Fiction for readers aged 8-12, featuring young protagonists navigating friendship, family, and the expanding world beyond home.
Middle grade fiction is written for kids roughly ages 8 to 12, featuring protagonists in that same range. The stories center themes of friendship, family, school, identity, and the growing realization that the world is bigger and more complicated than they thought. Middle grade can be any genre (fantasy, mystery, contemporary, sci-fi) but operates within content boundaries appropriate for its audience: no explicit romance, graphic violence, or adult language.
Middle grade is where most readers fall in love with books. If you're writing for this audience, understanding its conventions (shorter word counts, faster pacing, the importance of voice and humor) is essential. It's also one of the most consistently selling categories in publishing, driven by school libraries, parent purchases, and voracious young readers.
Greek mythology made accessible through a wisecracking 12-year-old narrator, the gold standard for modern MG voice.
A graphic novel about a Black kid navigating a predominantly white school, MG tackling real issues through an accessible format.
A gorilla narrator exploring captivity and freedom, showing MG can be deeply emotional without being heavy.
Write the opening page of a middle grade novel. Your protagonist should have a distinct, engaging voice and face a problem that matters deeply to an 11-year-old (unfair rules, a lost friendship, a secret they can't tell). Hook the reader in the first paragraph. MG demands immediate engagement.