Secrets to Successful Middle-Grade Novels

I write middle-grade, so of course I read a ton of middle-grade.  I am always looking for tips from the books I read.  I want to know what made this particular book good enough to win over the hearts of agents, publishers, and children.  These are 5 secrets that make a successful middle-grade novel.  I encourage you to read the books I share as examples and try to implement these tips in your own writing.

Hook your readers.  The best middle-grade books I’ve read pull me in at the start.  They don’t beat around the bush describing the beautiful flowers lining the mountain side; they cut right to the action.  The best example of this is The False Prince, by Jennifer A. Nielsen.  It starts with Sage, an orphan boy, about to be caught after stealing something.  He thinks he’s just escaped when he finds himself in an even bigger problem that could cost him his life.  It’s totally captivating right at the beginning.

Characters must be genuine and likable.  The characters are what drive the story.  The reader must love your main character from the beginning on.  Give them characteristics that set them apart from others.  What makes them who they are?  What are their interests, dislikes, passions, weaknesses, and strengths.  I love the Gilda Joyce series, by Jennifer Allison.  Gilda is quirky, funny, and real.  Sure she thinks she has psychic powers and finds herself in ridiculous situations, but we as readers want to feel that she is psychic because we like her.

 Use humor.  This I think is one of the greatest tools for middle-grade authors.  Readers want to be entertained.  Think about what makes kids laugh.  Observe them.  If you see some kids laughing about someone farting in public, you better believe they’ll laugh about it in a book.  I love the book Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Extra Credit, by Tommy Greenwald.  He knows how to add humor to the story.  Kids laugh at the most bizarre things, and Greenwald shows that.

Give it conflict.  Kids want to know that they can handle situations just like adults.  They have the need to be in control.  Let them see how the main character reacts when the stakes are raised and they are about to lose control.  Make sure to set the stakes high.  In the Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling, the risks and conflict only grew worse and worse as the story grew.  The struggles that Harry goes through are what make us as readers love him and want him to succeed. 

Keep it moving.  The worst thing to do in a middle-grade book is to meander around the countryside.  The reader needs to be constantly moving from event to event.  It doesn’t always have to be action.  There are beautiful books that have no action, but you need to keep the story moving.  It needs to have a series of events that when connected create a wonderful plot.  I think of the Fablehaven series, by Brandon Mull.  Kendra and Seth start out on a road trip to their grandparents.  The story doesn’t end there.  They continue on a journey and have one event after another happen until they find themselves in the middle of a magical sanctuary for fantastical creatures.

And that’s my keys on successful middle-grade novels.