Josh Roberts | Updates

Why KidLit Needs More Upper-Middle Grade Books

Josh Roberts — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 14:45:48 -0500

I’ll never forget the first rejection I received from a literary agent. “This is a great premise,” she told me, speaking of my then-unpublished debut novel, The Witches of Willow Cove, “and the story is fun and fast paced. But what’s holding me back here is the age range of the book. I found myself wishing the characters were younger—11 or 12—and I wish this novel were more firmly rooted in the middle-grade realm, sticking to middle-grade topics, rather than skewing older.”

Like all rejections, it stung. But it didn’t sting quite as much as you might expect, because if there was one thing I knew about my book, even as an unpublished author languishing in the slush pile, it was who I’d written it for: the tweens and younger teens who’ve started to outgrow traditional middle-grade books, but aren’t yet interested in the themes they encounter in older-skewing young adult novels. What this agent was telling me was that she didn’t get my book, not really, so we wouldn’t have been a good fit anyway.

Don’t get me wrong—she was far from alone. I heard a lot of variations on this theme. “For one thing,” said another agent, “I think this falls squarely between middle grade and young adult fiction, which is a very tricky place to be. Characters in young adult are usually 16 and up, and in middle grade, they’re often 12.”

“Would you consider aging down your characters and resubmitting it?” asked another. Then there was the agent who suggested I take the opposite approach and revise it into a young adult novel “with more sexual tension between the leads.” Which, just… no. That was not what I was going for at all.

But the message, no matter the delivery, usually boiled down to something like this: Nobody knows where to shelve a book with a 13-year-old protagonist, let alone one like mine that’s the first in a trilogy and will see the characters age to 14 in book two and 15 in book three. Where do you put such a series in a binary world that defines middle grade as 8 to 12 and young adult as 16 to 18?

The answer, of course, is upper-middle grade. And thankfully, even since the time I began querying The Witches of Willow Cove, that’s a space that seems to be growing again after a fairly long lull. Kate Foster has created a phenomenal list of books with 13-year-old protagonists here, if you’re interested in seeing the breadth and scope of books in this category.

It wasn’t always such a struggle to find a home for upper-middle grade novels. Arguably the best Harry Potter books are The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, and The Order of the Phoenix—in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione age from 13 to 14 to 15 over the course of the three books. In the Percy Jackson novels, he’s 12 at the beginning of The Lightning Thief, 13 in Sea of Monsters, 14 in The Titan’s Curse and The Battle of the Labyrinth, and 15 at the start of The Last Olympian.

If you ask me, it’s no coincidence that these are among the most popular kids’ books of all time. I think a lot of kids actually crave upper-middle grade novels with longer, more complex storylines, characters in their early teens, and thematic elements that bridge the gap between younger children and older teenagers.

I think we need more books like this—lots more—and that’s one of the reasons why I set out to write The Witches of Willow Cove with dual main characters, one a magical 13-year-old girl who discovers she’s descended from a long line of witches, and the other an ordinary 13-year-old boy with no magical powers to speak of—but more than enough loyalty, smarts, and bravery to make up for it.

In my novel, I wanted my characters to deal with things like first crushes, navigating changing friendships, discovering hidden reserves of strength and empathy, learning that not all authority figures are trustworthy, and most of all starting down that path toward becoming who they’re meant to be as they grow into older, more mature people.

When I think about my own early teenage years, I’m struck by how much of who I am today was shaped by that time in my life. I can easily recall the feelings of my first crush, my love of all things Spider-Man and Star Wars, the friends I made, the books I read, the morals and values I developed then and still hold today—they’re all still there, clear as day to me, because the person I am now was forged in those years when I was first starting to figure out who I wanted to be.

To me, that’s the power of upper-middle grade. Sure, some bookstores may still not know where to shelve it, and maybe some publishers don’t yet know how to sell it, but I know for certain there’s an audience for it. And as writers, I know it’s up to us to give it to them.

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Why Teen Horror Books Are Perfect for Bridging the Gap Between Middle Grade and YA

Josh Roberts — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 14:37:39 -0500

As a father of two voracious readers, I know it’s not always easy finding books for tweens and teens. By the time my kids reached middle school, they’d already devoured many of the most popular middle grade books and series. They wanted more, but it seemed like their options for age-appropriate books between middle grade and young adult were limited.

