Write2Ignite

I agree. Not all hard topics can (or really should) be written for kids. Some things are best to wait until they get older and are more mature to handle it.

But does this mean that all difficult problems need to be taken out of middle grade books? Personally, I don’t think so. I believe that some hard topics can be written for kids in an honest, appropriate way.

Because let’s face it: a lot of kids have to deal with struggles in their own lives. How can they navigate these situations? How do they process their emotions through difficulty? I believe a well-written story can help guide kids via the story characters who face similar problems as themselves.

Here’s three main tips to keep in mind when dealing with hard topics in middle grade stories.

This is super important. Why are we handling, or featuring, this difficult subject in the first place? (i.e divorced parents, death of a friend, hatred for an enemy, etc.) Is it because it’s trendy and everyone is doing it? Is it to be cool and angsty? Or are you trying to build empathy and understanding in kids? Perhaps you want to help them if they might be going through something similar? Or maybe you want to point them to a greater truth?

HAVE A PURPOSE

In Star of Light, Patricia St. John doesn’t shy away from the fact that Hamid’s father is evil. He exploits his blind stepdaughter by having her beg for extra money in the marketplace. He beats his second wife and children if they don’t do what he wants. While the author never goes into great detail, the readers know immediately that this is an unsafe household. Yet the author incorporated these things to show the dire situation that the children were in. It showed why Hamid was so desperate to save his little sister. It showed how God rescued and sheltered them. And, most importantly, it showed a greater truth about God’s love and salvation to the lost, hurting, and desperate.

The point of mentioning the abuse wasn’t for some shock effect. Rather, it was to help paint a picture of the desperation of the lost and suffering, and how glorious God’s goodness is when we come to Him for help and refuge.

DON’T GLORIFY EVIL

In The Bronze Bow, Daniel is consumed with his hatred for the Roman soldiers. He even has a compelling backstory that leaves you empathizing with him, and understanding why he hates his enemy. However, the author shows that in the end, Daniel’s hatred worked against him and drove everyone he cared about out of his life.

This is where showing is really impactful. Rather than just tell readers that anger and hatred were destructive, the author lets the natural consequences of Daniel’s action speak for themselves.

None of it was shown in a cool, positive light. Rather the author honestly showed the readers the real effects of going the wrong way, and then pointed them to the Truth. Speaking of honesty, that brings me to my last point…

Be Honest (and Appropriate)

Sometimes in Christian kids’ books, the families are portrayed as super perfect, with no fighting.

Unless you’re trying to portray a wildly dysfunctional family, we don’t have to go to that extreme to be honest in our depiction of families and siblings. And we don’t have to be afraid of portraying flaws and imperfections in our characters too. Susan K. Marlow’s Circle C Adventure series is a great example of loving but imperfect characters. As the youngest, Andrea often bumps heads with her older siblings, whose flaws and differing personalities sometimes rub each other the wrong way. Yet through it all, they’re there for each other, and always have each other’s best interest in mind. On top of that, Andrea’s own flaws give a chance for her to grow as an individual and make the themes of each book come out stronger.

Kids are smart, and they know they aren’t perfect. Plus, perfect characters make it even harder to learn from them. Conflict, imperfection, and flaws can drive a story forward and create consequences for the character to deal with and (hopefully) grow and learn from.

To Conclude

Sometimes, we need happy, sweet stories, and that’s okay. But I believe honest, compelling stories are also needed for kids. By watching characters grow and learn through their mistakes, kids can see how they might grow in those areas too. Books can be a way of showing them how to navigate their difficulties (and not just tell them). Let’s shine a balance of hope and honesty within our pages.

Lillian Keith never outgrew her love of children’s literature, and has been a storyteller since she was little. As an author, she strives to bring meaningful, compelling stories to kids and their families. Some of her published works include the MG short story An Apprentice Escapes and its companion novella, Because You Saw Me. You can find her books on Amazon or learn more about her via her blog (feel free to say ‘hi’ as she loves meeting new people!).