Chapter 2: Division of Young People’s Literature
There are four categories for literature for young people: Children’s literature, Middle Grade/Tween, Young Adult, and New Adult. Children’s literature is meant for ages 0-8 years and is contained of mostly picture books, illustrated chapter books, easy readers, and some books with mostly text such as Ramona Quimby and Because of Winn Dixie. The next category, Middle Grade/Tween, is not to be mistaken with middle school. This type of literature is meant for ages 8 to 12 years old while middle school children are between 11 and 13 years old. After Middle Grade/Tween literature is Young Adult which is meant for ages 13 to 18 years old. A newer genre emerged in 2009 under the name of New Adult. Protagonists in New Adult are typically high school graduates living life on their own and experiences a multitude of firsts. These type of books are meant for an older audience in the range of 18-30 years old.
It feels like the difference between Middle Grade and Middle School books should be obvious, but it truly isn’t. There is so much opportunity for overlap. To use Lily and Dunkin as an example, I had it on my TBR list, but I don’t know what I would have originally thought about its classification until this chapter. I honestly would have considered it to be a Middle-Grade book because of the setting.
New Adult is an interesting new category that I personally have struggled with. Colleen Hoover is a popular New Adult author that I have yet to read. The few novels I have read that are considered New Adult lead me to think of it as a form of erotica. The plotlines have been weak with shallow characters. But it does make me wonder about books like When Dimple Met Rishi. The story takes place the summer before the two characters begin their freshman college school year. Shouldn’t this then be considered New Adult vs. Young Adult? Or does it hover over that invisible line?
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