- How many characters are there in the book?
- How long are the chapters?
- What’s the word count for the book?
- Is the problem presented in the first chapter?
- What’s the average sentence length?
What I’m pondering right now is how complex to make my plot and subplot. I wanted to look at books that are at both extremes, but I would love some help finding them.
When thinking of middle grade and young adult novels, what are some examples of books with very simple plots? What are some examples of books with very complex plots? Please post in the comments section.
4 comments:
Hi Natalie--Good question! An example of a complex young adult plot is Jellico Road by Melina Marchetta. She won the Printz Award last year, and it was well deserved. As a reader, I had to really think through the different plot points. Hope this helps! I look forward to hearing other ideas!
Natalie,
Check out Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson, a 2008 Newbery Honor recepient. The complexity lies in the layers of meaning you can derive from this story. It is about hope, social and racial stratification, religion and the strength of the family to overcome challenges. It is a book I think most readers revisit and come away with new insights.
I think the Gregor series by Suzanne Collins has complex plots--especially because plot points started in the first book of the series are still going on in the last book. (Kind of like Harry Potter) It's a great middle grade series if you haven't read them. I got them all at the library on audio book.
As for a simple plot, how about the Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver? These books are great for kids and usually deal with one or two problems in them that Hank can solve himself (without a lot of complications).
It's hard to think of middle grade novels with simple plots--I think that readers and writers are moving away from this.
I have a whole section on my blog with middle grade novels if you want to skim them over. Just go to the far right side bar and click on middle grade novels. :)
Good post.
Margo
http://margodill.com/blog/
What a great idea to pose this question and get quality substance, all in one place we can all easily access.
My suggestion for a Middle Grade Novel that is fairly simple, while being extremely satisfying as a book, is Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Robert Bulla. This is an older book that will stand the test of time. A troubled girl takes a job and learns to take responsibility for her actions. I always cry when I get to the end. It is a very short novel, with a low reading level, very high interest. I often turn to it to think about character development--this story is totally character-driven. The growth of the character is believable and very real. The short chapters, simple sentences, plain language mask a beautiful writing style. How does Bulla do it?
Post a Comment