Oh MG News

Will ‘Young Teen Lit’ Catch On?

By on March 1, 2025   /   Oh MG News  

You’re not alone if you feel like there’s a gap in the middle-grade market. There are plenty of books for the younger and middle end of middle-grade readers, but where middle grade ends and YA begins? There’s a big ol’ hole, says middle school librarians Christina Chatel and Marcia Kochel in a guest article for School Library Journal.

They write:

We do not believe that 12- to 15- year old readers just need a few more books aimed at their interests and developmental level. We submit that young teens need their own publishing category and we propose to call this category Young Teen Lit.

What does young teen lit look like graphic

When you’ve aged out of books aimed at 4th-6th grade but you’re not quite ready for YA, you need more! In another guest essay, Kochel says:

I’m a middle school librarian and I just got the latest issue of Booklist in the mail. I’m looking for books for my middle school readers. I search through all of the reviews for youth and find almost no titles for seventh and eighth graders–not in Middle Readers or Older Readers or Youth Nonfiction or Graphic Novels. Almost every book for Older Readers is recommended for grades 9-12, and every single book for Middle Readers has a lower age range of grade 3, 4, or 5. Surely publishers don’t think that middle schoolers have the same interests and intellectual capacity as 8-10 year olds? Are there really no books being published for middle school students? Can this be true?

Making more room for upper middle grade, young teen lit, or whatever else publishers, educators, librarians, writers, and the readers themselves call it is something we’d love to see here, too. If you’ve got books that are perfect for 7th, 8th, and 9th graders, share them below.

 

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Awards and Recognitions!

By on February 4, 2025   /   Oh MG News  
Middle Grade Authors

February is the season of awards and recognitions in the children’s book world, so there’s a lot of exciting news to share. The American Library Association (ALA) announced winners of its Youth Media Awards, and the Library of Congress named our new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

 

Let’s begin with ALA’s Youth Media Awards:

The First State of Being cover

  • The John Newbery Medal, which recognizes the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature, was awarded to The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly. This book, which was also a National Book Award finalist, tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who is befriended by a time-traveling teenager. Kelly previously won the Newbery Medal for Hello Universe in 2018.

Chooch Helped book cover

  • The Ralph Caldecott Medal is awarded to the most distinguished American picture book for children. This year, the honor went to Chooch Helped, written by Andrea L. Rogers and illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz. The story follows an older sister who is frustrated that her younger brother seems to get away with everything.

Twenty-four Seconds book coverMy Daddy Is a Cowboy cover

Brownstone book cover

  • The Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature went to Brownstone, written by Samuel Teer and illustrated by Mar Julia. This graphic novel tells the story of Almudena, who comes to terms with her mixed heritage and personal identity when she spends the summer with the father she never knew.

 

 

For information about additional ALA Awards and to find lists of award honorees, you can visit the ALA Youth Media Awards announcement.

Mac Barnett headshot

In other news, author Mac Barnett has been named the 2025-26 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Barnett has written over 60 books for children, including picture books Extra Yarn and Sam & Dave Dig a Hole and the graphic novel series “The First Cat in Space.” 

 

The role of this ambassador is to raise awareness about the importance of young people’s literature and the positive impacts reading can make on all aspects of kids’ lives. The Library of Congress, in partnership with Every Child a Reader, selects an ambassador for a two-year term. Previous honorees include Meg Medina, Jason Reynolds, and Kate DiCamillo.

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L.A. Wildfire Relief Fundraiser 1/20-1/26

By on January 16, 2025   /   Oh MG News  

Kidlit for Los Angeles – Auction for Wildfire Relief
Jan 20, 2025 (9am PST) – Jan 26, 2025 (9pm PST)

Mark your calendars for an online auction to raise funds for wildfire relief in California.

Publishers Weekly reports that #kidlit authors, Charlotte Offsay and Caroline L. Perry organized this fundraiser and money earned will go to charities including the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund, L.A. Regional Food Bank, L.A. Fire Department Foundation, and Animal Wellness Foundation Fire Relief Fund.

Kidlit for Los Angeles KidLit Auction

The Kidlit for Los Angeles team writes:

“We are a group of kidlit creators who have been heartbroken by the devastating scenes in Los Angeles. Many of us are proud Angelenos, with friends and loved ones who have suffered crushing losses.

We have channeled our sadness into action, and for the past few days we’ve been hard at work setting up the Kidlit For Los Angeles fundraising initiative.

We are looking to help raise desperately-needed funds for wildfire relief efforts in the many LA communities that have been impacted through an auction taking place January 20th (9am Pacific Standard Time) through January 26th (9pm PST).

Please follow this page, share @kidlitforlosangeles (https://www.instagram.com/kidlitforlosangeles/) handle, and stay tuned for more details! Thank you for your support.” 

Until the auction opens, you can check out sneak peeks of some of the items that will be available for bidding, including critiques, art, and much more.

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