All Things Middle Grade

Kitty Pryde

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There's only so many character types and plot elements out there in the world, we've got to share. I try not to worry!
 

canette

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I'm late jumping on this wagon. Hi, MG lovers. Is this the best place to ask a few questions about whether or not my manuscript is YA or MG? I finished a YA manuscript a few months ago, and a writer-friend suggested its themes are more MG (sibling issues, stepmother/missing father issue). But then in the second half of the novel, the MC befriends and falls for a boy. Nothing amorous above a kiss in the novel. I wouldn't have to change the book significantly by altering the MC's age from 16 to 14 (or even 13) and the boy's age from 17 to 15. My question is this: do middle school kids read middle-grade books? If MG books are marketed to kids between 8-14 (??), my manuscript would be more fitting for the 10-14 group of girls. This manuscript is light (?) science fiction but doesn't really fit neatly into a genre. (ugh) Is it worth changing the age range (and YA label) to fit the MG category, or does the romance element jettison this story from MG? Thanks for any and all suggestions. I'm making my way through the water cooler and leaning a lot.
 
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kellion92

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I think it sounds like young YA/upper MG, Canette. Aging down to 14 might work well, and first romance is fine.

Kitty, I agree with you on Hugo. I admired but didn't love the book -- it was missing some kind of depth for me. But that surface may work fantastically on screen.
 
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Amarie

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Flyby post-

I'm putting together a blog post for Monday in support of debut 2011 MG authors. If anyone knows of one not on the list, please let me know. I can't remember Ivan's last name, who has posted here occassionally and I don't know if his book is available through U.S. channels, but if anyone remembers, I'd like that name too.

A DOG’S WAY HOME by Bobbie Pyron
ALICE-MIRANDA AT SCHOOL by Jacqueline Harvey
ALIENS ON VACATION by Clete Smith
CALLI BE GOLD by Michele Weber Hurwitz
CASPER CANDLEWACKS IN DEATH BY PIGEON! by Ivan Brett
DESPERATE MEASURES by Laura Summers
DOGSLED DREAMS by Terry Lynn Johnson
FETCHING by Kiera Stewart
FLIRT CLUB by Cathleen Daly Maurissa
FLUTTER by Erin E. Moulton
HOW LAMAR’S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY by Crystal Allen
HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES by Meg Haston
INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai
JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW by Nathan Bransford
JUNIPER BERRY by M.P. Kozlowsky
KAT, INCORRIGIBLE by Stephanie Burgis
MY UN-FAIRY TALE LIFE by Anna Staniszewski
PETER NIMBLE AND HIS FANTASTIC EYES, Jonathan Auxier
POSSUM SUMMER by Jen K Blom
SPARROW ROAD by Shelia O’Conner
STIR IT UP by Ramin Ganesram
THE BLOOMSWELL DIARIES by Louis L. Buitendag
THE RENDERING by Joel Naftali
THE GREAT WALL OF LUCY WU by Wendy Wan-Long
THE UNDERTAKERS by Ty Drago
THE DRAGON OF CRIPPLE CREEK by Troy Howell
THE ROTTEN ADVENTURES OF ZACHARY RUTHLESS by Allan Woodrow
VANISHED by Sheela Chari
THE MAP OF ME by Tami Lewis Brown
THE EMERALD ATLAS by John Stephens
WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE by Tess Hilmo
THE WIZARD OF DARK STREET by Shawn Thomas Odyssey

Thanks!
 
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Kitty Pryde

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Amarie, I don't think Vanished is a debut--she wrote a few kids nonfic books before.

Add to list: Inside Out and Back Again, Thanha Lai. Will add more if I think of them!

FWIW Amazon UK will ship books to the US.
 
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Amarie

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Thanks Sheila and Kitty. Kitty, I'm having a hard time deciding who to put on the list. There is another author who has published picture books, but this is their first MG, so I might include them.

What about Timothy Powell's book? Does that count?


Sissy, do you mean our own Timp? Tim Power? He was on the 2010 list.
 

timp67

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Haha! Time passes TOO QUICKLY. :)
 

jtrylch13

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FWIW Amazon UK will ship books to the US.


I tried that and they said they wouldn't ship it. Specifically I tries to order Ivan's book shortly after it was released. I waited and waited expectantly for the book, but the notice came to my hubby's email and he forgot to tell me. Seriously?!! You forget to tell your bookworm wife that a book she has ordered isn't available? Grrr!
 

starbeam

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Thanks for sharing the list, Amarie! It's really cool to see new authors and what got them published. :)

Hey just a question for you all. I've been thinking of finally giving in and joining the twitterverse. Any thoughts on this? Is it actually helpful for authors? Are there any downsides? The input you guys offer would be really helpful. So thanks in advance! :)
 

MorganMarshall

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I'm on Twitter. The number one thing I've gotten out of it is meeting new fellow writers. As for promotion, well, I''m a terrible promoter myself, so the fact that I haven't gotten much out of it in that vein may just be me. I'd like to see if anyone else here has had a better experience.
 

Amarie

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Twitter is a time-eater, but I use it because I enjoy it There are three different chats I participate in when I can, and they are a good way to get to know other writers on Twitter. (A chat is a scheduled event at a certain time every week. If you are interested, I can better explain how they work) Anyway, I sometimes do the writersroad chat at 9:00 pm est on Mondays, the kidlitchat on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm est, and the mglitchat on Thursdays at 9 pm est.

Thanks for sharing the list, Amarie! It's really cool to see new authors and what got them published. :)

Hey just a question for you all. I've been thinking of finally giving in and joining the twitterverse. Any thoughts on this? Is it actually helpful for authors? Are there any downsides? The input you guys offer would be really helpful. So thanks in advance! :)

I'm on Twitter. The number one thing I've gotten out of it is meeting new fellow writers. As for promotion, well, I''m a terrible promoter myself, so the fact that I haven't gotten much out of it in that vein may just be me. I'd like to see if anyone else here has had a better experience.

followed you! I have connected with some teachers and librarians, but I am not much of a direct promoter either, so it's more just to see who's out there and to find out what people are reading and enjoying
 

starbeam

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Thanks so much for the information, Amarie and MorganMarshall! Those times for author chats sound great. You might just see me on them in the future. :)
 

Spiral

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I don't know if I have any better information about twitter, I use it pretty much the same way Amarie does.

I followed you also Morgan.

Amarie, what's your twitter handle? I'd love to follow you also!
 

timp67

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I've missed #mglitchat three weeks in a row just because I spaced out on it. I've got to get a grip tomorrow. :)
 

Amarie

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Spiral, I'm just @deegarretson on Twitter, I'd put it in my signature, but as you can see, I've already got it full with other things, and I'm at my character limit. Let me know who you are too. Rep if you don't want to post. I usually follow people back if it's clear from their profile they aren't film stars of a certain nature, or they aren't desperate for an American wife or any of those other off-the-wall types.

I'm going to miss Mglitchat tomorrow, but will be back next week I hope
 
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Spiral

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Following you, Amarie :) I'm @MichelleELouis.

I swear I was following you also, timp, but now I can't find you so I'm going to go fix that :)
 

Kitty Pryde

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People on the subway are only that nice in Berlin. In LA, somebody would have spit on her, in NYC she'd be crying instead cause someone stole her wallet, and in London everyone would be pretending nobody else existed by pressing a newspaper/Kindle firmly against their face.