Hi everyone! So I'm currently working on a novel about a protagonist that is 13-14 and was wondering if there was a classification or guidelines for lower YA age ranges of characters. Obviously no sex or drugs, but most YA novels I read seem to have protagonists that are 15-18. What is appropriate for these middle readers? Target audience for my novel is 12-14 year olds, but I think it has universal appeal for all ages, as so many YA books do. Can you direct me to any really great YA novels where the protagonist is 13-14? I'd like to read up on them!
Age of Young YA Protagonists
- Thread starter avnelson
- Start date
Harry Potter was 11 when that series began, Judy Blume books are a great resource, yes they are from my generation but I think teens still deal with the same issue today as they did in the 70's and 80's such as body image, divorce, drinking etc. Some of my faves were
Tiger eyes
It's not the end of the world
Are you there God it's me Margaret
and many many more
Just because it's for 12-14 doesn't mean you have to eliminate topics, maybe just how you write about those topics will be more sensitive. Most kids are very aware of sex and drugs at that age.
JMHO from a newbie
Tiger eyes
It's not the end of the world
Are you there God it's me Margaret
and many many more
Just because it's for 12-14 doesn't mean you have to eliminate topics, maybe just how you write about those topics will be more sensitive. Most kids are very aware of sex and drugs at that age.
JMHO from a newbie
Many YA stories have characters 15-18 to make it more plausible that they go on their adventure or handle their situations on their own or with little adult supervision. The young the character the harder it is to believe that they are capable of certain tasks. The age of your characters doesn't need to match the age of your intended audience, often the characters are slightly older.
For sensitive topics like drug use or sex the amount of detail is what differentiates age groups. The genre of novel will play a part as well. It's easier to have younger characters to have "adult" decisions in a fantasy or Sci-fi setting than a modern one.
For sensitive topics like drug use or sex the amount of detail is what differentiates age groups. The genre of novel will play a part as well. It's easier to have younger characters to have "adult" decisions in a fantasy or Sci-fi setting than a modern one.
Kids like to read about people older than themselves, so the YA protagonist is 15-18 and the book is read by ages 12-17. (All numbers are approximate and every kid is different.) MG is read by ages 8-12, but most protagonists are 11 or 12. I knew there was a sticky, so I found it: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/sho...-Adult-Adult-How-do-you-categorize-your-novel
Agent Jen Laughran, aka Literaticat, also has a great blog post on this, but I don't have a link.
Agent Jen Laughran, aka Literaticat, also has a great blog post on this, but I don't have a link.
If You Find Me: Emily Murdoch has a 14YO protagonist. I enjoyed the story and voice, although some of the flashbacks were jarring.