Throw on Ryan's World or even just jangle your keys at them, and they'll be entertained! I don't think these nay-sayers realize how utterly fucking condescending that is, implicitly suggesting that kids don't have the cognitive wherewithal to recognize a good story from a bad one.
There are people out there who seem to believe that writing for kids gets you a free pass from all the pedants out there like me who moan about things like "characterization" and "complex storylines." Because, you know, kids don't care about any of that shit. Some of the reviews I get the most hate for are middle grade. Whether it's chronic stomachaches or fear of rollercoasters, I honestly felt so scene when she wrote about this stuff. Perhaps most meaningful for me, though, was writing about what it's like to be a kid with anxiety. And then there are inserts from the (yes, self-insertiony) stories that she wrote to escape. The way that Hale describes mean girl friendships and social pitfalls is honestly so on-point. The 80s setting is so vivid- the clothes, the songs (and part of that goes to LeUyen Pham for her illustrations). Now that I've read BEST FRIENDS, I think I can pretty safely say that this is one of the best things I've ever read or will read from Hale. Not only is it set in the 1980s, it's also a story about navigating the perils of the changing social scene of adolescence, and a bit of an inside peek about how she got into writing.
That said, when I found her graphic novel memoir in a Little Free Library, I was intrigued. I know she has a devoted following but her style of writing really doesn't work for me, whether she's writing for a kid or an adult audience.
I've not read a lot of books by Shannon Hale because, to me, her works often feel very self-insertiony and watered down.
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