Ask Jerry
Biography for 5th Grade through 8th Grade Readers
Asked by Pamela Jones on July 20, 2020
I am writing a biography of my older brother's life to engage the audience noted above. Would it be more appealing to write from the younger sister's point of view or just as the narrator?
Jerry's Answer
Kids like to read "up," Pamela. In other words, the main character should be slightly older than the top end of the readership. Most middle grade books are designated by publishers for ages 8 to 12, while middle school students range in age from 10 to 15.
Obviously there's a significant difference on the low and high ranges of those readerships, but for the former, the main character should be at least 13, and in the latter at least 16.
How that affects the narrator is a little less important, as long as the narrator doesn't come across babyish or way too young to communicate meaningfully with the reader.
To Kill A Mockingbird is an adult book with adult themes, yet the narrator is a little girl with unusual insight and pathos for her age.