches Grade Four (or fourth grade...sorry, Canadian here) and whenever I have another manuscript in early drafts I take it in and read it to his students. At the end of every reading they line up to get me to sign their notebooks. It's pretty darn cute, actually.

I think it's wonderful you get to read to the fourth graders (grade fourers?) And who knows, those kid's notebooks may very well be worth some money some day!
 

mahervolous

Middle Grade Man
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2014
Messages
63
Reaction score
1
Location
Edmonton, AB, Canada
It has been such an invaluable way of digging deeper into the story. They have an uncanny insight into what they want to see happen, and they ask questions that would never have crossed my mind in a million years.
I got Farley Mowat's signature when he came to my school back in the late 80s. He wrote in this funny, loopy scrawl, and I, not being made of the brightest of materials, decided it would be a good idea to trace over the writing with my own. Hopefully none of the kids I've read to will have that wave of inspiration.
 

mommygoth

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 27, 2014
Messages
125
Reaction score
7
Location
North Carolina
I had the same problem with my MG manuscript - first word count was almost 90K. When I forced myself to read through it with an eye for unnecessary descriptors I got it down to 80K. Then, I went through it again and cut out everything that fell into the category of "a turn of phrase I fell in love with because it encapsulates how I feel about my story, but that doesn't significantly move said story forward." That took me down another 3K, which was a little embarrassing.
 

dantefrizzoli

Banned
Spammer
Joined
May 28, 2013
Messages
245
Reaction score
5
I write MG and YA books, and I find them to be the easiest and most exciting! I have two published already, working on the third one. :)
 

JustSarah

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Messages
1,980
Reaction score
35
Website
about.me
Well I'm pretty firmly ingrained in middle grade now, I'm not sure why I never thought about it before. But looking back at my old writing, it makes sense finally.

Congradulations, I hope to hear more published.
 

JustSarah

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Messages
1,980
Reaction score
35
Website
about.me
I seem to get the most enjoyment from writing middle grade. I tried getting myself to do New Adult, but my characters always seem to default to MG these days.
 

meltong

Registered
Joined
Jun 9, 2014
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
MG has all the fun, in my opinion. I like the sense of wonder that goes with writing MG.
 

wlwashburn

Registered
Joined
Dec 1, 2011
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I agree with you, Meltong, it's the wonder factor. Whenever I think about the kind of book I want to write, I remember the themes that really grabbed me when I was 10-13. For me maybe it's just the nostalgia that kicks in later in life!

(I'm new here.
icon7.gif
)
 

Supergirlofnc

New fish; Swimming with the current
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
Messages
577
Reaction score
61
Location
North Carolina
I agree with you, Meltong, it's the wonder factor. Whenever I think about the kind of book I want to write, I remember the themes that really grabbed me when I was 10-13. For me maybe it's just the nostalgia that kicks in later in life!

(I'm new here.
icon7.gif
)


Nice to meet you wlwashburn! When I finally sat down and thought about when I enjoyed reading the most, it was during those years. And their so many good books to read, and they cover so many different genres!
 

Fullon_v4.0

Shard Knight
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
507
Reaction score
16
Location
Mantlestown
Website
rtdriver90.tumblr.com
I agree with you, Meltong, it's the wonder factor. Whenever I think about the kind of book I want to write, I remember the themes that really grabbed me when I was 10-13. For me maybe it's just the nostalgia that kicks in later in life!

(I'm new here.
icon7.gif
)

Yes! Totally the nostalgia factor...that's what makes it so much fun! It's the thin line between childish innocence and teenage identity issues.
 

BookmarkUnicorn

does believe in fairies
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 10, 2014
Messages
166
Reaction score
6
Location
Northern California
I've always loved books like the Ramona series because of their timeless appeal. I think the best of MG stories all share this ability to feel like they could be talking about the reader themselves or someone they know.
Of course, that could just be the nostalgia talking for me to (I just joined, hello :))
 

Supergirlofnc

New fish; Swimming with the current
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
Messages
577
Reaction score
61
Location
North Carolina
I've always loved books like the Ramona series because of their timeless appeal. I think the best of MG stories all share this ability to feel like they could be talking about the reader themselves or someone they know.
Of course, that could just be the nostalgia talking for me to (I just joined, hello :))

Hi BookmarkUnicorn. It's nice to meet you! As an aside, when I was younger, I used to collect unicorn bookmarks. I bought one each time I bought a book :)
 

BookmarkUnicorn

does believe in fairies
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 10, 2014
Messages
166
Reaction score
6
Location
Northern California
I loved unicorn bookmarks. All and all I'm still a big unicorn fan, call it a habit I guess :). I'm not sure if the theme is as popular in children's books now? Hm.
I still collect bookmarks when I can even though I have a kindle to. They're almost an art form in their own way, I think.
 

killdeer

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
175
Reaction score
34
Location
Seattle
I loved unicorn bookmarks. All and all I'm still a big unicorn fan, call it a habit I guess :). I'm not sure if the theme is as popular in children's books now? Hm.
I still collect bookmarks when I can even though I have a kindle to. They're almost an art form in their own way, I think.

Used to be, all a book needed to hook me was a unicorn or a cat :) If I couldn't find those, a dog or a horse would do in a pinch. I don't think unicorns are ever really out of style. It's not always obvious what to do with them, though. Their mythology don't let them slot as neatly into the enemy or ally role as some creatures (dragons, for example).
 

