Honestly, am I the only person who sees a huge difference between Diary of a Wimpy Kid and say Speak by Laurie Anderson? Okay, maybe not the best examples. However, the rule I've always heard is that middle grade books are for kids 9 to 12 and young adult is for those 12 and up.
Here's the thing. I find the interests of 9 year olds very different from that of 12 year olds, especially in girls. To continue that line of thought, 13 year olds are very different than 17 year olds.
I think we're missing a genre. A Tween genre. Something that goes from 11 to 14. I've heard some refer to this age group as "low-end" young adult. Personally, I don't like that description because it makes it sound like it's the quality of the book in question, not the age of its protagonist.
I write books with protagonists who are usually 14 and 15, and I classify them in the young adult genre. However, when people read them they say I should market them as middle grade books, and they're probably right.
So what should I call them? Upper middle grade? Low-end Young Adult?
Suggestions anyone?
I've heard lots of people (including Roni Loren) calling it New Adult. I hope it sticks because I think my books fit into that category!
ReplyDeleteI'd say upper middle grade. An example of this is Kristin Nelson's client Janice Hardy. Her Healing Wars trilogy features a 14-year-old protagonist (at least, that's her age in the first book) and Nelson Literary Agency lists the book in its "Middle Grade" section.
ReplyDeleteEmerging-Teen Books, or E.T. for short.
ReplyDeleteI can't claim complete ownership of the term although I have never heard of it before. I just took Adolescent Development and "emerging-adult" was part of the terminology in the class. I do not think that E.T. or extra terrestrial is good terminology, or even emerging teen. New terminology is often hard because it has to stick. I think that it would be good to see what this age group calls themselves.
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