In today’s publishing environment, tweens and teens transitioning from middle grade to young adult books often get lost in the shuffle. The conventional wisdom says that middle grade protagonists are eight to 12 years old and young adult characters are 16 to 18. So, how do we categorize books with 13-, 14-, or 15-year-old main characters… and where can readers find them?

It’s a critically important question. Recent studies have shown that many kids stop reading for fun between the ages of 8 and 10. For those who do keep reading, we run the risk of losing them again in their tweens and early teens when middle grade themes no longer resonate but young adult books aren’t a great fit yet, either.

Why Teen Horror Books Appeal to Young Readers

The appeal of teen-centric horror and paranormal stories should come as no surprise to fans of TV shows like Stranger Things. Teen horror stories (also sometimes categorized as “upper middle grade horror”) are typically fast-paced, exciting, and complex enough to keep tweens and teens turning those pages for fun. They perfectly bridge the gap between middle grade and YA because they tap into developmentally appropriate fears and anxieties. They’re also very entertaining.

In my new novel The Curse of Willow Cove, the two protagonists are a 14-year-old witch named Abby Shepherd and her best friend, Robby O’Reilly. Both characters’ journeys deal with the fear of the unknown, the fear of change, and the fear of loss—in the context of vampires rising from their ancient graves to slowly take over their small New England town, of course.

The Curse of Willow Cove leans heavily into mystery, suspense, and supernatural elements that keep kids reading to find out what happens next, while also providing an outlet for them to process their own feelings and understanding of the world. Abby and Robby deal with relationship challenges, difficulties with parents and friends, and trouble at school, but, well, there are also vampires and witches to keep things interesting. For teens, sometimes it’s easier to make sense of the world this way, through fantasy rather than head on. Teen horror books are uniquely positioned to do this because their appeal is multifaceted.

Like The Curse of Willow Cove and its predecessor, The Witches of Willow Cove, teen horror is highly engaging precisely because the paranormal mysteries and revelations mirror the discoveries that teens are experiencing in their own lives. Readers are often required to piece together clues, analyze characters’ motivations, and predict what will happen next. Just like Abby and Robby in my books, tween and teen readers are able to learn more about themselves, their relationships, and the world around them through these stories while being thrilled and entertained along the way.

Upper middle grade horror often features protagonists who are themselves young—typically 13, 14, or 15 years old—making it easy for readers to see themselves in characters who are generally portrayed as resourceful and courageous. The triumph of these characters can feel empowering for tweens and teens grappling with their own fears and insecurities.

Age-Appropriate Content and Themes in Teen Horror Stories

One of the key challenges for younger teenagers is finding books that offer complexity and depth without venturing into content that may be too mature for their age. When kids crave the thrills of Stephen King but aren’t ready for adult themes, teen horror books are the answer.

The best teen horror books are intense, thrilling, and thought-provoking, but always stop short of graphic or explicit content found in horror aimed at an older audience. While YA horror may include graphic violence or sexual content, books aimed at younger teens tend to focus more on psychological suspense, eerie atmospheres, and supernatural elements. The scares are real, but they’re more suggestive than explicit. And as with any genre, there’s a range. The Witches of Willow Cove goes more for spooky vibes; The Curse of Willow Cove ramps up the horror elements.

In these upper middle grade horror books, readers can expect the characters to emerge from their encounter with terror stronger, more resilient, and ready to face whatever lies ahead. Yes, they’ve been pushed to the edge, but these books always bring them back to a safe place when the story reaches its conclusion.

A Diverse and Rapidly Growing Genre

Horror books for tweens and younger teens are on the rise. Not long ago, I could count the examples on one hand—The Lockwood and Co. series by Jonathan Stroud (Lucy is 14 and Lockwood is 15) and The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier (Molly is 14) come to mind. Nowadays, though, publishers, booksellers, and librarians are increasingly recognizing the popularly of the genre with readers. Beginning in 2022, the Horror Writers Association even added a middle grade horror category to its annual Stoker Awards.

Whether you’re looking to explore upper middle grade horror books for yourself or for a young reader you think will enjoy them, the options are growing more diverse in every sense of the word. Here’s a look at some teen horror books with 13-, 14-, and 15-year-old protagonists published recently or coming soon.

