CBC Forum: The Rise of Middle Grade
Panelists Susan Marston, editorial director at the Junior Library Guild; Lauren Tarshis, editor of Scholastic’s Storyworks and author of the I Survived series; and Angela Ungaro, librarian at Brooklyn Friends School shared their insight on the defining features of middle grade — both in fiction and nonfiction. Though it is difficult to pin down the precise age of target readers, one unifying quality in middle grade is a spirit of optimism and self-discovery.
The panelists agreed that the future is bright for middle grade, with books of increasingly exceptional writing quality coming down the pike. (Publishers Weekly)
