Teen Read Week
Pick up a humorous book or a graphic novel and read
for the fun of it
Every October, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association, sponsors Teen Read Week to encourage teenagers to read for the fun of it. The theme of this year's Teen Read Week (October 14–20, 2007), "LOL @ your library®," features humorous books and graphic novels. Thousands of public and school libraries, teachers, and bookstores across the country participate in Teen Read Week.
"With so many options for entertainment, not to mention the increased amount
of schoolwork in the teen years, busy and distracted teens can sometimes
overlook reading for pleasure," said YALSA President Paula Brehm-Heeger. "That's why YALSA's Teen Read Week national
literacy initiative—aimed just at teens—is so important. It's a time to
remind teens that reading is fun, free and can be done anywhere, anytime!"
A recent study by the National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that the number of 17 year olds who said they never or hardly ever read for fun increased from 9% in 1984 to 19% in 2004. In addition, the percentage of 17 year olds who read daily dropped from 31% to 22%. The study also found that kids who read for enjoyment regularly score higher on reading tests than kids who don't. Organizers of Teen Read Week hope to reverse that trend by encouraging teens to use their local libraries.
"Librarians are working hard to create inviting teen areas and collections of
materials that will draw teens to reading and to libraries," said Brehm-Heeger. "Libraries
across the country also offer teens exciting programs and activities, often
planned with the input of teens, to engage young adults with books,
libraries and literacy."
During Teen Read Week, kids ages 12 to 18 can vote for their choice of the best recent young adult books from a list of titles that were selected by members of teen book groups. This year's nominees for the Teens' Top Ten are:
- Firegirl by Tony Abbott (Little, Brown and
Co., 2006)
- Clay by David Almond (Delacorte,
2006)
- Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks (Chicken
House, 2006)
- Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen
Calonita (Little, Brown and Co., 2006)
- The Loud Silence of Francine Green by
Karen Cushman (Clarion, 2006)
- Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (Viking
Children's Books, 2006)
- How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone
Elkeles (Flux, 2006)
- In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta
Ellsworth (Henry Holt, 2007)
- The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson
(Viking: Sleuth, 2006)
- What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail
Giles (Little, Brown and Co., 2006)
- Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie (Orca Book
Publishers, 2006)
- River Secrets by Shannon Sale (Bloomsbury,
2006)
- Shock Point by April Henry (Putnam
Juvenile, 2006)
- Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe (HarperCollins,
2006)
- Born to Rock by Gordon Korman (Hyperion,
2006)
- New Moon by Stephanie Meyer (Little, Brown
and Co., 2006)
- Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by
Kirsten Miller (Bloomsbury, 2005)
- Prom Anonymous by Blake Nelson (Viking,
2006)
- Maximum Ride: School's Out - Forever by
James Patterson (Little, Brown and Co., 2006)
- Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
(Harcourt, 2006)
- Penelope Bailey Takes the Stage by Susanna
Reich (Marshall Cavendish, 2006)
- All Hallow Eve (13 Stories) by Vivian
Vande Velde (Harcourt, 2006)
- Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos (Simon
& Schuster, 2006)
- The Unresolved by T.K. Welsh (Dutton,
2006)
- Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of
Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a
House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog by Ysabeau
S. Wilce (Harcourt, 2007)
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
