Middle Grade Readers Speak Out: Why MG Books Matter!, a guest post by Author Tina Athaide

Middle school is a time of discovery and growth and books play a crucial role in that journey. For kids, middle grade books are more than just stories. They are windows into new worlds, mirrors reflecting their own experiences, guides through the ups and downs of growing up. These books crafted with the unique concerns, hopes, and dreams of 8 to 12-year-olds in mind, play a pivotal role in shaping the literary and emotional landscapes of these young minds.

But what do these readers themselves have to say about the stories that captivate their imaginations and touch their hearts?

In this special feature, we turn the spotlight on middle grade readers, giving them the platform to express why these books matter to them. From finding characters they can relate to and learning about resilience, to exploring far-off lands and grappling with real-world issues, their insights are as varied and compelling as the stories they love. By listening to the voices of those who are most impacted by middle grade literature, we gain a deeper appreciation of its value and the critical role it plays in fostering a lifelong love of reading.

 Join us as we explore why middle grade books truly matter, straight from the readers who know them best.

AFRICA

When I can relate to the book’s characters – it’s like I’m in the story and imagine I’m there – it’s the best feeling ever!   ~Chawanagwa  (“Chawa”)

Reading is like a second home to me. I read so much and I have a connection to the characters, to the place. The characters are like my friends and my family. ~Farzin

I like that realistic fiction books portray teenagers as they really are – the stress, struggles, the hardships, and the good stuff too.    ~Barney

I want to see more MG dystopian, science fiction, fantasy and mystery suspense because these are my favorite genres. I want to feel like I’m in the storyline as a character. ~Armann

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NORTH AMERICA

When you read, you are transported to different worlds full of adventure, magic, wonder, and so much more!! Reading is one of the ways I just let go of reality and escape. ~Indira

MG books teach you that you can be anything or anyone you want to be, and that that’s okay.    ~Vidya

Reading takes me to another world. There is something about picking up a book and feeling like you are being pulled in. I love forming an attachment to characters and being happy when they win or sad when they die. I love the smell of books and just the idea of having a book as a sort of trophy after you’ve read it. ~Josefine

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EUROPE

I like reading the same books as my friends so we can talk about what’s happening. ~ Elizabeth

I want more books with characters like me. ~Sahas

I love reading because it is so exciting to imagine a whole world that isn’t what we see every day, and I love how every book is so different and it’s so cool that you get to choose what you read depending on the genre and theme of the story, it’s awesome. I love reading so much. It’s my favorite thing. ~Bentley

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ASIA

I like how books take serious topics and write about it in a way kids understand. I want more graphic novels and books in verse. ~ Yŭxuān

Books help me figure out stuff in the real world.

~ Jane

I love reading because I get lost in the pages, in the story. If we didn’t have more Middle Grade books, I would be devastated.  ~Raj

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Tina Athaide is a children’s book author who writes stories to capture the texture and richness of a wide scope of cultural experiences, recent or distant, with the hope to open readers’ hearts. Find out more at https://www.tinaathaide.com/about

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About Wings to Soar

A historically relevant middle-grade novel-in-verse about a girl’s resiliency when faced with hatred towards refugees. Readers of The Night Diary and Inside Out and Back Again shouldn’t miss out.

It’s 1972 and Viva’s Indian family has been expelled from Uganda and sent to a resettlement camp in England, but not all of them made the trip. Her father is supposed to meet them in London, but he never shows up. As they wait for him, Viva, her mother, and her sister get settled in camp and try to make the best of their life there.

Just when she is beginning to feel at home with new friends, Viva and her family move out of the camp and to a part of London where they are not welcome. While grappling with the hate for brown-skinned people in their new community, Viva is determined to find her missing father so they can finish their move to Canada. When it turns out he has been sponsored to move to the United States, they have to save enough money to join him.

Told in verse, Wings to Soar follows a resilient girl and the friendships she forges during a turbulent time.

“These rich, vivacious lines combine an insistence on self with undaunted hope. A supreme heart-changer.”
—Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor, National Book Award, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, and Coretta Scott King Award WinnerSee Less

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