Middle Grade

• Stories that give as much weight to the young protagonist’s troubles as they would an adult’s and understand that even if the struggles are “small,” they aren’t so for the character at their age 

• Characters who are going through growing pains and don’t feel they’re on the same page as everyone else. Their peers are growing up faster than them or they’re the ones who are growing up too quickly

• I also enjoy characters with a bratty streak like Artemis Fowl, Nathaniel (Bartimaeus Sequence), and Lyra Belacqua (His Dark Materials)

• Growing awareness, whether sudden or gradual, that the world isn’t black or white and is a much larger and more frightening, mysterious, and exciting place than the protagonist thought

• Protagonists who are or learn to be courageous and self-sufficient

• Sprinkles of wit and humor even if the story is dark

• Writing that is innovative with form (e.g., A Series of Unfortunate Events) is a treat

• Novels that feel classic and timeless 

• Magic, oddity, and wonder in the mundane. Even if the story is contemporary and realistic, it feels like something unusual is right around the corner, ready to be stumbled upon and marveled over

• Peculiar settings that you can’t slot neatly into a certain genre, e.g., Holes and A Series of Unfortunate Events

 

Not seeking

• Message-driven stories, meaning stories that are mostly focused on imparting lessons to young readers

• Nonfiction except for graphic memoirs