Some books aimed to the older Junior High audience tend to be more envelope-pushing as opposed to the books for younger readers. That's not to say that there isn't a degree of What Do You Mean, It's for Kids? that are found in the books. The plot and conflict are usually driven by external forces the Call to Adventure is more common than the Coming of Age. Primary School (usually grades 3-5) and Junior High are common settings, though some books featuring older teens can be Middle Grade, depending on content. While dealing with 'heavier' subjects than your typical children's book, they are distinct from Young Adult Literature as they do not feature gratuitous violence, very few instances of profanity, and it's No Hugging, No Kissing when it comes to romance, though crushes and first kisses are usually fine. They are short in length, averaging about 65 to 250 pages and typically do not feature illustrations (if they do, they are small or appear sparingly). Those who are able to combine immersive story telling with a message like this story has deserves every ounce of credit for the work they have done.Middle Grade is a publishing term for books within Children's Literature aimed towards readers that are 8-13 years old.

From football matches to castles and everything in between it’s fun, uniquely random, highly imaginative and carries not just an important message, but a brave one about acceptance. The pages seem to fly by and there even some great illustrations as these friends must find a way to rescue an important group who are held captive in this underground and sometimes sinister world. This makes for a wonderful lesson to readers about the awareness of autism and that some of us can be little different. Throughout we gradually learn a subtle but important message, that being a positive definition of those who are neurodivergent. This quest takes them below ground to a place known as ‘Gajoomdoom’ – there are some new creative words here which is all part of the fun and the sweet colourful immersion. Together they embark on an epic journey of discovery while realising there is a coming threat to the land in which they live.

The story comes first as we are introduced to this near future ‘Real World’ and three friends who quickly meets a mysterious character known as ‘Moojag’. McMorran tells this story fits nicely between that of Lewis Carroll and Roald Dahl while it is targeted to a younger audience but those with more adult eyes will enjoy this one too. ‘Moojag and the Auitcode Secret’ is a uniquely colourful blend of fantasy world meets the real subject of neurodivergence and represents it with a positive message about being different and that it’s okay to be just that. I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like this one.

Moojag and the auticode secret