My favorite work I have done, and hope to continue to do, is working on middle grade books. From fantasy, to historial fiction it’s been a rewarding area of my career and one I had my heart set on doing since my college years.

What is Middle Grade?

Some people debate where exactly the rails are for the “middle grade” genre but most agree middle grade readers are 8-12 years old. The worldview in the stories are limited to family and friends circles, though, there are always outliers that break the rules. There is an emerging interest in upper middle grade stories for voracious readers who aren’t interested in Young Adult books just yet but can’t get enough middle grade. An ever-changing market!

Some series of books switch genres/age group in the middle of the series, growing with readers. Middle grade is not the same as “chapter books” which is the the 7-10 age group with distinctly different tastes and themes. Hi-lo readers mean “high interest” and “low readability.” These are suited for readers who need age-appropriate, stories that keep their interest but also offer some flexibility for developing reading skills. Pictures are more literal and meant to help guide the reader. Check out the Dark Waters series below – looks “COOL” but on the insider, significantly easier to read. These books are important to growing a love for reading among tweens.

Fully Illustrated hi-lo readers

Below is a sell sheet about a fully illustrated novel by Rosanne Parry called, Horse Named Sky. I use this to share with librarians and groups interested in our book.

It gives you an impression about who middle grade readers are, who their buyers are and how the books are used. Like, to my delight, in the classroom.

Below is a tool for teachers and parents for The Hurricane Girls, also illustrated by me. The discussion questions give you a sense of the topics and themes for creating for the middle grade audience.

I’ve heard it said middle grade writers have a special connection with that part of their childhood and I know that is true of my heart as well.

Middle grade is one of the few remaining genres in publishing that rely almost solely on illustration and design. Because middle grade is highly illustrated, it makes for a great place for illustrators to work.

Working in this genre requires a touch of flexibility. To describe the age group of the protagonist, it’s crucial to know what characteristic of your model or reference to play up and down in the drawing. In the below sketch for Hurricane girls, you can see how the ages were drawn a bit younger in the final artwork. Subtle, no?

Sketch for the Hurricane Girls

The Secret of Honeycake comes out next year (below) Written by Kimberly Newton Fusco.


That conversation about ages ideally starts in the sketching phase but I’ve learned to be comfortable repainting faces in the final hours to adjust for any client needs. It’s become one of my strengths as an illustrator, to be open to tweaks and then nailing them for the client.

Sketch for The Secret of Honeycake

The age group portrayed on the cover is a major concern in marketing and usually for the author. Understandably so! Building the skill to adjust ages, requires a sensitive touch with the brush and a careful eye. It makes me feel great when the age aligns with the author’s vision which I know will make the book stronger as a whole.

Sketch for The Secret of Honeycake

Never take it personally if the work needs tweaking, in any other situation the figure might look great but it’s about what works for the book concept. Always get as much information as you can about the concept for the novel. Even if you read the story, sometimes what I like about a book is not the major selling point. Go figure! 😉

Sketch for The Secret of Honeycake

Art directors who have a clear vision, and an understanding of the team’s needs set the tone and jumping-off point in the creative experience. I’m an artist who likes to be put in a box (at least at first!) So this usually gets my ideas going. Still, there’s a fine line between providing clients with too many options and too few. Remember, it’s not just the art director who is evaluating the cover ideas.

This is tough when you love the concept!

Sketch for The Secret of Honeycake

For the Secret of Honeycake, I had the pleasure of working with Katrina Damkoehler. This is not our first project, sometime before 2016 when the first book in the Uncommoners series was given a new look Katrina and I worked together.

I mean what I said in my post from  2018!

I’m a firm believer that you don’t need a lot of clients, just a few great ones.

BECOMING AN ILLUSTRATOR IN 2018

I love middle grade! Leave your questions about middle grade in the comments.

Until next time,

Kirbi