Young Adult Literature Prompt

I feel as though libraries should be a “judgment-free” zone when it comes to allowing adults to read YA. There are some very adult issues in YA, such as immigration, school shootings, war, etc.; if adults read about these topics through a teenage perspective, then maybe there could be a better dialogue between the two generations on these issues. We were all teenagers once, and adults need to be empathetic when it comes to this age group.

In my Special Topics paper on Young Adult literature, I found an article from Publisher’s Weekly that really drives home the point that there are a staggering number of adults who read YA. Publisher’s Weekly (2012),

More than half the consumers of books classified for young adults aren’t all that young. According to a new study, fully 55% of buyers of works that publishers designate for kids aged 12 to 17 -- known as YA books -- are 18 or older, with the largest segment aged 30 to 44, a group that alone accounted for 28% of YA sales. And adults aren’t just purchasing for others -- when asked about the intended recipient, they report that 78% of the time they are purchasing books for their own reading. The insights are courtesy of Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer in the Digital Age, an ongoing biannual study from Bowker Market Research that explores the changing nature of publishing for kids (1).

Having said that, there needs to be an identified YA genre that will allow teenagers to feel included in the library world and not necessarily have to resort to reading children’s books or jump right in to adult literature; this genre is a perfect in-between stage for library patrons. It will also draw teens in and explore the library further- maybe participate in the Summer Reading Program or check out other programming during the year. If the YA collection in a library is accessible to everyone in a general location, say, on the main level of a library instead of a special loft or room for teenagers, maybe adults won’t feel as guilty crossing this line to get the books they want. Young Adult literature should be available to both teenagers and adults.

Works Cited

Publisher’s Weekly. (2012). New Study: 55% of YA Books Bought by Adults. Retrieved from https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/53937-new-study-55-of-ya-books-bought-by-adults.html

YA Annotation: Turtles all the Way Down by John Green

Characteristics of Young Adult according to YALSA.com:

According to the Young Adult Library Services Association (2018), there are several defining characteristics of Young Adult Literature for the Teen’s Top Ten Award. A group of teenagers got together to decide on the qualities of the genre and decided that:

•   “A book should have lasting and universal appeal to teens between the ages of 12 and 18

• Packaging is important. The book's cover should catch your attention, draw you in, and relate to what is inside the book—no bait-and-switch covers
• A book should be a "book of substance," not "fluffy" 
•  Characters are realistic and compelling. Readers relate personally to them. Even in fantasy or horror, characters should be true to themselves—acting the way they would act. Each character should be distinctive
• If the story is about social issues that teens face, it should be realistic, not sugar-coated. Good descriptions help readers picture the setting; great imagery lets you feel as if you're there 
• The book should have a good balance of action and description, with a satisfying ending—not necessarily happy
• Nonfiction is well organized and covers an interesting topic, offering a fresh viewpoint. It must be accurate yet readable and concise. When appropriate, good illustrations support the writing” (1).

Summary

Life is a mystery.

Ava Holmes’s spiraling thoughts take her into a deep, dark abyss, which hurt her and keeps her from being able to interact socially with friends and family. She withdraws into herself, always in a psychological, philosophical manner, questions her sanity, questions reality, and questions who she will become if she does not control her mental illness. Her best friend, Daisy, tries to be supportive, but sometimes she thinks Ava is “too much to handle.” Her mother encourages her to visit a psychiatrist and take medication, but Ava refuses to let a pill change herself. She misses her father, who passed away, and the disappearance of her friend Davis Pickett’s father brings back memories of her own. Ava and Daisy then embark to help Davis find his father, but not without bitter consequences and closures for everyone involved.

Read-Alikes According to Goodreads.com*

*I got the book summaries from Goodreads, but I knew these books were similar from having previously read them. This book was still too new for Goodreads to have any similar book suggestions.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

“A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger - and a possible murderer - to inherit his vast fortune, one thing's for sure: Sam Westing may be dead... but that won't stop him from playing one last game” (1).

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

“Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps—gaps to trip you up, gaps to slide through so you can disappear forever. So, when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. After all, it wasn’t the first time that someone had slipped away and left Finn and Sean O’Sullivan on their own. Just a few years before, their mother had high-tailed it to Oregon for a brand-new guy, a brand-new life. That’s just how things go, the people said. Who are you going to blame? Finn knows that’s not what happened with Roza. He knows she was kidnapped, ripped from the cornfields by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember. But the searches turned up nothing, and no one believes him anymore. Not even Sean, who has more reason to find Roza than anyone, and every reason to blame Finn for letting her go” (1).

When you Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

“Winner of the 2010 Newbery Medal. Miranda is an ordinary sixth grader, until she starts receiving mysterious messages from somebody who knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late. For ages approximately 9-14” (1).

Works Cited

Goodreads.com. (2018). Bone Gap, Westing Game, and When You Reach Me. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com.

Google.com (2018). Turtles All the Way Down Cover Image. Retrieved from http://www.google.com

Green, J. (2017). Turtles All the Way Down. Penguin Random House LLC: New York.

Young Adult Library Services Association. (2018). Teens’ Top Ten Criteria. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/teenreading/teenstopten/tttcriteria.

YouTube. (2018). John Green Opens Up About How New Book Was Inspired by His Own Mental Illness: Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qogzHLZrUpg