Why Do We Read Books Meant For Kids?

Published: Sat, 09/07/19

Hi writers,

Last week I forced into yet another conversation my love of Johnny Tremain. And I'm not ashamed! I'll take every opportunity I have.

The next day, Justine sent me an email reminding me that WriteByNighter Bridget Farr's middle-grade novel, Pavi Sharma's Guide to Going Home, is coming out next week at Little, Brown & Co. And I'd like to read it.

I don't often read books intended for younger audiences, but when I do, I usually enjoy it. I got about forty hours of sleep in the two months I spent blitzing through Harry Potter, for example.

So why don't I read more of it?

I don't really have an answer (yet?), but I want to know about your experiences. How often do you read YA or middle-grade lit? What do you get out of it that you may not find in books for adults? And do you ever feel self-conscious reading it?

Let's talk about all that and more in this week's blog post, "Why Do We Adults Read Books Intended For Kids?"

And don't forget to check out Bridget's book, available now for pre-order. Publishers Weekly loved the book, writing "Farr keeps the story moving swiftly, skillfully weaving in moments of tension that allow her diverse cast of flawed yet sympathetic characters to shine."

With WBN, Bridget has worked with, among others, Resa Alboher and Jessamine Chan in book coaching; Tom Andes in critique; and Justine in publication assistance.

Bridget told us recently on WBN's 10-year anniversary, "Congratulations on ten years! I realized that I've been with WBN for six of those ten, and tomorrow I get an offer on my second novel written with a WBN book coach. So grateful to have made the connection so many years ago."

We're grateful for that, too.

And for your comments! Head on over to the blog and join the conversation now.

Sincerely,