Support Teen Literature Day

April 12, 2012

As you might have heard, April 8th-14th is National Library Week, with each day celebrating an important aspect of the library world. The State of America's Libraries annual report was released on Monday. Tuesday provided an opportunity to celebrate the diligence of library workers and their efforts to facilitate access to the wealth of information libraries provide. Wednesday was a chance to think about the role of bookmobiles and the ways in which creative outreach has brought the library to those who can't come to it. And the fun continues today with Support Teen Literature Day.

Maybe you're a teen, and if you're not, we're willing to bet you were at one time. It's a wonderful, difficult, confusing, and memorable age, and the young adult literature of today reflects that better than it ever has. It's open, honest, and genuine. It tells it how it is. It asks questions that need to be asked. It explores uncharted territory. It wastes less time setting up the story and spends more time developing characters and engaging the reader. Many adults find themselves more drawn to YA than to adult fiction for these reasons.

Here at the library, we support teen literature by reading reviews of recently published and forthcoming books, and then purchasing the titles that are generating buzz. We stay in touch with the recommendations of teens, library staff, and anyone else who cares to recommend. We stay updated on the various awards and suggested reading lists produced by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL), and other such bodies. And we read.

There's no better way to support teen literature. I offer this challenge to each and every one of you; pick up something that says YA on the spine. Browse some of the titles on The Hunger Games read alikes list, available in many branches. Tracy from the Liberty Branch also highlights some of those titles here.  We also invite you to take a look at the recent award winners. Why not check out something that's been recommended by YALSA on their website? Of course, you can always simply ask Library staff. Most branches have someone that specializes in teen programming or reads a lot of YA. Many have also made strides to create young adult displays showcasing hot reads. You can also ask to see what YA book have been returned recently.

There really is some great stuff being written in YA. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Planesrunner by Ian McDonald
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catch & Release by Blythe Woolston
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

YA Addicts: What would you add to this list?

Amanda W.
North Independence Branch