Activity

Yeah, I’m not familiar with the Ranger’s Apprentice specifically, but there are always exceptions. I found an article that may be more helpful to you. There are multiple elements that go into it, and this is for general purposes, but an overlook is this:

MG:

Age of readers: 8-12

Length: 30-50,000 words

Content: No profanity, graphic violence or sexuality (romance, if any, is limited to a crush or first kiss).

Protag: 10-13 yrs

Focus: on friends, family, and the character’s immediate world and relationship to it; characters react to what happens to them with minimal self-reflection

YA:

Age of readers: 13-18

Length: 50-75,000 words

Content: Profanity, graphic violence, romance and sexuality (except for eroticism) are all allowable, though not required. (It also later on in the article mentions that you should be mindful of using these elements and how they will affect school librarian choice, since that is a heavy influence in how successful your book may be.)

Protag: 14-18 yrs

Focus: YA heros discover how they fit in the world beyond their friends and family; they spend more time reflecting on what happens and analyzing the meaning of things.

 

Here’s the link to this specific article, but there are more out there. Just Google Middle Grade Fiction definition or vs. YA or something like that.

https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/the-key-differences-between-middle-grade-vs-young-adult