Middle Grade Novel Book Covers that Sell

I learned from Art Director Brian LaRossa from Scholastic that good narrative illustration shows characters interacting with emotion.

A strong middle grade book cover grabs attention, often with bold colors, expressive characters, and a sense of adventure or emotion. It should instantly appeal to kids aged 8–12.

Below are a few of the middle grade book covers that I have designed. See if you can find find which designs are strongest and what could improve. Do these covers hint at the story? Promise an adventure? Use compelling and clear composition? What emotions do the characters have?

Covers often include key story elements or symbols that spark curiosity without giving too much away. It should hint- HINT, not TELL- the conflict or main themes in the story.

The design must strike the right balance—fun and imaginative, but not too childish or too mature.

Finally, a good cover stands out on shelves and screens. Clear composition, eye-catching visuals, and a memorable central image. One way to check if your composition is coming across clearly is to view it on a small scale, around 2x3 inches or even 1x2.5
A unique help create an instant connection, inviting young readers to open the book and explore.

As I like to say, art invites readers in and the writing invites them to stay.

How I became an Illustrator

I joined the SCBWI facebook group for SE Idaho a year ago. I hadn’t written or illustrated a book at that point. I hadn’t even become a SCWBI member.

I was still a student at BYU-Idaho pursuing my bachelor’s in illustration.

Student Artwork by Rebeckah Gerstner

In an introductory post I kept re-writing and re-writing my personal labels. Should I say I’m a student? A soon-to-be-illustrator? A wanna-be?? That’s what I felt like. I had made my own 90+ chapter comic, wrote a multi-year blog on manga illustration and was an assistant teacher for the arts classes at my university. I had even done short picture book projects for school. So I had illustrated something.

So, it hit me. Despite my imposter’s syndrome, I was an illustrator. And to take it a step further, I could illustrate picture books.

This reminds me of Emily of New Moon, a book and a girl adjacent to Anne of Green Gables and by the same author, being quizzed at a new school:

“Then what can you do?” said the freckled-one in a contemptuous tone.

“I can write poetry,” said Emily, without in the least meaning to say it. But at that instant she knew she could write poetry. And with this queer unreasonable conviction came—the flash!

So I wrote that I was an illustrator and I was an illustrator of picture books.

Picture Book Illustration by Rebeckah Gerstner

And that is how I became an illustrator. I just told myself I was one.
Within a month of that comment on Facebook, and after a few rounds of portfolio reviews, I had my first 2 picture book contracts with independently publishing authors.