Five tips for writing inclusive Middle Grade with authenticity and heart

With the frightening rise of every sort of -ism out there, the need for diversity, representation and inclusion in MG fiction is more important than ever. We all recognize the power of children seeing themselves, their faith, their cultures, their families and friends, reflected in the books they read, and the publishing industry has made great strides in the past decade or so, but… we still have a long way to go.

This is particularly true in regards to stories which feature diverse representations of children’s abilities and disabilities. With the recent launch of the SEND Inclusive Publishing Pledge, we now have statistics to illustrate what such inclusion should look like. If 1 in 5 students in primary education in the UK have some sort of SEND (special educational need or disability), then surely the books we write need to match this reality.

Brilliant authors, such as Elle McNicholl, Lisette Auton and recent Carnegie queen, Beth O’Brien, have contributed massively to increasing disability inclusion and representation in kidlit. I feel very lucky to have added Mizzy’s voice in the past year or so.

As her name suggests, Mizzy Maypole is a reimagining of Agatha Christie’s little old lady, Miss Marple, who defies all expectations with her brilliant sleuthing. In Mizzy’s case, our unsuspected detective is an almost-12-year-old-girl with Down Syndrome who, although constantly underestimated (especially by her older, cooler cousins), is determined to show the world she’s actually a very brilliant detective (and smash a few stereotypes along the way).

Book three in the Mizzy Mysteries comes out next year and I am one hundred percent committed to writing more books which champion representation and inclusion, not only with neurodivergent main protagonists, but also peopled with a cast of supporting characters which reflects the reality of 1 in 5 children with SEND in every school. However, the inclusion of more disabled characters in books is not enough on its own. These characters must be carefully and sensitively created, whilst also being fully-realized personalities, rather than token stereotypes.

My experience writing Mizzy has taught me 5 key points to keep in mind:

1. Not about me, without me.

This is actually a rule, not a point to keep in mind. Do not write a main character, unless you share their diagnosis, have been invited to co-create, or have a wealth of professional or personal experience. The last thing any of us wants to do is commit cultural appropriation or be guilty of PC window-dressing. Even if you have disability-adjacent experience, perhaps as a parent or a sibling to with a specific SEND, and especially as in my case, professional experience gained through teaching or therapeutic support, choose very carefully whether you can authentically write from a first-person perspective, or even a close-third. Although I benefitted hugely from the support of the Down syndrome community, I doubt I would write Mizzy in quite the same way again.

2. Lift up disabled creators

Wherever possible lift up disabled creators. For example, the Mizzy mysteries have showcased the talents of two creators with Down syndrome: Mizzy’s wonderful family-tree illustrator Lester Magoogan and her bewitchingly talented (and now award-winning) audiobook narrator Poppy Mae-Barret.

3. Don’t make it up

I know. Fiction writers make stuff up all the time. But some things need to be real: out of basic human respect but also to make sure kidlit isn’t suddenly swamped with stereotypes, but with authentic, fully-formed characters.

Which means… research. Love it or hate it, if you do not share the SEND in question, in order to write authentic characters, you cannot avoid it. Preferably your research will be in real, live person with actual people who live with whichever disability you want to represent and include. And don’t meet just one person. As with any random group, people with Down syndrome are as endlessly varied as people who don’t have Down syndrome and, a phrase which was burned into my brain during my speech and language therapy training, if you know one autistic person, you know one autistic person (and I’m saying this as one autistic person). Above all, please, please, please, don’t try to make do by rewatching Rain Man…

4. Do make it up

This is not to cancel out what we just talked about, but to add to it (I never promised this would be easy). Just like any other character you write, a character with a SEND needs to be so much more than just a list of abilities and disabilities. Once you have done your research, flesh out the detail with everything else that the character wants, fears, loves, hates. All the stuff you know how to do. The stuff which makes your characters live and breathe and wiggle their way into your readers’ hearts.

5. Sensitivity Readers

Please don’t leave this step to your publisher. Don’t wait till you’ve finished your manuscript either. View sensitivity reads as a collaboration with the individuals and families you connected with during your research. Share chapters, incorporate feedback, share them again. It’s a time-consuming process but a vital component of writing authentic, inclusive characters. 

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Writing authentic, inclusive characters is challenging and there are far more considerations than the five I have flagged up here. But, as they say, if something is worth doing…, Now, more than ever, increasing the empathy and understanding we know comes from reading about other peoples’ realities — not to mention the boost to self-esteem seeing ourselves reflected in a story can bring — diversity, representation and inclusion in kidlit feels more vital than ever.