Today, dear readers, it is my pleasure to bring you a guest post from indie middle grade fantasy author Isabelle Knight. Without further ado, here she is!

“Why middle-grade?”

It’s a question I’ve often asked myself. Why is it that I keep coming back for middle-grade stories? What is it about middle-grade books, like Greenglass House, Nevermoor, or Harry Potter, that I love so dearly?

There are many, many different reasons, I think. Middle-grade is fun. It is whimsical and playful and full of hope. It is full of themes like friendship, bravery, found family, and much, much more. It’s also wonderfully accessible for younger readers looking to get into longer stories.

But I think the main reason I love writing middle-grade so much is that middle-grade is brave.

Which might sound like a strange way to describe it. But I don’t really know any better word to do so.

When you’re a middle-grade aged reader (that is, 9 to 13), that’s when you start to learn so much more about yourself. You start to realize just how big the world is. You start asking questions about who you are and who you want to be. Questions like, “Where do I belong? Where is ‘home’, really? How do you hold on to hope, even through the darkest times?”

And middle-grade gets to tackle all these big questions and all sorts of other hard issues in the world, without losing hope. It explores things like grief and injustice and yet it still keeps the whimsy and adventure of a child. It shows us that the world can be dark and yet there is also light and hope for a better future. Which I do believe is an important message to have, especially today.

And even if you’re just looking for a fun, lighthearted read to escape from the world, middle-grade has that too! It has things like dragon taxis, imps who love embroidery, and wizards who get turned into blobs of glop! (Which are actually real things I’ve read in middle-grade books.)

That’s why I think middle-grade (and children’s fiction in general, really) is such a delightful age group to read and why it is a genre that is so very close to my heart.

And if you are looking for some middle-grade reads to get started with, here are some of my all-time favorites! (I will try to keep this list as contained as I possibly can so you don’t end up with a mile-long list.)

Greenglass House by Kate Milford: This is a beautifully cozy middle-grade book set in wintertime at a smuggler’s inn. It is filled with mystery and all sorts of different plot threads and stories that you really have to listen closely to to decipher. Such a perfect read for winter!

Wicked Marigold by Caroline Carlson: This book is absolutely hilarious! It follows the adventures of Princess Marigold, who, in the shadow of her perfectly good older sister, decides to run away to be wicked. But she soon gets tangled up a plot that goes horribly wrong and now must race to fix it. It is so funny and so full of hope and light, and it is a middle-grade read I have gone back to whenever I need a laugh.

Honey Butter by Millie Florence: This is such a sweet, short middle-grade read that follows seven-year-old Jamie Johnson, who is obsessed with collecting paint cards. It follows her adventures through the summer as she befriends the mysterious girl next door, and it is just so sweet and whimsical! It’s a short read as well, which makes it perfect for a middle-grader who might be a reluctant reader.

Lianna and the Hombit by Valinora Troy: This book is so full of magic and friendship, and it might have some of the most eerie villains I’ve ever read about! The book follows 13-year-old Lianna who, after the death of her father, is sent to the distant land of Nivram, which is every bit as horrible as she expected. When she meets a magical birdlike creature called a hombit, the two agree to help each other with their missions, but their plan goes awry and invokes the family curse. It is a thrilling adventure (that somehow also feels cozy, with how well-built the world is) that I have re-read and re-read so many times.

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell: This is a beautiful middle-grade read. It has magical creatures, a world of magic and wonder, and Rundell’s writing style is so very deep while still keeping the whimsy and adventure of middle-grade. It follows Christopher Forrester, who discovers a secret cluster of islands (the Archipelago) where magical creatures still live. He soon meets Mal, a girl pursued by a killer, and embarks on a life-changing adventure to save the glimourie, the magical life force that sustains all the creatures of the Archipelago.

There are a great deal more middle-grade books out there, but those are some of my absolute favorites that I’ve re-read over and over again. It is a genre that is so full of whimsy and wonder, and that is what I really try to bring to the table with my own middle-grade series: humor and adventure mixed with bravery and hope, for readers of all ages. 🙂

Isabelle Knight is the middle-grade fantasy author of the Enchantria series, which she began writing at age ten and published during her middle school years. A lifelong book and cat lover, she now resides somewhere in a book-filled apartment, surrounded by an unimaginable number of stuffed pandas and enough books to start her own bookstore. When she’s not writing about creepy shadows, daring heroines, and magical adventures, she’s talking about books, writing, and other writerly ramblings on her blog at https://springfallschronicle.com/ and YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@isabelleknightbooks/.

Thanks so much, Isabelle! It looks like we have very similar taste in books. Best of luck with your ongoing writing adventures!