Katherine Applegate on Writing for Middle Graders
Applegate began not in children’s books, but in creating pop psychology quizzes for a teen magazine! She eventually transitioned to writing for young readers. Her favorite audience: the middle-grade reader.
One of the reasons I love writing for middle graders, besides their voracious appetite for books, is their deep concern for fairness and morality. They’re beginning to ask the big questions: What’s my obligation to others? What’s my role in the world? (The Guardian)
