Fountain of Knowledge

OK here's my take on it. My "research" has been done essentially by reading YA/MG fiction. I don't rub elbows with editors or profess to know anything other than what I have read. That said, in the past few months I have read about twelve R.L. Stine novels, all the Harry Potters, Rick Yancey's "The Monstrumologist", Allison Goodman's "Eon" (Read this book!!!!), Suzanne Collins "Hunger Games" (Sick! Love it!, despite the present tense), Jerry Spinelli's "Space Station Seventh Grade" and others I just don't remember (in addition to my adult reads---yes, I have no life). Here's what I find to be the difference between YA, MG and Adult speculative fiction.

Adult: Anything goes.

Y/A: Main Character no older than (a young) 18 and at least some characters younger (to about 14--but the MC should be no younger than about 16-----14 if you are an established author); no descriptions of sexual acts (but mentioning sex is OK, and nudity without sex is fine). Blood is OK. Drugs are OK. Murder is OK. Swearing is OK in moderation, but not "the dirty old man" type. (No "C" word or similar).

MG: Here's where things get sketchy. You can swear (Lightly and in moderation--no "F" word or equally as alarming). You can talk about things like pubic hair and periods and dropping gonads, but avoid outright sex talk. People can bleed and die and be murdered. But everything must be done without being overly descriptive and in short sentences. Commas are scarce, semi-colons are unheard of. The most important thing is to "Get into Character." Mid-grade fiction is for 9-12 year olds. Kids always identify up from their own age. So a 9 yer old can relate to a twelve, but a twelve can't relate to a nine. So you never want the protagonist to be nine, always 11-13 or 14 depending on the subject matter. If you can't talk like a kid you can't write a great kid's book.

Thoughts?