Fright Watch is a three-book upper middle grade horror series by Lorien Lawrence starring 13-year-old friends Quinn and Mike in books one and two (The Stitchers and The Collectors) and 14-year-old Marion in book three (Unmasked).
Don’t Want to Be Your Monster by Deke Moulton has a 14-year-old main character named Victor, who also happens to be a murder-solving vampire.
In Grounded for All Eternity and The Afterlife of the Party, the characters are “just your regular average kids from hell” whose ages are never specified but who read as 13 to 14 years old.
Give Me Something Good to Eat by D. W. Gillespie is about boy who must free his Halloween-obsessed town and save his sister from a witch. All of the characters are in the 13-14 range.
In The Witches of Willow Cove series, the main characters are 13 years old in book one (The Witches of Willow Cove) and 14 years old in book two (The Curse of Willow Cove); they’ll be 15 years old in the upcoming third book. The series is a blend of contemporary fantasy, mystery, and horror.
On the horizon, some forthcoming teen horror books with 13- to 15-year-old main characters include Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell (Fall 2025), A Little Too Hauntedby Justine Pucella Winans (Fall 2025), and The Many Hauntings of The Manning Family by Lorien Lawrence (March 2025)

Meet the Author

Josh Roberts is the author of The Witches of Willow Cove series for tweens and teens and the forthcoming Victoria Dare series for young adults, both from Owl Hollow Press. His debut novel received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal, and was a Massachusetts Book Awards Must-Read, a Kirkus Book of the Month, and A Mighty Girl Book of the Year.

About The Curse of Willow Cove

The Curse of Willow Cove is the sequel to The Witches of Willow Cove, “a delightfully spooky page-turner for middle grade readers” (Kirkus Starred Review) set in a small New England town full of magic, mystery, and adventure. While it is the second book in the Willow Cove series, it can be read as a standalone novel.

With a year of magic under her belt, teenage witch Abby Shepherd finally feels like things are going her way. That is, until her middle school classmates start vanishing in the night, her boyfriend stops speaking to her, and her mother announces they’re moving to a new town.

With the clock ticking and the danger getting closer and closer to Abby’s doorstep, she and her best friend Robby O’Reilly must both decide what they’re willing to risk to save everyone they love . . . before an ancient curse from Willow Cove’s past sinks its teeth into them all.

Book reviews:

“Roberts is a masterful storyteller. I loved it!” —Lora Senf, Bram Stoker Award winner and author of The Clackity, on The Curse of Willow Cove

“A delightfully spooky page-turner!” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review, on The Witches of Willow Cove

“Atmospheric, just-spooky-enough, and magical, this story celebrates true friendship and standing up for what’s right.” —A Mighty Girl, Best Books of the Year, on The Witches of Willow Cove

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The Curse of Willow Cove Wins Teen Readers Choice Award in the Middle Grade Category

Josh Roberts — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Curse of Willow Cove has won Operation Literacy's Teen Readers Choice Award for the Middle Grade category! This award is the only national book award decided by teens. A huge thank you to Operation Literacy and all of the teens and tweens who took the time to read and vote for this book.

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The Curse of Willow Cove Is a Teen Readers Choice Awards Semi-Finalist!

Josh Roberts — Fri, 1 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Awesome news! The Curse of Willow Cove is a semifinalist in the Teen Readers Choice Awards (sponsored by Operation Literacy), the only national book award decided by teens. Each year, the award celebrates the diversity, challenges, beauty, and growth that comes from being an adolescent, and the books and authors who have made an impact on young readers. I'm thrilled to be included as a nominee alongside so many other talented authors.

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'A Pleasant Second Installment with Plenty of Action and Scares," Says School Library Journal

Josh Roberts — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The first trade review for The Curse of Willow Cove is in, and it's a good one! School Library Journal calls this sequel to The Witches of Willow Cove "a pleasant second installment with plenty of action and scares," noting that "readers do not have to be familiar with the first entry, but those who have enjoyed book one will be pleased with this follow-up."

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The Curse of Willow Cove Is a Local Best Seller in October!

Josh Roberts — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Delighted to see that The Curse of Willow Cove made the October bestsellers list at my local independent bookstore, Copper Dog Books! Signed copies are available to ship anywhere in the US or Canada.

