Chapter 2: Divisions of Young People's Literature

  There are four divisions of literature for young people. The first division is Children's Literature which is aimed at children 0-8 years old. This type of literature includes wordless picture books, picture books, easy-readers, early chapter books, and novels with fewer illustrations. Middle Grade or Tween Literature is geared toward children 8-12 years old. This category can get tricky because some people confuse middle grade with middle school. Children in middle school are generally 11-13 years old, which overlaps between two divisions. Graphic novels and novels for the middle grade/tweens need to be reviewed for those tougher issues or topics that would not be suitable for 8-11 year olds. Young Adult literature is written for children 13-18 years old. These books usually cover issues that older students might face in their high school years. These topics are usually not suitable for the middle grades. The last division is New Adult. This division first appeared in 2009 and typically deals with experiences after high school. For example, first college years, first relationships, living alone for the first time, etc. This content would not be suitable for young adults. 

For the majority of my teaching experience, I taught elementary school so finding the perfect books to read was pretty easy. When I moved up to 6th grade that task became more difficult. I still pulled out the wonderful picture books that I used with the elementary grades, but finding novels to read was a bit more tricky. The video presentation helped clear up some confusion by explaining the divisions thoroughly. I now understand the difference between books for tweens and books for young adults.