Monday, April 3, 2017

WHY I WRITE MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS by Hilda Eunice Burgos

  

When I was in third grade, I was “fired” from a volunteer job shelving books in my school library.  It turned out the books weren’t getting shelved because they were being read instead.  As soon as I picked up a book that was new to me, I would lower myself onto one of the library step stools and bury my nose in the dog-eared pages.  Just when the plot was getting good, it would be time to go back to class.

One of my favorite authors, Julia Alvarez, has said that “we come out of a great book as a different person from the person we were when we began reading it.”  This is certainly true of good middle grade books.  Sitting in the stacks at P.S. 132 in New York City with the sounds of sirens wailing and horns honking right outside the barred windows, I learned about life on a prairie, in small cities and towns, and even in another country where eleven year-olds were already thinking about marriage!


I was definitely a different person each time I looked up to see the librarian frowning at the pile of un-shelved books in front of me.

Middle grade books have grown in variety since I was a child, and there are so many great ones out there.  I am happy to see that some of these excellent books challenge readers to ponder topics such as immigration and deportation, oppressive governments, substance abuse, racial injustice, disabilities, deadbeat parents, and other life-altering issues.


I am drawn to middle grade books because I think children should be exposed to thought-provoking themes, and I especially like the fact that most middle grade books have something we don't always find in books for adults: a hopeful and encouraging message.  These stories teach children that tough circumstances are out there, but we can deal with them, and we will emerge different and stronger on the other side.

My first middle grade novel, which is scheduled for publication in 2019, addresses economic and social inequality, the individual decisions we can each make to help others, and the value of family and friends.  My main character is the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, lives in New York City, and loves to read.  Although I cherish the knowledge I gain each time I read about people who are different from me, it would have been nice to occasionally see someone a little familiar in one of the books in my school library.  I hope the children who have something in common with me and my main character are pleased to see a glimpse of themselves and their lives in the pages of my book, and that other children learn something new and interesting from those same pages.  Mostly, I hope all children who pluck this book from their library shelves will lower themselves onto a step stool, lose track of time as they read, and come out different, more enlightened, and even more hopeful and positive than ever. 

13 comments:

  1. I'm sorry you were fired from your first job, but I believe it was for a good cause!

    What a great inaugural post, Hilda. Welcome aboard!

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    1. Thanks for the welcome, Michael! And, yes, I think it was for a good cause; I learned I wouldn't make a good librarian even though I love books!

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  2. Welcome to Project Mayhem, Hilda!!
    I have the fortune of having my classroom located in the back of the library in the school I teach in and have witnessed kids sinking to floor to read after discovering titles and covers that capture their interests.

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    1. It's great to hear that kids still love to read; my kids are nowhere near the avid readers my sisters and I were, and that worries me.

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  3. I really like your quote from Julia Alvarez, and so important to have books like the ones that you've highlighted available for children to read.

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  4. The reading rebellion! You were meant to contribute to the book world outside of shelving them and you have. Kudos.

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    1. Thanks! Yes, I hope my contributions are meaningful.

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  5. It's a shame we don't put much more emphasis on developing kids' interest in reading with books they actually WANT to read. I get soooo many letters from kids, librarians, teachers, and parents saying that my "Kandide" Fantasy Adventure series has sparked their desire to read. Encouraging stories kids want to read instead of what some pr0fit-based system says they should red, should be the focus of education. Not an after thought. Librarians are of MAJOR importance to a well-rounded education.They should be treasured.

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    1. Congratulations on encouraging kids to read; that's a great accomplishment!

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  6. Hilda, welcome to the Mayhem! This post speaks to my heart. As a child I hid in the woods to read and escaped into other worlds daily. I love how you quote “we come out of a great book as a different person from the person we were when we began reading it.” So true! And middle grade age is such a time of exploration and wonder - and change. At least the changes from books we can hold onto and carry them with us always, even as we are changing in other ways.

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  7. Welcome, Hilda! What I love about middle grade is the same as you -- the hope it offers in this sometimes upside down world. Kids hope more easily than grown ups, and that in turn makes me want to be hopeful, too!

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  8. Thanks for the warm welcome, Donna and Caroline!

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Thanks for adding to the mayhem!