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50 Middle Grade Books Featuring Witches and Witchcraft

Josh Roberts — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Just in time for Halloween, Jen at Pop! Goes the Reader has put together a great list of middle grade books featuring witches and witchcraft. And I'm delighted to see The Witches of Willow Cove was among her picks. Check out the full list here!

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Why Teen Horror Books Are Perfect for Bridging the Gap Between Middle Grade and YA

Josh Roberts — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

School Library Journal recently gave me the opportunity to speak about two of my favorite topics: upper-middle grade books and things that go bump in the night. Head on over the SLJ's Teen Librarian Toolbox website to read why I think teen horror books are perfect for bridging the gap between middle grade and young adult.

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Read The First Three Chapters From The Curse of Willow Cove at Nerd Daily

Josh Roberts — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The awesome folks over at Nerd Daily have shared the first three chapters of The Curse of Willow Cove on their website! Head on over for a look at what's in store for Abby, Robby, and the rest of the gang in this sequel to The Witches of Willow Cove.

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Interview at Spooky Middle Grade

Josh Roberts — Tue, 8 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

To mark today’s publication of the second book in The Witches of Willow Cove series, I sat down with Spooky Middle Grade for a new installment of the interview series, “5 Questions with …” Head on over to read the full interview!

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With Broomstick in Hand: 50 Children's Books Starring Mighty Witches

Josh Roberts — Mon, 9 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The folks over at A Mighty Girl have released a new list of books featuring "mighty girl witches," and I'm excited to see The Witches of Willow Cove as one of their top picks! In their words: "Atmospheric, just-spooky-enough, and magical, this story celebrates true friendship and standing up for what's right." Read the full list here.

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Advance Reader Copies of The Curse of Willow Cove Are Here!

Josh Roberts — Thu, 1 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

It's happening! Advance Reader Copies of The Curse of Willow Cove are starting to make their way out into the wild! To all the book reviewers and ARC readers out there, if we haven’t connected yet, please get in touch. I’d love to share a copy with you.

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It's Official: Victoria Dare and the Blood of Kings Is Coming Your Way Spring 2026!

Josh Roberts — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The cat's out of the bag! Publisher's Weekly has the news I've been holding onto for a few months now: Hannah Smith at Owl Hollow Press has acquired world English rights to Victoria Dare and the Blood of Kings, a historical YA fantasy pitched as Indiana Jones meets The Diviners, by Josh Roberts (The Witches of Willow Cove). In 1939, when the world is on the brink of war, 16-year-old Victoria Dare accompanies her father on an excavation to uncover a lost Egyptian tomb, where she is drawn into a plot involving Nazi occultists, Bolshevik assassins, and a mysterious figure her psychic friend calls "The Shrouded Man." Publication is set for spring 2026; Becky LeJeune at Bond Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal.

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The Witches of Willow Cove Is Coming to Audiobook

Josh Roberts — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I am so excited to share the news that The Witches of Willow Cove is getting an audiobook edition! Coming this May, it will be read by the incredibly talented Saskia Maarleveld, who will also be narrating the forthcoming second book in the series, The Curse of Willow Cove. Pre-order your copy today on Audible!

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Coming October 8, 2024: The Curse of Willow Cove!

Josh Roberts — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

We have an official release date: The Curse of Willow Cove will be published on October 8, 2024! This is the second book in The Witches of Willow Cove series and picks up about nine months after the end of the first book. Here's the official description from my publisher:

In this spellbinding sequel to The Witches of Willow Cove, Abby Shepherd and her coven of teenage witches must confront an undead terror that threatens the safety of their friends, families, and maybe even the entire world.

Now fourteen years old and with a year of witchcraft under her belt, Abby finally feels like things are going her way. That is, until her mother announces they’re moving to a new town, her boyfriend stops speaking to her, and her eighth-grade classmates start vanishing in the middle of the night—only to return as something terrifyingly different than before.

When the mysterious Council of Witches summons Abby and her friends to their secret domain, then forbids the young coven from investigating the sinister events unfolding in Willow Cove, Abby begins to suspect the Council knows more about the disappearances than they’re letting on.

