Middled Grade March is upon us, and today I'm here to celebrate this genre of books that has, no doubt, made a place in my heart over the last few years. Why don't you get a cup of something warm and comforting and join me in this little celebration?!?!
My sister is the one I have to thank for really pushing me into middle grade, as it is one of her favorite genres, perhaps even her most favorite. As a young girl, I read some middle grade books, but not a ton as that was the age when I didn't really like reading. And as an adult, once I began my journey into fiction, middle grade wasn't a genre on the forefront of my mind. However, my sister kept telling me about all these wonderful books she was reading and loving. And they nearly all just so happened to be middle grade. So, thus began my own journey into this genre...and I haven't looked back since.
Reading middle grade books as an adult is a bit different than reading them as a young girl or boy. Firstly, and most obviously, you are a good deal older than the characters and therefore, you see things through an adult's perspective. But, as I've read a selection of this genre over the last while, I have come to the very firm belief that there are so many awesome things about reading them as an adult. Here's what I've come to realize...
♥ Reason Number One ♥
For me, one of the main reasons why I love reading middle grade books as an adult is that they rekindle my imagination and reawaken my wonder to life. It keeps that little girl inside me alive. They remind me that life is magical, and oftentimes, the magic lies in the most ordinary things.
♥ Reason Number Two ♥
The stories oftentimes show a perspective of the world and of life that can get foggy and a bit hazy as you grow older. You are reminded of the goodness still in the world. They spark a more innocent view of things that helps you, as an adult, to not be so jaded, skeptical of everything and everyone, or cynical. And, honestly, we could all use with a little less of those in our lives.
♥ Reason Number Three ♥
So many middle grade stories are family and home centered. And, let's be real, it's not so easy to find those values in adult fiction. Some of the most beautiful family stories are from the middle grade genre. Stories where home is a character in and of itself are some of my most favorites, and again, this genre really has an abundance of those. Lots of times middle grade books share messages of important values such as family, legacy, living a meaningful and simple life, cherishing beauty, the lifegiving world of home, and so much more.
♥ Reason Number Four ♥
I love how middle grade books keeps whimsy alive. Stories where animals talk and children solve mysteries. Characters who are quirky and unique and celebrated because of that. Books that remind you that no matter how old you get, you can still live that storybook life if you want to. You don't have to outgrow whimsy and imagination and, that, even more so as an adult, those things will be all the more valuable to you and you'll cherish them even more than you ever thought as a little girl.
♥ Reason Number Five ♥
And, finally, another reason why I love middle grade stories is because it is in this genre that you will find some of the richest, most heartwarming, charming, meaningful stories with depth. You don't have to read a novel written for adults to get depth and substance out of a story. Some of the richest stories I've read, some of the ones that have stuck with me long after I close the cover, have been written for children in the middle grade genre. There's no need to mock or belittle adults who read books for children, because I can guarantee you that in a lot of instances, those books will have so much more depth, meaning, and richness than a good percentage of adult fiction novels on the bookshelves of today.
C.S. Lewis said that "a children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest". And I wholeheartedly agree. This is my first time participating in Middle Grade March, and one thing that makes me so excited about this is that I love that adults are reading and celebrating this genre. There is certainly garbage and there are certainly messages in some of these books that have no place among those who wish to read with moral integrity, but leaving all that aside, I think this is a genre that really deserves a spotlight. And Middle Grade March is a perfect opportunity to pull out old favorites to revisit or choose a selection that you've wanted to read for a long time and finally do it or, hopefully, discover a new favorite or two.
I'd love to know what you love about middle grade books, as well as your favorite books, authors, and/or series in this genre...so, please do share!
Happy reading, friends!
♥