How I Fell in Love with Middle Grade Fiction

My earliest memories contain books. Trips to the public library began when I was two. By the time I turned 12, I was devouring fantastical novels that would stay close to my heart for years to come. High school proved to be a dull patch in my reading, as I explored adult fiction while ignoring the sort of books I read as a child. I returned to children’s literature in university. I studied young people’s texts and cultures, exploring everything from fairy tales in picture books to young adult contemporary novels. My goal of becoming a children’s librarian and my preference for middle grade novels drive my reading habits today. Children’s literature forms the cornerstone of my identity as a reader.

The Early Years

One of my earliest memories features two blue laundry baskets filled with small hardcover Beatrix Potter books. These baskets lived at my local library. My mom has told me that I was very possessive of those baskets when I was three years old. Library storytime comes to mind when I recall early library memories – I didn’t enjoy storytime because I would have much preferred to choose and read books on my own. In kindergarten, my class took a field trip to a public library. I cried when I thought I wouldn’t be able to borrow books because I did not have a library card. I signed up for my first library card that day and cheerfully borrowed an armful of books.

Two books I borrowed repeatedly were Sarah Saw a Blue Macaw by Jo Ellen Bogart and Sylvie Daigneault (I loved the vivid illustrations and searching for the hidden animals within them) and Alistair Underwater by Marilyn Sadler (what a fun adventure, exploring a pond in a homemade submarine). These memories illustrate how books have always been a part of my life.

The Important Years

I believe the most formative period of my reading life was the time around grade five. I discovered numerous books that I still consider favourites today: Inkheart, The Bad Beginning, Artemis Fowl. I developed a keen interest in speculative fiction, though it would be many years before I realized how much I appreciate the characteristics of middle grade fantasy. The Hobbit deserves particular mention. I came to The Hobbit via The Lord of the Rings films, at a time when The Lord of the Rings book was too difficult for me but The Hobbit was an easy read. I have since become a devout Tolkien fan, marveling at his ability to create such a deeply realized world, populated with grand stories. Between the middle grade series I reread to this day and the gateway to Tolkien provided by The Hobbit, I am eternally grateful to the reading I did as a preteen.

Growing Up

As I progressed past the age of a middle grade reader, I felt that my reading, too, had to progress. I was too old for middle grade; I skipped ahead to adult fantasy. Of all the authors I explored, only Tolkien appealed to me. I found Game of Thrones frustrating. It lacked the magical creativity I felt in the books I read at 12 years old. Those books did not need excessive drama or nasty characters to create a compelling story. I remember very little of what I read in high school. The only author that stuck with me from those years is John Green, whose books I wouldn’t have read had I not first been a fan of his YouTube videos. (I have never been much of a fan of young adult fiction, perhaps because I lack interest in the themes those books often explore).

In retrospect, it was this break from children’s literature that allowed me to realize that middle grade speculative fiction contained tropes I loved that were often absent in other types of fiction such as: clear and simple yet evocative prose; characters who try to be better friends or family members; magic that does not have to cater to an adult’s sensibilities. My reading habits gravitated back towards children’s literature in university. I specialized in young people’s texts and cultures, happy to return back to that appreciation of the joy of children’s literature. During this time, I decided I would become a librarian.

Today

Nowadays, my career path and my personal reading preferences inform each other. My current reading practices remain grounded in personal enjoyment. I maintain a book blog about all sorts of books, including a good proportion of middle grade fiction. While I primarily choose books to read for my personal enjoyment (I am always on the lookout for a good fantasy set in a castle), I have also expanded my reading to include children’s books that I believe are important to support and be aware of, from a librarian’s perspective. For example, I seek out own voices contemporary fiction novels (like Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan) even though they’re not my preferred genre, because I believe these are important stories that need to be made accessible to a wide audience.

As an aspiring librarian and a lover of magical stories, I read both for work and pleasure. I hope that I will one day be able to help children develop their own identities as readers and find the same joy in reading that I found as a child, and that I continue to find in children’s literature today.

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What you just read was a reflection I wrote for a course on teaching children’s literature last semester. (I have posted one or two other assignments from that course :D). The assignment had a broad purpose, but as you can see from the title of the post, I decided to share it here as an explanation of how my reading history lead me to become a fan of middle grade fiction. 

I’d be curious to learn – what are some factors that you think lead you to become a fan of a particular genre?