Growing Bookworms – Age groups for children’s books: Middle-grade Fiction #growingbookworms #childrensfiction
Posted: May 8, 2024 Filed under: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, middlegrade, Robbie Cheadle, Writing to be Read 38 Comments
What is middle-grade fiction
Middle-grade fiction is aimed at readers aged between 8 and 12 years old. This genre is intended to be a bridge between simple children’s stories and stories that are more emotionally or thematically advanced. Importantly, middle-grade is not a genre, it is an age-based categorisation. Middle-grade fiction comes in all sorts of genres.
Books falling into the middle-fiction category are usually 30,000 to 50,000 words in length and are frequently in the third person point of view. The protagonist is usually between the ages of 10 and 13 years old and there is no graphic violence, sexuality or swearing.
While middle-grade stories can include heavy topics such as death, illness, mental illness, and war, the stories generally focus on dynamics between family and friends and don’t go into introspective discoveries and or social dynamics in the greater world.
Famous examples of midde-grade fiction
Holes by Louis Sachar
An excellent example of a complex middle-grade book is Holes by Louis Sachar. The main themes of Holes are: The power of fate to determine events; the benefits of friendship; the destructive nature of cruelty; and the importance of history in every day life.
This is the Amazon US blurb for Holes:
Stanley Yelnats’ family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn’t green and doesn’t have a lake), it’s not exactly a surprise.
Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole each, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find. Why? The evil warden claims that it builds character, but this is a lie. It’s up to Stanley to dig up the truth.
A masterpiece of storytelling that combines sly humour with irresistible, page-turning writing.
You can purchase Holes from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Holes-Louis-Sachar-ebook
Roald Dahl’s books
Roald Dahl is synonymous with childhood in my mind. I absolutely loved his dark and quirky books when I was a young reader. I read these books to my two youngest sisters and also to both my sons. When I got the chance, I also read them to my nieces and nephews. I am a Dahl fan!
These are a few wonderful quotes from Roald Dahl’s books:
“A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it.” from Boy: Tale of Childhood
“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place, you can install A lovely bookshelf on the wall. Then fill the shelves with lots of books.” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
“Well, maybe it started that way. As a dream, but doesn’t everything.” from James and the Giant Peach (this is my favourite as it includes an assortment of giant bugs including Miss Spider).
You can find all of Roald Dahl’s books on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roald-Dahl/author/B000AQ0WGQ
Roald Dahl inspired a few of my fondant creations:
Toni Pike is a modern Indie author who has captured the same quirky and darkly humorous style of writing as Roald Dahl. You can find all of Toni Pike’s books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Toni-Pike/author/B009I70E8Y
Middle-grade series
There are several excellent middle-grade series.
My sons both loved Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson. The first book in the series in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. The hero, Percy Jackson, is half human and half Greek god. A quote from the Amazon blurb: I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. Now I spend my time battling monsters and generally trying to stay alive.
Talented Indie children’s author, Darlene Forster, has a wonderful series of middle-age books featuring a young girl, Amanda, who loves travelling to different countries. Everywhere Amanda goes, she falls into an adventure.
You can find all of Darlene’s Amanda books on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA
Some writers start out as middle-grade writers and their targeted age group increases as their characters age. A famous example of such a writer is JK Rowling. The first two Harry Potter books were middle-grade stories. As her characters grew older, the books became more complicated, darker and much longer.
You can find the complete collection of Harry Potter books here: https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Complete-Collection-1-7-ebook/dp/B01B3DKROQ
Of course, if anyone reading this post hasn’t read Harry Potter I’ll eat Sir Chocolate – haha!
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
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Sir chocolate and Mr. Fox look great. I remember the kids reading Holes but I never read it myself. It sounds like an intriguing book.
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Thank you, Thomas, I’m glad you enjoyed my fondant creations. There are a lot of great books out there that are aimed at middle grade but equally enjoyable for adults.
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I was hooked on reading long before middle school and so were my children. Thanks for introducing me to some special authors. The only one familiar to me was Roald Dahl. Your fondant creations, Sir Chocolate and Mr. Fox, are totally charming–fantastic!
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Hi Marian, it’s lovely to see you. I still enjoy some middle school books and have read them several times. I’m glad you like my fondant art.
