Whimsy, Middle Grade Novels, and Why They’re Foundational for Writers

Emily Smith

Our pre-teen years are very influential on the remainder of our lives, as much as we like to ignore that. (Yes, it’s okay that you still listen to Panic! At The Disco every once in a while). Those awkward, cringey years are oftentimes when people find what they’re most passionate about. For many of us in the creative writing department, that passion is reading and writing. Every writer can name a book that influenced them or changed them in some way—and in a lot of cases, it was a book they read as a child.

From my own middle school years, there were two books that changed my perception of reading and what fiction could do. The first one was The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell, and the other was Inkheart by Cornelia Funke—both of which were full of whimsy, magic, and concepts I had never seen before. It was exciting to experience these fantastical worlds for the first time. Though I had always enjoyed reading, it was a casual hobby and I had never found anything that particularly resonated with me until I came across these novels. It furthered my love for reading and drove me to create. I wanted to be able to do what these authors did and construct an entire new world for people to live in.

Of course, I’ve read many more books since middle school, yet those two are the ones that stick with me the most when I feel like I’ve lost my spark. Many writers tend to go through these bouts of self-doubt and question why they’re doing this at all when there’s often so little pay-off for our efforts. And that answer is at our core—it’s for the younger version of yourself that fell in love with some goofy book about talking rats, and it’s for the child, teen, or adult that you could inspire or connect with someday.

Below, I’ll list some book recommendations—some of which I mentioned earlier—with brief descriptions in hopes that you can find something that resonates with your inner child.

● The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell—The first book in a duology about a child named Lin who discovers a mysterious key that opens the cellar in her family’s new home, leading to the world where all pets go once they’ve passed on; she is reunited with her pet Rufus, and they must find the Winter Prince in order to save this world from destruction.

● Inkheart by Cornelia Funke—The first book in a series that follows a girl named Meggie and her father Mo, who reads aloud from a novel and brings its villain to life, thrusting the two of them into an adventure that should only exist between the pages of a book.

● Atlantis Rising by T. A. Barron—The first book in a series about a boy named Promi who teams up with a girl named Atlanta to save their land from the age-old battle between good and evil; they unveil secrets that point to the creation of the island of Atlantis.

● The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag—This book is the first installment of a graphic novel series about a family of witches and            shapeshifters—these roles are defined by gender and the main character Aster does not fit into the role meant for him; when the other shapeshifting boys in his family go missing, he knows he can help them as a witch—even though it’s forbidden and he could face exile.

● Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur—Also a part of a graphic novel series, Hooky follows a set of twins who miss their bus to go to magic school and are declared traitors to the magic world; they team up with other misfits in hopes of clearing their names and healing their kingdom.

Though I believe it’s a good thing to revisit books you have a personal connection with, middle grade books offer so much and it’s beneficial to dip your toes into the genre every now and then, regardless of your age or the age group you wish to write for someday. There’s a unique flavor of writing that goes into books meant for children and pre-teens that’s oftentimes lost in other age groups. It’s rooted in unbridled whimsy and mysticism, while also tackling real world issues that kids face. That’s what makes this genre so impactful for young readers, and for us as writers. It’s our base, our foundation. It’s what started our journey, and something that will influence us for years to come.