As children move past the preschool picture book and chapter book stages, their book choices broaden. While in grades 1-4, those choices feel fairly “safe” to most of us parents.
But somewhere around grades 5-8 a shift begins to take place on the shelves. And librarians like myself start to ask, “Does this book go into the Juvenile Fiction or the Young Adult fiction?” Sometimes the line gets blurry.
Debbie Ohi’s blog post MG vs. YA compiles helpful answers from several sources.
I would push an answer just a bit more, though, into the developmental arena.
I believe the Young Adult categorization fits best those books that deal with the developmental issues of adolescence.
What are those? One is the search for identity. Young Adult novels have protagonists who are trying to figure out who they are as an individual. They try on this and then that, not sure what really fits them. Middle grade novel protagonists are developmentally more into the concreteness of life–friends, siblings, the mean teacher, the lost dog, fairly ordinary (to an adult eye) daily difficulties. Discrete episodes are strung together to form the whole.
Another major adolescent issue is that of finding a set of values one can call one’s own. It’s a time of questioning the family’s and especially parent’s values–just because. It’s a time of pushing the boundaries and going against–just because. Combine the values search with the identity push, and the two make for an “I gotta be me” mentality that shapes choices for years. Middle graders, on the other hand, generally want to please, and they worry about being wrong or doing it wrong.
Those broad developmental ideas help me to sort out the books between Juvenile and Young Adult sections. It’s not foolproof, there are exceptions, but it works most of the time. And the closer the book matches a child’s developmental level, the more they will enjoy the book!
Other factors that can influence or determine the placement: If I find a book has explicit sex, drugs, or foul language, though, it goes into young adult. Larger print books usually go into Juvenile. And Juvenile books generally are shorter with shorter chapters.
I also “start” my Young Adult section at about grade 9 or 13-15 years old because that’s when adolescence begins. I run mine a little further up as well, up to about age 20 to cover more of the “edgy” stuff. This is a bit unorthodox but my stats support the approach; it works for our community.
Parents, be aware though, as your child hits about sixth grade, your involvement in what they read is critical. It is a mixed bag between sixth and ninth grade, varying between authors, publishers, schools, and libraries. My 8th grader, now and for the last year, has read between the two sections, but if it comes home from the YA section, I look it over first. You, too, need to evaluate what’s appropriate for your child at each stage. There are bazillions of books out there and librarians who would love to help you find the right ones for your child.
So read on!
Babette
13 comments
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August 21, 2009 at 4:29 pm
MG vs YA fiction: What’s The Difference? — MiG Writers
[…] Middle Grade or Young Adult–What’s the Difference? Stephanie Lane Elliott, Senior Editor, Delacorte Press Lucienne Diver discusses YA/MG Young Adult Guidelines from Suite 101 Writing the Middle Grade Novel by Kristi Holl Laura Backes: Difference between MG and YA Wikipedia entry on young adult fiction Adrienne Kress: The new YA […]
September 15, 2009 at 10:13 am
More on the Difference between YA and MG « The Passionate Librarian – Babette Reeves
[…] And if you missed my initial post about Young Adult vs. Middle Grade books, click here. […]
October 2, 2009 at 7:19 pm
MG vs YA « After the first draft
[…] The Passionate Librarian suggests YA covers developmental issues – the search for identity and a system of belief – but I think this happens in good upper middle grade stuff as well. […]
October 10, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Is There Life after Chapter Books? « The Passionate Librarian – Babette Reeves
[…] Finally, if you have an older elementary aged child, you might want to read about the differences between middle grade and young adult fiction. […]
April 29, 2011 at 7:01 am
CE
Nicely done column. As a young adult librarian, I’ve noticed even publishers and book reviewers often get confused as to whether a book should be a middle school or YA book. The age of the protagonist is one clue, but often it’s the issues faced that more clearly define where a book should be shelved.
April 30, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Jean Ann Williams
Thanks for this. It confirms what I’ve been reading by those who know.
May 2, 2011 at 9:06 am
Jeanne Charters
Babette, Thank you so much for this info. I am just venturing into the world of YA and middle-grade fiction. I have four daughters, but they are now grown and things have changed a lot. I find YA fiction, if well written, some of the best reading around today. You make me realize that, to do it right, I must understand the developmental stages for each genre.
May 2, 2011 at 11:11 am
Elizabeth Varadan
This was very helpful. I’m in the middle of a rewrite of an MG historical novel, and it was a good reminder of the mindset my MC would have.
September 12, 2011 at 10:12 pm
Is my book Young Adult or Middle Grade? « Graeme Ing, Author
[…] Babette Reeves has a similar commentary. […]
December 8, 2011 at 4:57 am
What Are Middle Grade Novels? « Never Give Up by Joan Y. Edwards
[…] the Passionate Librarian. “Middle Grade or Young Adult: What’s the difference?” https://babetter.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/middle-grade-or-young-adult-whats-the-difference/ 5. Good Reads.com “684 Popular Middle Grade Fiction Titles […]
October 5, 2012 at 11:44 am
adult
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August 31, 2017 at 9:42 pm
Are You Writing MG or YA? – NovelRocket
[…] Babette Reeves, The Passionate Librarian, thinks… […]
November 11, 2019 at 2:41 pm
What Are Middle Grade Novels? | Joan Y. Edwards
[…] the Passionate Librarian. “Middle Grade or Young Adult: What’s the difference?” https://babetter.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/middle-grade-or-young-adult-whats-the-difference/ 6. Barnes & Noble. New York Bestsellers Middle Grade and Young Adult Books […]