"... wonder doesn’t always start with a sermon. Sometimes it begins with a robot, or a sword, or a hilarious small-town mystery."-- yes, indeed!!-- TRUTH! 👍
Your 5 were all new to me. Got some nephews they sound perfect for-- thanks! 🙏
Thanks for all these recommendations and for the encouragement. I LOVE the Chronicles of Prydain! It has the perfect balance of humor and heart. I need to read it again. Honestly, I'm afraid to write in the genre of middle grade fantasy because I'm terrified that I won't be any good at it. I've had a story and a character in my head for over two years.
You should try! I think if you've had a story for a while that's the God nudge to try. It doesn't have to be perfect at first: it has to be you. The rest comes through Him (and revision). But first, just write.
I think you're right. What's been holding me back is that I'm not even sure my story really is middle-grade. The protagonist is older than that. It IS a fantasy story aimed primarily at boys. I guess for age-range Eragon might be a more appropriate comparison. So upper middle-grade or maybe teenage boys? I don't write the kind of quirky humor that I associate with middle-grade these days and my stories tend to be more "grounded" (even if they're fantasy) if that makes sense.
Also my favorites Brad and Louis wrote a Western zombie fantasy story called Legends of the Lost Causes that I often teach. You might check that out too. It's in a series of 3 and is fun. I bet they'd be willing to chat with you too.
Besides Wingfeather (I've read the first two books) and The Prince Warriors are there any more MG fantasy books for boys that you'd recommend? I've been itching to try my hand at this genre myself and would find it useful to steep myself in it as much as possible.
Such a great question! I LOVE that you're thinking about this genre! I’ve also read Wingfeather and The Prince Warriors, and like you, I’ve been drawn lately to middle grade fantasy that speaks especially to boys (as you can probably tell from this list 🙂). A few others that stand out to me right now: The Green Ember series by S.D. Smith, which has become a homeschool favorite (I haven’t read this one yet, but I’m ALWAYS hearing about it and plan to read it this Eastertide); 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson, which I have read and find a little chaotic but also full of wonder and moral depth; The Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers, a swampy David-and-Goliath retelling that’s faith-filled and genuinely funny; and, of course, The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander: this one’s a classic that still holds up beautifully with its humor (always the key to my heart), noble characterization, and thoughtful forming of its hero. All of them are well worth sinking into if you’re hoping to write in the genre, which I'd love to see (and read!)
"... wonder doesn’t always start with a sermon. Sometimes it begins with a robot, or a sword, or a hilarious small-town mystery."-- yes, indeed!!-- TRUTH! 👍
Your 5 were all new to me. Got some nephews they sound perfect for-- thanks! 🙏
Thanks for all these recommendations and for the encouragement. I LOVE the Chronicles of Prydain! It has the perfect balance of humor and heart. I need to read it again. Honestly, I'm afraid to write in the genre of middle grade fantasy because I'm terrified that I won't be any good at it. I've had a story and a character in my head for over two years.
You should try! I think if you've had a story for a while that's the God nudge to try. It doesn't have to be perfect at first: it has to be you. The rest comes through Him (and revision). But first, just write.
I think you're right. What's been holding me back is that I'm not even sure my story really is middle-grade. The protagonist is older than that. It IS a fantasy story aimed primarily at boys. I guess for age-range Eragon might be a more appropriate comparison. So upper middle-grade or maybe teenage boys? I don't write the kind of quirky humor that I associate with middle-grade these days and my stories tend to be more "grounded" (even if they're fantasy) if that makes sense.
Also my favorites Brad and Louis wrote a Western zombie fantasy story called Legends of the Lost Causes that I often teach. You might check that out too. It's in a series of 3 and is fun. I bet they'd be willing to chat with you too.
Besides Wingfeather (I've read the first two books) and The Prince Warriors are there any more MG fantasy books for boys that you'd recommend? I've been itching to try my hand at this genre myself and would find it useful to steep myself in it as much as possible.
Such a great question! I LOVE that you're thinking about this genre! I’ve also read Wingfeather and The Prince Warriors, and like you, I’ve been drawn lately to middle grade fantasy that speaks especially to boys (as you can probably tell from this list 🙂). A few others that stand out to me right now: The Green Ember series by S.D. Smith, which has become a homeschool favorite (I haven’t read this one yet, but I’m ALWAYS hearing about it and plan to read it this Eastertide); 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson, which I have read and find a little chaotic but also full of wonder and moral depth; The Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers, a swampy David-and-Goliath retelling that’s faith-filled and genuinely funny; and, of course, The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander: this one’s a classic that still holds up beautifully with its humor (always the key to my heart), noble characterization, and thoughtful forming of its hero. All of them are well worth sinking into if you’re hoping to write in the genre, which I'd love to see (and read!)