middle grade fantasy...or not?

First off, congrats on the work itself. As to the target audience, I dont think I would put too much stock in only two persons opinions (unless of course they are major publishers/editors of children's fantasy). I think that, as the author, you are in the best position to know who you wrote the work for. This isnt to say that other opinions are not necessary and useful, but you are the ultimate decision maker.
Are you worried about showing the work to more people? If not, why not let some other folks have a go at it and get a bigger sample. Other than that, I would say any publisher or editor (professional) is going to be able to let you know pretty quickly what age range you are in when you get to that stage.
Lastly, does it impact the work at all if the age range is not "nailed down"? Or is your worry simply from a submission point of view?

Just 6 cents worth,

Did the person give you specifics about the "dumming down" moments or was it just a general statement?
I generally agree with the not dumming down thing, as a rule children usually can read content above where most adults think they can. So my advice would be to go through and make the work as close to ten year old level as you can. But without specific instances pointed out by the person who read it, that may be tough. You might also think about reading or at least browsing through some other books in teh same genre/age range to see if yours "lines up".

I write for YA/MG and it has been my experience that people who don't read and write in this genre don't understand how sophisticated kids are these days. They thnk of YA fiction like it was 25 years ago. It has changed a LOT. The defining factor to where the book goes has more to do with subject matter and complexity of plot than anything else.

An example I just gave on another thread, is that I just sold my YA fantasy trilogy, and while I wrote it for high school age (my protag is 17), my editor plans to market it to the 10-14 crowd. This choice was made because of the adventure style of the book, and the lack of sex, adult-like themes, and grittiness. And folks in my crit group? They said I was too advanced for teens, yet here are pros saying it's good for 10 year olds.

Kids understand more than you think. The vocabulary is more advanced than you think. The themes are more adult. The main differences are word length (though even that is flexible), pacing (YA tends to be faster-paced) and fewer subplots. The stories are issues that kids can relate to, even if those stories are "adult" in nature.

A few examples: "How to Get Suspended and Influence People" deals with censorship and mastrubation. It's protagonist is 14 at it's a MG novel. "13 Reasons Why" deals with suicide. "Godless" deals with religion and obsession. "The White Darkness" deals with disfunctional relationships and survival in Antartica. The protagonist in this one is 14, and her vocabulary surpasses a lot of adult books I've read.

Write your story the way you feel it needs to be written, then let your editor decide where it goes. Don't worry about readers getting it, just make the characters act like kids that age would act and be true to them. Kids can spot preaching and BS a mile away.

I seriously wonder where your reader was coming from. Most 4-year-old children can't read yet.... There aren't books written for 4 to 6-year-olds, except for picture books meant to be read aloud and very, very simple easy readers. It doesn't sound to me like you have written the next Clifford, the Big Red Dog, so you probably don't have a book for that age range.

There is currently very little fantasy on the market for the 6 to 10-year-old range. Have you read any of the Dragon-Slayer's Academy (Kate McMullan) or Time Warp Trio (Jon Scieska) series? If yours is similar in terms of themes, language and length, then you're right on target for that age.

I teach first grade, so I know this age range pretty well. If you want to post some in SYW, I can let you know what I think about the age-appropriateness.

Judy

Language, word count, and reading ability make for some big differences between something for a six-year-old and a ten-year-old. What is the word count? Are the chapters short or long? Is there any description or is it just action, action, action?

I agree with Judy, and I wonder if that reader was suggesting the grade level more than the age. 4th - 6th grade maybe?

BTW - Judy is a great critter.

If you're skeptical, get more feedback! If 10 people think your age range is right on, and 1 thinks it's written for much younger kids, that one guy is probably an anomaly. Have you posted any excerpts in the 'share your work' forum? lots of people would be willing to give it a glance for age range.

Definitely post the chapter in SYW. Get as many eyes to look at it as possible!

And if it's 25K, it is NOT for 4 to 6-year-olds!

But it sounds like your critter may have been saying the world itself sounds like it would appeal to younger kids, that something about it may not be edgy enough for 10-year-olds. And that's certainly something to think about. Post it and we'll all take a look!

kristi26 said:

Judy-How about if I send you the first two chapters in a private message? Would that be okay?

Click to expand...

Better to have it in Show Your Work. 2 reasons: get a lot more people's opinions, which gives you a better picture of how the work is perceived. and 2: school starts on Monday, so I can't guarantee I'd give it the attention it deserves!

Having glanced at your MG in SYW, you are definitely MG. But lower MG. So you are going for a top reader of 10 I would say.

Good luck!