Coffee and … Why I Love Middle Grade

This week I’m sitting down with my coffee to discuss a new-found love of mine: Middle Grade books. Join me?

The Coffee:

This week I am drinking one of Kilimanjaro coffees from El Salvador roasted by Square Mile. This time of year they bring out a pack of this coffee processed three ways, and every year all three are excellent. Today, I’m drinking the washed version with tasting notes of plum and raisin.

Why I Love Middle Grade Books:

Some of my favourite bloggers (Steph, Amy and Louise to name a few) have been trying to convince me for a while that I will love Middle Grade, and now that I’ve taken the plunge and started reading more of it, I thought I’d share some of the reasons why I love it so much.

First up, S is reaching the age where he is starting to read Middle Grade (Excuse me? How did that happen? When did he get so big? How do I make it stop?), which means that we can read a lot of these books together.

Reading Middle Grade gives me an insight into the concerns of someone that age, their worries and their outlook on life. More understanding of the small child can only be a good thing.

I love books about transformative experiences. One of the things I love about YA is that the protagonists are trying to work out who they are. In Middle Grade, the characters are often going through a similar period where they’re learning that they are separate from their parents and developing their separate identities.

There is more focus on friendship and almost no focus on romance. I love a friendship story. I enjoy reading about friendships. I enjoy romance too, but sometimes I like a book where people can be friends without it turning into something else.

They are clever and entertaining. They have magical, vivid worlds. If a book is going to capture a child’s interest and imagination, it has to be really good. If it isn’t, they won’t read it.

They have exciting adventures. Adult books do not. Okay, some adult books have adventures, but they are rarely as exciting as the ones in Middle Grade books. In Middle Grade books, I have flown a sky ship, befriended an eagle, and ridden a polar bear.

I love kids at this age. They are funny, silly, brave and easily suspend their disbelief. Their imaginations are wild and they will try anything once.

Are you a MG reader? What do you love about it?

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