The Distinction Between Middle Grade and Young Adult Books: And Why It Matters

As writers and readers are quickly learning, there’s a muddiness that’s seeping into distinguishing between middle grade and young adult. It’s not to say that’s a problem; it’s a compliment to the ever-maturing and expanding audience of readers and clever writers. It only becomes an issue when querying agents and publishers. And it can become a bigger problem if it’s not gifted to the appropriate audience.

That’s why it’s essential to understand the distinctions between middle-grade and young adult literature.

I’m not professing to be a publishing professional or expert here, but I certainly look forward to them weighing in and educating us in the comments. But I did a little homework, curious to gain better insight and distinctions to share with Books Uplift readers. This is what I’ve learned.

• Age Range: Experts, publishers, and prolific authors agree that the age distinction for these audiences is that middle grade falls between the ages of eight and twelve. On the other hand, a young adult book is for readers ages thirteen through eighteen.
• Word Count: This can be a little muddy, as different genres, plots, characters, and storylines can capture readers’ attention for a much longer time. The Harry Potter series is an excellent example of how all these parameters can be disregarded. Still, a good rule of thumb to adhere to is 30-50k for middle grade and 60- 100k for young adult.
• Language Used: Let’s face it, kids today have heard everything and anything thanks to social media and the graphic content in movies and television, so they are not naïve. But their language use is still evolving. Younger audiences often struggle to understand certain words used by young adults. Conversely, the young adult reader of a middle-grade targeted book may find the character’s dialogue and voice immature. A great resource to help with this is a writer’s thesaurus, like the Children’s Writer’s Word Book by Alijandra Mogilner, designed to help writers find the appropriate words for children in various age groups.
• Content Appropriateness: The mindset, experiences, and interests need to be considered here. Middle-grade readers are less interested in romance than the young adult audience is. They want stories focused on family, friends, animals, adventure, and subject matters they can relate to. Young adult readers are more interested in how they fit into the world and how they will develop their own identity; they are also interested in relationship building. However, they also analyze and reflect more deeply on what lies beneath the feelings and experiences of the main character. Additionally, young adult audiences are more mature and can handle content and language that may be inappropriate for younger readers.
• Flexible Audience: Keep in mind, this distinction is getting muddier. Many adults love both genres and will be a big part of your audience. Still, you shouldn’t write for them. Kids tend to “read up” and prefer characters who are older and more mature, yet still relatable.

I hope this article provided you with a few applicable ideas. I would be honored if you shared this on social media. And speaking of sharing, please share your ideas and experiences below. Together, we can build an uplifting community that supports each other’s happiness, well-being, creativity, and success.