BookmarkUnicorn

does believe in fairies
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 10, 2014
Messages
166
Reaction score
6
Location
Northern California
True, but myth gave them kind of a bad hand I figure, they were tied up and done away with for their horn half of the time. I'm sure a dragon's fire keeps their teeth and scales from being collectables.
I guess with creatures in fantasy, most of all MG, it's not so much what they are as what their character is that matters. I would say girls liking anything horse like was just a stereotype if I could, but I'm a grown up example of that and know some in the next gen are very much the same :).
Cats are so common place but mysterious in their way, it's no wonder they feature so much in books to...
 

killdeer

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
175
Reaction score
34
Location
Seattle
True, but myth gave them kind of a bad hand I figure, they were tied up and done away with for their horn half of the time. I'm sure a dragon's fire keeps their teeth and scales from being collectables.
True, but OTOH dragons get it from both sides! Unicorns only get harassed by the bad guys. Dragons get killed by the good guys (if they're evil), or made to serve the bad guys (if they're neutral), or get tamed and made to carry around the hero (if they're good, with bonus points if they're telepathic).

I guess with creatures in fantasy, most of all MG, it's not so much what they are as what their character is that matters. I would say girls liking anything horse like was just a stereotype if I could, but I'm a grown up example of that and know some in the next gen are very much the same :).
Cats are so common place but mysterious in their way, it's no wonder they feature so much in books to...
Unicorns seem to have some of that same mystery. You're as likely to catch a glimpse of one, or have a single pivotal encounter with one, as you are to have a unicorn buddy to pal around with. Horses... horses are a fantasy of freedom and power and unconditional love all in one big bundle...no wonder that speaks to girls.

I strolled through a kids' art show recently. To the extent that it's possible to tell, every horse was drawn by a girl, and every car was drawn by a boy. I think cars are the socially acceptable boy's version of a horse fantasy.
 

BookmarkUnicorn

does believe in fairies
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 10, 2014
Messages
166
Reaction score
6
Location
Northern California
Dragons are fun, but I love when they are the more chatty types like in the Dealing With Dragons series, more than say, the aloft D&D dragon types.

I don't want to say that it's just a girl thing, as boys love horses to, but I think on some level the horse love is about a memory in our collected history as humans where horses were basically our cars and our pets rolled into one :). As horse books go I was always more of a Black Beauty fan than a Black Stallion series fan. Something about the subject matter of horse racing seemed more like a boy theme, even though I didn't care about the MC being a boy or a girl.
 

Supergirlofnc

New fish; Swimming with the current
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
Messages
577
Reaction score
61
Location
North Carolina
Dragons are fun, but I love when they are the more chatty types like in the Dealing With Dragons series, more than say, the aloft D&D dragon types.

I don't want to say that it's just a girl thing, as boys love horses to, but I think on some level the horse love is about a memory in our collected history as humans where horses were basically our cars and our pets rolled into one :). As horse books go I was always more of a Black Beauty fan than a Black Stallion series fan. Something about the subject matter of horse racing seemed more like a boy theme, even though I didn't care about the MC being a boy or a girl.

I wish I still had my bookmark collection. I kept it for so long, but after many moves, I think it finally got donated! Hopefully, it made its way to some young bookmark collector. I still love bookmarks though. And I guess we have similar tastes because I wrote a horse and a dragon into my book :)
 

BookmarkUnicorn

does believe in fairies
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 10, 2014
Messages
166
Reaction score
6
Location
Northern California
I wish I still had my bookmark collection. I kept it for so long, but after many moves, I think it finally got donated! Hopefully, it made its way to some young bookmark collector. I still love bookmarks though. And I guess we have similar tastes because I wrote a horse and a dragon into my book :)

It's hard to beat the classic animal characters :). I'm mainly getting my feet wet with middle grade reading again to better understand writing it. I skipped many years.
 
Joined
Jul 21, 2014
Messages
45
Reaction score
1
Location
London, England
Can someone clarify something basic for me: middle-grade is 8-12, am I correct? And while pitching to an children's agent, would specifically mentioning '8-12' be a good pitch? Or would something like '8-10' or maybe '10-12' work better? Or does it ultimately not matter?

Another question: 'Middle-grade' is essentially an American term, correct? Can I use this term with UK agents? Or do they just prefer the ages?

Sorry if it seems like I'm nitpicking - just trying to perfect this covering letter!
 

CheG

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2010
Messages
1,121
Reaction score
80
Location
Oregon
Website
chegilson.blogspot.com
Another question: 'Middle-grade' is essentially an American term, correct? Can I use this term with UK agents? Or do they just prefer the ages?

Sorry if it seems like I'm nitpicking - just trying to perfect this covering letter!

OMG! That's a good question! There is a British agent I'm dying to query who reps one of my favorite British children's authors.
 

Stylo

wall gazer extraordinaire
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
194
Reaction score
29
Location
UK.
Hi, I'm a Brit and queried in the US and UK/Europe with a middle grade book. I referred to it as middle grade throughout and would say that this is a universally recognised term. In the end I landed an American agent who lives in France -- the world is truly becoming a global village!
 

Morrell

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
1,276
Reaction score
238
Location
Close to the Edge
Stylo, that's good to know.

Supermarine Spitfire, I will weigh in on one part of your question:
If your target age range falls somewhere between 8 and 12, I'd just say MG. Don't limit yourself unnecessarily when making an initial contact. You want to appeal to as broad an age range as possible; the agent or editor will draw their own conclusions concerning the best way to position your books.