I remember a book called My Darling My Hamburger kind of turned me off YA. For some reason I found it too grimly realistic.
All Things Middle Grade
- Thread starter timp67
- Start date
I didn't read a lot of MG books as a kid either. I discovered my stepmother's huge stash of historial romances by about 10 (I think) and read more John Jakes and Kathleen E Woodiwiss than Judy Blume and Madeleine L'Engle. Stephen King was for my teenage years with a little Koontz thrown in. That is until I discovered the classics. Jane Austen is amazing! Now, MG and YA are pretty much all I read, though Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre and a few others get read again every couple of years.
DAW, an interesting MG book for you would be K@thryn Erks1ne's M0ckingbird, the National Book Award winner from the perspective of a girl with Asperger's who doesn't get metaphor. It's a very sophisticated book -- I'm not sure a kid would like it! -- but I did, very much.
When I was a kid, I liked kid classics -- George MacDonald, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Noel Streatfield, LM Montgomery -- and books about talking animals like The Rescuers and The Trumpet of the Swan (well, he had a trumpet). Then I went to adult classics in seventh or eighth grade -- no YA or straight contemporary stuff for me.
When I was a kid, I liked kid classics -- George MacDonald, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Noel Streatfield, LM Montgomery -- and books about talking animals like The Rescuers and The Trumpet of the Swan (well, he had a trumpet). Then I went to adult classics in seventh or eighth grade -- no YA or straight contemporary stuff for me.
I read MG books as a kid and also read above my comprehension a lot. I remember some of the books I didn't fully understand either. But I never YA until I was an adult. It was the late 80's early 90's horror boom for me in high school. King, Koontz, Lovecraft, anything scary I could get my hands on.
But I love MG to this day! Whether I'll ever be able to write it remains to be seen...
But I love MG to this day! Whether I'll ever be able to write it remains to be seen...
The only YA I remember being available to me was Sweet Valley High and this cheerleaders series. I'm sure there were more, but maybe YA wasn't such a big market in the 90's. I did read the ones I just mentioned and a lot of other stuff. As a kid The Secret Garden and The Little Princess were favorites, but like I said, I graduated to those romance novels way too early. I know I didn't understand a lot of them and I'm not sure they were healthy for my perception of what relationships should be like, but mostly I liked the historical aspects, the depth of characters (sometimes) and all the adventure. It was really disturbing to me that charcters didn't always get a happy ending, especially in John Jakes books were they almost never get a happy ending, but I know it helped in the long run for my ability to write.
Hey, for a 25K lower MG novel, does a 1-page synopsis sound right? It's got a bit less plot than your average-length MG. I don't want to drag things out but I don't want to be too brief either.
One or two pages sounds about right to me. Don't go much over that.
The rumour round the back of the bike sheds is that five pages is the max.
The rumour round the back of the bike sheds is that five pages is the max.
Too much loitering behind the bike sheds and we'll never get this dirigible off the ground!
/Not a middle-earth reference.
/Not a middle-earth reference.
The easiest thing is to drag the bike sheds ONTO the dirigible, it seems. Now Jed can have a lot of fun behind the bike sheds onboard the dirigible!
License, schmicense! All you need to steer a dirigible is a good pair of goggles.
License, schmicense! All you need to steer a dirigible is a good pair of goggles.
That's a great idea, which is why you izz driving.
Wait.
I spy with my little eye ... some Orks on the horizon.
Jed... you're a DRAGON. Surely, you have the most experience flying? Stop panicking and get this thing under control!
Well, I've had more than a few glasses of Baileys. But if you're sure. Hold on tight, folks. Here we gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
I'm still trying to find the button. There are way too many on this control panel. Although I did find the one that makes toasted cheese sandwiches
Er ... strike that. We're going UP! I was standing on my head. The noblest of all yoga postures.
Er ... strike that. We're going UP! I was standing on my head. The noblest of all yoga postures.
Ah, that's okay then.