The Rise of Middle Grade Romance, a guest post by author Nashae Jones

Finding middle grade romance for tweens can be somewhat difficult. For many years, there seemed to be this gap between the younger middle grade novels that were primarily marketed towards early middle grade readers and young adult books. This left a sizable gap for a whole demographic of readers, kids who felt like they outgrew the books from their early childhood, but weren’t quite ready for young adult novels.

Recently there has been a push to address this need for upper middle grade novels. Books are being written with the older middle grade reader in mind, and with this shift comes the integration of romance as a genre and subgenre.

As a child, I remember the earlier iterations of Young Adult novels, and the sweetness of first crushes, the angst and growing pains of the early teenage years, and the unique magic that encompasses young love. Although I was eagerly solving mysteries alongside Nancy Drew, I was also counting the novels in which Nancy would interact with her steady beau Ned. I would be sucked into Jessica and Elizabeth’s drama in Sweet Valley High. Books were a safe place to explore my many changing emotions.

These new upper middle grade novels are a throwback to the earlier young adult novels of my youth, but with the added bonus of diversified characters from varying socioeconomic statuses, ethnicities and races, sexualities and identities, and abilities. The newer middle grade romance books tout a hybridity of characteristics from both middle grade and young adult books. Themes include a focus on friendship and family along with discovering your identity, and the joy and pains of first crushes. Because of this, many upper middle grade novels are considered crossover novels with the potential to reach early young adult readers as well.

Because of this upper middle grade revolution, there are a variety of books for tweens to enjoy. Here are a few upper middle grade novels that either focus on romance or have it as a subplot:

Shug by Jenny Han

Jenny Han is a powerhouse in the young adult romance world. She’s known for her immensely popular series To All the Boys I Loved Before and The Summer I Turned Pretty. Her middle grade romance is less known, but equally, if not more, engaging than her YA hits. Shugis a perfect coming-of-age romance. We get Han’s trademark sweetness in this novel. Shug Wilcox is an unforgettable, larger-than-life character who learns to navigate the world of crushes, middle school, and mothers.

Emma and the Love Spell by Meredith Ireland

Meredith Ireland is another author who is popular in the young adult romance space. Her debut middle grade novel is about a twelve-year-old Korean adoptee named Emma. Emma learns a lot about her identity throughout the book, including the fact that she is a witch. When Emma’s best friend and secret crush, Avageline, has to move away because of her parents’ impending divorce, Emma decides to use her powers to make Avageline’s parents fall back in love. There is so much to love about this magical tale, but the swoony, sweet first love story between Emma and Avageline makes this an automatic must-buy in my book.

The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling

Though debut author Mary Averling’s The Curse of Eelgrass Bog isn’t marketed as a romance, it has a sweet sapphic first crush subplot that will make readers fall in love and root for both of the characters. This book has everything that would keep a reluctant reader engaged, including an Unnatural History Museum, bog witches, and a ton of eerie secrets. Middle grade readers will enjoy this book if they like a touch of romance in their spooky reads.

The Unbeatable Lily Hong by Diana Ma

Diana Ma’s The Unbeatable Lily Hongis a sweet, fun middle grade rivals-to-crush romance. Lily’s rival, Max’s parents, are threatening to tear down the Chinese community center, which Lily’s parents own. This book explores the best parts of the rivals-to-crush trope: Lily fabricating a rivalry, Max’s secret pining, etc. This is such a fun introduction into the romance genre for tweens, and it has the drama that middle grade readers actively seek it out.

Pizza my Heart by Rhiannon Richardson

Rhiannon Richardson’s Pizza My Heart is perfect for middle grade readers who want an age-appropriate rom-com. This book is full of yummy pizza, secret crushes, and friendships. The protagonist, Maya, faces many struggles along the way, including moving from a large city to a small town, a boy who is cute but also may be her sworn enemy, and hiding her passions from her parents. This cute middle-grade novel is perfect for fans of enemies-to-first crushes.

In the Key of Us by Mariama J. Lockington  

Mariam J. Lockington’s In the Key of Us is so much more than a novel about first love. This beautifully written middle grade is an exploration of grief and identity. This story follows Andi and Zora and the different struggles they experience as queer, Black girls. When Andi and Zora finally find each other at music camp, it is almost bittersweet. This story hints at a Shakespearean sort of first love, but with an ending that leaves us breathless with hope. This book does contain some tough topics including: parental loss, self-harm, and racism.

Courtesy of Cupid by Nashae Jones

This last book is one that is very special to me (it would be weird if it wasn’t since this is my book). Courtesy of Cupid is my debut middle-grade novel, and it’s a rom-com with just a touch of magic. My protagonist, Erin, is an academically driven eighth grader who is obsessed with besting her academic rival, Trevor. When she discovers that she’s Cupid’s daughter, and that she has the power to make people fall-in-love, she decides to use those powers to trick Trevor. This book was definitely a labor of love, and it will resonate with middle grade readers who enjoy rivals-to-first crush, humor, and magic. These are just a few of the great books that are available for tween romance readers.

Bio: Nashae Jones is a freelance writer and an educator. Her fiction and nonfiction pieces have appeared in publications such as HuffPost, McSweeney’s, Yahoo Voices, among others. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two kids, two cats, and one dog. She is passionate about diversity initiatives, especially in children’s literature.You can find her on Instagram at @nashae.jones. 

Publisher’s Book Description for COURTESY OF CUPID

In this middle grade rom-com sprinkled with a dash of magic, a girl uses her newfound ability to make people fall in love to sabotage her rival.

Erin Johnson’s thirteenth birthday unfolds like any other day, from her mom’s quirky and embarrassing choice of outfit to racing her nemesis, Trevor Jin, to the best seat in class—front row, center. But her gifts this year include something very out of the magical powers.

Erin discovers her mysterious father is actually the love god Cupid and she’s inherited his knack for romance. It’s not the most useful ability for an overachiever with lofty academic and extracurricular goals…or is it? Erin desperately wants to be elected president of the Multicultural Leadership Club, and as usual, Trevor is her fiercest competition. He’s never backed down from a challenge before, but if Erin makes him fall in love with her, maybe he’d drop out of the race and let her win.

With her magical pedigree, wrapping Trevor around her finger is a snap, and having him around all the time is a small price to pay for victory. But without their cutthroat rivalry bringing out the worst in each other, Erin realizes Trevor may not be as bad as she thought, and suddenly her first foray into love gets a lot more complicated…

Published January 2nd, 2024 by Aladdin

Filed under: Middle Grade, Middle Grade Fiction, Mind the Middle, Mind the Middle Project, Romance