It’s a kind of automobile, I think. I remember them from my youth, little sporty things. Going for a ride in one nearly got me expelled from school, and did get me six of the best. I think the Chinese bought the marque, as we got one as hire car, which bore no resemblance to sportscar of my mis-spent youth, besides the name.
I gather it also stands for ‘Middle Grade’. Considerable research has revealed this doesn’t mean “Not First Grade, nor Third Grade”, but books aimed at (depending on who you believed) 8-12, 8-11, 8-13. Examples given included Hardy Boys, Tom Swift (never came my way in South Africa) and Heinlein Juvies. Well, I am very fond of ‘FARMER IN THE SKY’ and ‘TUNNEL IN THE SKY”.
I gather, however, that I probably have the same trouble recognizing modern MG as I did with the motor vehicles. Apparently, the modern ones bear little resemblance to the old. It gets worse for me — as yes, I got to read all the Hardy Boys, but I suspect even the similar vintage boy’s (and some girls) adventure that shaped the US kids of the 50-80’s are not what I grew up with at all. These were mostly UK origin books – SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS, The Lone Pine Malcolm Saville books, and as younger brat (I think in that age bracket – but probably 9 at the outside – BIGGLES, and the Enid Blyton books – the ADVENTURE series The FIVES and the myriad boarding-school ones that read rather like Harry Potter without magic – which are all rather British of that era.
So: I don’t really know a great deal about the category particularly as to what it is in the US. Or rather, what it used to be, as I have little or no interest in what I gather it has become. I don’t even know what the required elements are, besides that the characters should be adolescent, the length way below my normal. And yes, I have rather committed to try writing one. It will be sf/fantasy – a boys adventure book, but beyond that I don’t know (Does Diana Wynne Jones CHRESTOMANCI fit in this area?)
So: comments? Advice? recommendations on what I should read? It’s stretching me. Just a different direction, that is all.
Mad Genius Club 
10 responses to “MG”
Okay, I thought of several smart-alecky replies to this but decided I’d better not, because I may be quite ignorant about MG also. However, I don’t think I quite understand the difference between what you are proposing and _Changeling’s Island_. Except possibly, that your protagonist needs to be a few years younger? And being younger, will acquire skills a trifle more slowly because he/she has a bit less general experience? The biggest difference between beginning adolescence and later on, I think, is that children, even loner children, have a deepening desire to experience being part of a group. Any group! More group… Then the perils of all of that Group become clearer as the teen years wear on. Or not. My 2¢. (Also, if you want to write the Hardy Boys you make sure that every single sentence possible has an ‘ly’ word in it. The Hardy Boys never just act, they always act quickly, cleverly, vainly, safely, carelessly, quietly, or secretly.)
I don’t know which genre you are contemplating, but I think a nonfantasy mid-twentieth-century boys’ adventure would be great fun to read. Did you ever come across any of the Three Investigators books by Robert Arthur? Although the main characters were boys, they had broad appeal; my sister and I both loved them.
(P.S. I just finished “Cecilia” and greatly enjoyed it. Posted a review on Amazon, though I don’t think it’s up yet.)
Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz and The Evil Librarians series is good MG. I haven’t read the Keeper of the Lost Cities, but my eleven year old granddaughter won’t go anywhere without her copies—of all nine books. Those may be more girl focused? But the Alcatraz books were not and she loved those too ( so did everyone else in my household).
The “Dear America” series did well (and were pretty good) when my eldest daughter was in that age group. The parallel one for boys apparently didn’t, though. I wonder if an “Outback Tales” might do better, being “exotic” to most kids.
Personally, I have no idea of what a “middle grade” book was (or is). I was reading “I Will Fear No Evil” and “The Stainless Steel Rat” at that age – right along with “Danny Dunn and the Automatic House” and “Miss Pickerell Goes To Mars.”
(Also the ingredient lists on ketchup bottles and cereal boxes. Yes, I was and am one of “those people”…)
For that audience I’d think the first question is are you writing escapism or role models?
For straight up escapism, I’d expect current audiences to be absolutely starving for guys being heroic, girls being caring, and going interesting places and doing things. And probably getting the girl, marrying and having families. Probably in such a way they can still go do story interesting things too.
Maybe a sort of space version of the Little House on the Prairie? And that offers space for how male/female differences end up getting handled, and different threads that may appeal to different audience types.
I know, very standard stuff, but something the current ya generation is basically missing and largely doesn’t even think is possible for many of them.
Role modeling stuff would probably have to focus on how one gets from an environment where one lives an isolated life of screens to functionally dealing with other people. I have no idea how that would work, either. I don’t think it’s a problem we’ve got a good solution for yet.
YA sort of got infected with lots of sex, so I suspect the MG is an attempt to have good books, with friendship instead of romance. Might be a lower vocabulary requirement, as well.
Hi,
If I remember back to my late elementary school days in the 1990’s, I think I recall the boys in 4th and 5th grade (approximately 9-11 years old) read a lot of Gary Paulson, i.e., The Hatchet. I think the Great Illustrated Classics series got a workout during the later end of that age range as well.
I loved Patrica Beatty’s westerns (mostly for girls) between 4th and 7th grades – “Nickel Plated Beauty” is probably her best known work. Again more aimed at girls than boys, but Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles fit the age range and most people I’ve recommended them to like them.
MG stands for Morris Garages. My older brother had one, and a sexy beast it was.
I think I have a WIP that’s going to be a middle grade. At least, with a heroine of twelve as the point of view character, it’s probably going to have to fit that age group.
(sniff) I loved my MGB.
Anyway, I found a book in a box from a neighbor who was moving. Ticktock and Jim was written by a Keith Robertson in the late 40s. It’s about a boy and a horse. Jim stumbles onto a theft ring and his horse gets kidnapped by the gang. Jim doesn’t drive, so I assume he’s a MG type person. It’s available on Project Gutenberg. It might fit the kind of story you’re thinking about writing.