With the clock ticking and the danger getting closer and closer to Abby’s doorstep, she and her best friend Robby O’Reilly must both decide what they’re willing to risk to save everyone they love... before an ancient curse from Willow Cove's past sinks its teeth into them all.

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Interview with The Mixed-Up Files

Josh Roberts — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Recently I spoke with fellow middle grade author Lisa Schmid over at The Mixed-Up Files about my debut novel, The Witches of Willow Cove. It was a fun conversation and we covered a lot of topics about writing, influences, and what's next for the witches. Head on over and give it a read!

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Another Starred Review for The Witches of Willow Cove!

Josh Roberts — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Last week I shared the exciting news that School Library Journal had given The Witches of Willow Cove. Today I have even more good news: It's a star from Kirkus Reviews as well! Here's the full review.

Award-winning travel writer Roberts spins an engrossing tale of magic, mystery, and friendship in his debut middle-grade novel.

In the quaint Massachusetts town of Willow Cove, 13-year-old Abby Shepherd and her best friend, Robby O’Reilly, discover that’s she’s a witch—when another young witch, Amethyst Jones, reveals the news. A mysterious and powerful magic user named Miss Winters has arrived in town, embroiling the unsuspecting teens in a web of intrigue that stretches all the way back to the Salem witch trials. As Abby meets other young witches and learns how to harness her magic under the tutelage of Miss Winters, Robby is thrust into a missing-person case and starts a romance with the new girl at school. Abby and Robby, who used to be inseparable, find themselves increasingly at odds as secrets and resentments come between them.

But what they don’t know is that the mysteries of Willow Cove go far deeper than they ever imagined, and that no one is exactly what they seem. Roberts perfectly balances small-town drama, preteen hijinks, and paranormal thriller action in an engaging novel with a vibrant cast of characters. The strength of Abby and Robby’s platonic relationship is a key element of the story, and the witches of Abby’s coven are each dynamic and unique in their own ways. The setting of Willow Cove is also commendably well developed, offering plenty of quirkiness and local color. It convincingly feels like a living entity with a vast history—one that Abby and her friends only begin to uncover in this book; more revelations may follow in a planned sequel, The Curse of Willow Cove.

A delightfully spooky page-turner for middle-grade readers.

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A Starred Review for The Witches of Willow Cove from School Library Journal!

Josh Roberts — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

I'm excited to share the that School Library Journal has given The Witches of Willow Cove a starred review! Here's the full review.

Gr 5 Up–On a spooky outing with her best friend Robby, Abby makes a startling discovery—she can fly! And not just that; she finds out the very next day that magic really does exist, and that she’s a witch…and not the only one in the school! On their 13th birthdays, six girls discover that they all have powers. The new substitute teacher, Miss Winters, promises to mentor them, but Abby isn’t totally sure Miss Winters can be trusted.

If that wasn’t enough for the girls and their friends, townspeople are going missing, including Robby’s stepmother. Something’s definitely going on in Willow Cove, and it’s up to the kids to unlock the mystery.

This well-written middle grade book walks the fine line of being effectively spooky without being too scary. The kids come from a variety of backgrounds and family units, but they band together, magical and non-magical alike. The novel dives right into the action, and will definitely keep readers interested. The book may be written for middle grade, but the exciting narrative could appeal to young adults.

VERDICT A first tier purchase for public and school library middle grade collections.

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Why KidLit Needs More Upper-Middle Grade Novels

Josh Roberts — Tue, 26 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

To celebrate the launch of my first book, I recently wrote an essay exploring the importance of upper-middle grade fiction. You can read the entire article over at the Novel Novice website, but here's en excerpt:

I’ll never forget the first rejection I received from a literary agent. “This is a great premise,” she told me, speaking of my then-unpublished debut novel, The Witches of Willow Cove, and the story is fun and fast paced. But what’s holding me back here is the age range of the book. I found myself wishing the characters were younger—11 or 12—and I wish this novel were more firmly rooted in the middle-grade realm, sticking to middle-grade topics, rather than skewing older.”

This post originally appeared on Novel Novice. Read the rest of it there.

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Interview with Writers Rumpus

Josh Roberts — Wed, 1 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Rebecca Moody over at Writers Rumpus about the growing popularity of spooky novels aimed at tween readers. Head on over to their website to read our wide-ranging discussion.

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