The average middle - grade novel, which is around 20,000 - 55,000 words, is much shorter than adult novels. Adult novels can range from 80,000 words and up, often having more complex themes, sub - plots, and character development that require more words. In contrast, a middle - grade novel focuses on a story that is suitable for 8 - 12 - year - olds. Picture books, on the other hand, are much shorter, usually having only a few hundred words.
Middle - grade novels usually have an average word count of about 30,000 - 40,000 words. Compared to young adult novels, which often have word counts in the 50,000 - 80,000 range, middle - grade novels are shorter. Young adult novels can deal with more mature themes and need more words to fully explore those. Middle - grade novels also differ from chapter books for younger readers, which may have even lower word counts as they are more introductory in nature.
Well, the average middle - grade novel has around 40,000 words. When compared to epic fantasy or historical novels for adults, which can be hundreds of thousands of words long, it's significantly shorter. Middle - grade novels are designed for a younger audience with shorter attention spans. However, compared to early reader books, middle - grade novels are much longer. Early reader books might only have 1,000 - 5,000 words, while middle - grade novels can fully develop a story with a proper plot, characters, and setting within their 40,000 - word range.