Fantasy is a quite popular genre for Middle Grade (ages 10 to 14 generally) readers. Six out of ten of the current NY Middle Grade Kids’ Best Sellers are fantasy. (Let’s not sleep on non-fiction though!)

High Fantasy books are set in another world (think Lord of the Rings and Narnia). Low Fantasy books are set in our world, but include magical or fantastical elements. Science Fiction books, often classed as a genre of their own, use scientific explanations rather than magical explanations to explore what-if scenarios and worlds. It can be difficult at times to distinguish science fiction from fantasy, so I often lump the two together.

My experience with fantasy devotees is that those who like high fantasy often are very committed to it and will be obsessed with a single series or book. These readers will be on the lookout for read-alikes that closely adhere to specific elements of their favorite books. (It’s not enough, for example, for lovers of Eragon to be recommended “another book with dragons in it.” Perhaps you can see why: Look at the variety of results a subject search for Dragons at JMRL gets you.) When looking to make recommendations to these readers, it’s important to interview them about tone, plot elements, setting elements, and themes that are crucial to them. It’s always helpful to ask about what they do not want.

Low-fantasy can be more inviting to readers who have never read fantasy before or are already wide-ranging readers. While both low- and high-fantasy explore social issues and personal issues relevant to young people, low-fantasy books often provide familiar anchors for readers of realistic fiction who are not ready to take the plunge into an entirely new world. Low-fantasy novels often continue to be plot-driven books, whereas high-fantasy novels are at least partially and sometimes mainly setting-driven.

(The generalizations above always have exceptions, and it’s always good to ask more questions when readers are seeking recommendations.)

In upcoming posts, I’ll feature some recommended fantasy novels for middle grade, prominent current authors in the field, and relevant awards.