How much do you think the middle grade audience has changed in the last few decades

[Michael]

I am just interested in hearing how much you think, if they have, the tastes of this age group have changed. I am in a midst of an interesting experiment as I have re-issued a book originally published with Scholastic thirty years ago. I have revised and updated but the original themes and stories remain the same. The hero's father is a professional wrestler which was very popular with boys at that time. 1987! I wonder do you think that carries over.
The kids I know now, seem just more sophisticated and have access to so much entertainment options but I am pleased to see that the juvenile section in the book store particularly YA seems to be booming.

[Jemima]

Take a look at our discussion in the General section about the Listopia lists, Michael - there are quite a few ideas on these lines in there. But I expect you'll get more here.

In many ways the audience hasn't changed, but the things they take for granted has.

[Chet]

If my 8-year-old son and his friends are anything to go by, pro wrestling is as popular now as it was then. I was ten in 1987, so I'm well positioned to comment about both generations! Not sure how much of the wrestling they actually watch on TV (my son doesn't watch any, but he still seems to know a lot of their names), but all the ancillary toys, computer games and trading cards are pretty big business. Or at least they are here in the UK:

https://www.toppsdirect.com/slam-atta...

[Michael]

Cool. Thanks for the link and the comment. I still see the wrestling shows on television just they are slicker by far than the programs of my childhood. When I was 10, however, in 1974 I would have argued with anyone that pro wrestling was real. I have the feeling that the audience in general no longer believes that.
But the overgrown spectacle and caroon action of wrestling will probably always have some appeal for boys. Or so I'm hoping.