This summer, I dove deep into reading middle-grade fiction—award winners, new releases, and books that have been out for a while that I hadn’t gotten to yet.
I also read several classic and “timeless” books of children’s literature. Along the way, I looked for why those stories are still loved today and what lessons in writing I could learn from them.
The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Okay, I actually read this a week before summer began, but it is worth counting here! I read it in a French class, and reading it in the original language made it especially impactful. Words have so much meaning beyond their dictionary definition, and sometimes that meaning can be lost in translation (literally).
The Little Prince was a wonderful story and a well-timed reminder for me of the importance of friendships and focusing on the things that truly matter in life.
The plot is hard to explain, but I would describe it as a fairy tale that you should approach with your mind open and with a notepad nearby to write down stunning quotes (there are many!).
“On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.”
Le Petit Prince
In my own translation:
“One can only see rightly with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes.”
The Little Prince
This is a very short novel, which reminded me of the importance of simplicity and clarity. There’s no need to tell a story in 50,000 words when you can tell it in 17,000 words!
There was also a lesson in perspective. Though it is classified as a children’s book, it’s also written for “les grandes personnes” (adults). Kids and adults can take away completely different interpretations of the story.
It’s important to remember your audience while writing, but you should also remember to write what you love to write. I believe that the best “children’s” books are the ones that can be enjoyed at all stages of life.
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle
After seeing A Wrinkle In Time on countless lists of “Best Middle-Grade Books of all Time,” I decided to read it.
“It was a dark and stormy night.”
A Wrinkle In Time
Yes, “It was a dark and stormy night” is the famous opening line of the novel, and I’m glad I finally know the context of the quote. The iconic first line reminded me that when you’re writing, you must grab the audience’s attention from line one.
This time-travelling science-fantasy middle-grade novel was a bit bizarre at times, but also fascinating and dreamlike with wonderfully weird characters.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
When many people think of The Hobbit, they think of blockbuster epic fantasy films. But The Hobbit was first written as a book for children!
I struggle to sit through the (very long) Lord of the Rings movies, but I enjoyed this book. The first time I read it was in grade school, so I had a very different perspective reading it for my own pleasure rather than for marks!
At the centre of countless great adventures are characters who feel like friends, and Bilbo was one of those characters. His fondness for food was always amusing, and the struggle between the adventurous Took side of his family and the Baggins side of his family that preferred to be comfortable at home was the heart of his character transformation through the story.
“We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”
Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit, page 7.
There are countless quotes with descriptive language that fills you with the emotion of the scene:
“The next morning was a midsummer’s morning as fair and fresh as could be dreamed: blue sky and never a cloud, and the sun dancing on the water. Now they rode away amid songs of farewell and good speed, with their hearts ready for more adventure, and with a knowledge of the road they must follow over the Misty Mountains to the land beyond.”
The Hobbit, page 64
This novel is famous for its rich world-building too:
“The entrance to the path was like a sort of arch leading into a gloomy tunnel made by two great trees that leant together, too old and strangled with ivy and hung with lichen to bear more than a few blackened leaves… Soon the light at the gate was like a little bright hole far behind, and the quiet was so deep that their feet seemed to thump along while all the trees leaned over them and listened.
The Hobbit, page 163.
There’s a reason The Hobbit is a classic. It’s an exciting and entertaining adventure for fantasy lovers of all ages. It’s full of memorable quotes, unique characters, and vivid descriptions.
That’s all the books for now. Until next time, I’ll be reading!
Abby Ciona 