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Excellent summary of middle-grade fiction, Robbie! “Holes” is a REALLY good novel on many levels.
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Another MG series I’d recommend is Amanda Foody’s Wilderlore. I think seven books are planned and four or five have been released. Margaret Peterson Haddix has written over thirty MG books in the mystery and fantasy genres.
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Thanks for this recommendation. I don’t know this series but I’ll look it up 😁
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I love all books and series mentioned. I am reading an Amanda book right now! Great post 🙂
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Thank you, Denise. I’ve just finished Darlene’s memoir which was delightful 💓
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I enjoyed that too, Robbie 🙂
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A perfect description of middle-grade fiction. Thanks so much for including the Amanda Travels series. I agree, Holes is a terrific book. I read it as an adult and loved it. xo
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Thank you, Darlene 😀. I love your Amanda books. Holes is a very good book. I also read it as an adult.
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Uh oh, poor Sir Chocolate is not long for this world. I haven’t read any Harry Potter books.
When I was middle-grade age, I read the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. I also just loved the Homer Price books. (He was the Ever-So-Much-More-So kid.) The Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective books.
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Hi Liz, interesting that you haven’t read HP. I enjoyed them when I read them. My boys also enjoyed them. I read hardy Boys and Willard Price’s series about saving wildlife.
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Fantasy has never interested me except for fairy tales and legends.
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I read Tolkien an HP. I like Diana’s stories but fantasy isn’t my go to genre either.
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I guess I have taken for granted that everyone has someone in their early life who helped to cultivate an enjoyment of reading. One of my high school chums was not even aware of Alice in Wonderland.
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No, we are the fortunate ones, Annette. Lots of people don’t read to their children. There is no culture of reading among indigenous African people so the concept of reading for pleasure is relatively new in Africa
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I have to say I also loved Roald Dahl books when I was growing up… I loved his stories.. Thank you Robbie, I also learned more about Middle Grade Fiction… <3 xx
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I’m delighted to know that, Sue. My favourite Roald Dahl is The Witches
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Most of my years in the classroom were as an upper elementary teacher, so I have so many favorites. Holes and The BFG (Dahl) were two of my regular reads. Whizzpoppers got a laugh every year, especially from the “sophisticated” boys. 🤣
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The BFG was a favourite of mine. I loved the names of the giants. Mom likes George’s Marvelous Medicine best.
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My girls did like series books of all kinds. I think there’s a comfort in the continuity of characters, even if the stories are often similar. (K)
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Hi Kerfe, that is definitely true for children. I loved The famous Five series by Enid Blyton when I was a girl. I also liked her girls at boarding school series.
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My girls read those too. And of course Anne of Green Gables. Also, lots of fantasy series whose names I don’t remember.
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This is a terrific post, Robbie. I’m glad you featured Darlene’s Amanda series. I highly recommend Kate DiCamillo’s books, too. Because of Winn-Dixie has become a middle grade classic.
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I love Roald Dahl too – he’s definitely influence my writing.
Your Fantastic Mr Fox looks delicious!
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He was an amazing writer. Enid Blyton’s influenced me the most. I lived on a constant diet of her books as a girl.
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Yes, me too. I still enjoy her books, I’m actually reading one now!
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😊🌈
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A great post for middle-aged readers, Robbie, and my kids loved Roald Dahl and Harry Potter. I read them as an adult and loved them too. 💖
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I also enjoyed HP as an adult. I had a few Roald Dahl’s as a girl but far from all of them
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Oh what great books you featured, Robbie. All of these are 10’s and not to be missed. I plan to read them to the grands. Thanks for sharing❣️ Of course your amazing candies are greatly paired with them❣️
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Thank you, Cindy. It’s so nice to have grandkids to read to in the future. What a nice idea.
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Thanks for reviewing these wonderful middle grade recommends Robbie ❤
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Thanks, Debby. I tried to come up with some new ones for this post 🌞
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They were new to me. 🙂
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We love Roald Dahl’s texts and especially his books illustrated by Quentin Blake.
What a coincidence, Kb’s editor sent us last week the collected works of Roald Dahl. Now we have to find space for all this books.
Thanks for the books you mention.
Happy weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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