🎂Happy Birthday, Chapter vs. Middle Grade, and Two More Favorites
MBH no. 21
The Magic Book House is 1! This newsletter began as a tentative experiment–I wasn’t sure if anyone would care about my children’s book recommendations. A year later, MBH is still somewhat of an experiment, but one that I approach with less hesitation and more passion.
(My son just finished two books I recommended: Yusef Azeem is a Not A Hero and The Eyes and the Impossible and loved both. He said “That’s your special talent!” and I’m going to take his very very rare compliment and put it right in my pocket to pull out when he’s being… middle-school-y.)
I hope these bi-monthly posts are helpful, and I love hearing what your kids think of the books we recommend.
While I put very conscious, purposeful thought into every book recommendation, I did most of the planning, drafting, and publishing on the fly. I haven’t promoted the newsletter at all, so it has been encouraging to watch my subscribers grow from about five to a few hundred of you– it’s also opened up some professional opportunities for me, which is doubly motivating!
For this anniversary installment, I republished one of my earliest posts: a guide to chapter and middle grade books.
The Substack archives can be hard to dig through, so I thought this topic was worth revisiting.
I also shared links to the best books I reviewed over the past year. This was harder than I thought! We read a ton of children’s literature, and I only share books that I find special or that kids—my own, my friends’, subscribers’, and those I’ve taught or tutored–absolutely loved.
And, if you’re one of the five people who have been here all along 😂 and want some new recs, I’ve included two: the best books my kids read this summer. I should have done this in September, but I just thought of it now… so you’re getting it now. (Remember what I said about not planning much in advance?)
I hope to keep writing as long as people keep reading, so truly–thank you.
📚Chapter Books vs. Middle Grade📚
The line between chapter books and middle grade is often blurred or even missing. While some of the differences can be subtle, chapter books and middle grade novels are two distinct categories that serve different purposes. Understanding some of the characteristics of each category will help you (and your reader) choose the right books at the right time.
Chapter Books at a Glance
Chapter books are not simply any book that contains chapters. With their larger type and wider line spacing, chapter books look inviting to young readers.
chapter books are generally aimed at readers ages 7-10
chapters are purposely short, catering to a younger child’s attention span
chapter books usually run about 4,000-15,000 words
often contain illustrations, but illustrations are additive—meaning, they don’t help the reader decode the text
longer and more complex than “easy readers” with more character and plot development
often a series centering on a child or animal protagonist with childlike qualities
Middle Grade Books at a Glance
Middle Grade is not synonymous with “middle school,” although many middle school readers do read middle grade fiction. The Middle Grade category can be tricky because it covers a broad range of reading levels, interests, and maturity levels.
middle grade is generally aimed at children aged 8-12
more mature in format and content than chapter books
sometimes divided into “early” middle grade and “upper” middle grade, depending on content and complexity
contains few, if any, illustrations
middle grade books are usually 30,000-50,000 words
protagonists are usually 10-13 years old. Kids like to read about kids older than them!
middle grade characters focus on their friends and family, and react to situations in their immediate world
minimal self-reflection (You’ll find lots of self-reflection in Young Adult literature, which is geared toward teens)
no profanity, sexuality, or graphic violence (Again, YA books deal with these issues, but they aren’t generally present in MG)
Scholastic associate publisher Abby McAden puts it this way: “Middle grade fiction is for truly independent, confident readers, whereas chapter books are all about building that confidence.”
Our Best (Reviewed) Chapter Books from October 2022-October 2023
The Heartwood Hotel (trilogy)
Jack Stalwart (series)
The Puppy Place (series)
Sophie Mouse (series)
Kitty (series)
Our Best (Reviewed) Middle Grade Books from October 2022-October 2023
Upside Down Magic (series)
The Land of Stories (series)
The Penderwicks (series)
And two new favorites:
Violet Mackerel (series), by Anna Branford (2010–2017)
Violet Mackerel was my daughter's favorite book series of the summer. 7-year-old Violet has lots of ideas–both big and small. Violet is not your stereotypical spunky, stubborn protagonist. Rather, her dreamy yet determined personality is refreshingly original. She looks at the world from a unique perspective and genuinely wants to learn about everything around her. The six books follow Violet and her quirky, wonderful, and warm blended family. Our library had a mix of editions with different illustrators, but I highly recommend the ones by Sarah Davis—her lovely drawings make the Violet books even more engaging.
Recommended for ages 6-9
The Prodigy, by John Feinstein (2018)
My son’s favorite book of the summer, The Prodigy follows Frank Baker, a teenage golf sensation. He’s about to earn a full scholarship to play at any university in the country, but his dad wants him to skip college and turn pro. Funding Frank’s youth golf has drained the family’s finances, and his dad is eager to start cashing in. Frank knows he isn't ready for life on the pro tour, so his swing coach enlists a professional golfer turned journalist to be Frank's secret advisor. Pressure mounts when Frank wins the U.S. Amateur tournament and scores an automatic invite to the Masters. Although Frank Baker is a fictional character, real PGA pros appear as characters in this book–fan favorites like Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas. Although the book is marketed as YA, it will appeal to and be appropriate for middle school readers. My son brought this to summer camp and then passed it around the cabin– he said his sports-loving (but not necessarily golf-loving) cabinmates thought it was great, too.
Highly recommend for ages 11+
🚨P.S. ‼️ As a reminder, I created a storefront through Bookshop.org. This impactful organization donates all profits to local bookstores (more on that here).
If you make a purchase through one of my links or by visiting my storefront, I earn a teeny tiny commission, which supports my work on this newsletter.
Congratulations, Katie!! You do a lovely job of recommending titles for MBH and for us at Reading Middle Grade. We appreciate you 🥰
Happy birthday, MBH, and congratulations on one year, Katie! 👏🏻 You’ve done a wonderful job here and it has been such a pleasure to watch this project grow. Here’s to a second year that’s even more amazing 🩷