Giving "genre fiction" a fair shake

"I really wish people would give the individual stories a chance without having to quantify them as a certain thing or another. They’re missing out on a lot of really awesome books I think."

An artist I admire said this about graphic novels here, but I thought about it when I finished reading When You Reach Me, the book that won the Newberry Award (best middle grade/children's book) this year.  It's an amazing book; really well-done and gripping, and it stars a protagonist who loves A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.  It's a short, sweet, suspenseful, action-packed coming-of-age/school/family/friendship/mystery story that has a genre-rific twist.  It also has some fun physics. And it's short, somehow, despite having all that packed into it.

This year has shown that awards committees for kids' and teen's fiction like physics.

Anyway, if someone asked me what genre this book is, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't try to tell them.  I'd just tell them to read it, and they'd probably love it.  Who cares what "genre" it is?  It's a great book!