Where do I go to find good teen books to read?
Lucky 13!
Teachers, librarians, and
teens often struggle with what to read next. The sites listed in this summary
will help both teens and librarians and teachers find books that appeal to the
teens. The resources come from around the globe, which provides teens with a
cosmopolitan benefit that may attract even reluctant readers. These URLs are
also comprehensive enough to insure that at least a few titles found, will be
readily available somewhere close to home. The sites listed below have all been
checked thoroughly as of January, 2009. All links were in fine working order!
5. Reads For Teens (http://reads4teens.org/) This Indiana site
is run by the Carmel Clay Public Library. It has links to books in many
different categories.
6. Guys Read
(http://www.guysread.com/ ) Lots of
research has been conducted in the last few years to determine why so many boys
seem to lag behind girls in reading motivation. Jon Scieszka, author of several
great books for children, especially boys, is the founder of this web-based,
literacy site. The web site includes recommended “guy” books, a search engine
for finding books, information about Jon, and other links. The books are
divided by age, from elementary through high school.
7. Bloggers:
Here are several blogs that are a
must read for those who crave the latest information about books. Perhaps my
favorite is Bookends by two of the smarter and hipper reviewers (and two of my
very best friends—full disclosure), Cindy Dobrez and Lynn Rutan. http://bookends.booklistonline.com/.
Check out the Goddess of YA
Literature Blog on Live Journal as well: http://professornana.livejournal.com/
Other online resources to explore include Angelina Benedetti’s 35 Going On 13
articles that appear in Library Journal monthly. These articles highlight teen
books and authors that adults will certainly enjoy. Here is one example: http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/890765-264/not_just_for_teens_.html.csp
. Take a look at What I’m Reading Now http://grownupteens.blogspot.com/ or Richie’s Picks http://richiespicks.com/
8. Teen Lib Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young-adult_fiction
) \ Wikis are a collective presentation of knowledge. This one is sponsored by
the YALibrarian.com As is true with most Wikis, it is updated sometimes by the
minute or even second, as long as the person doing the updating has registered
a free account. A quick tour through this site and one will discover many of
the lists of award books and teen authors. For another Wiki, see: http://childlit.info/index.php?title=Main_Page
9. Voice of Youth Advocates (http://voya.com/WhatsInVoya/booklists.shtml#booklists)
Even though this site, like the YALSA site above, is geared more toward
teachers and librarians than to teens, it is worth listing because this
magazine is the only one that regularly features both adult and teen reviewers.
The VOYA review scale (5Q,5P) is widely used in schools and libraries across
the country (the Q stands for quality and the P stands for popularity; the
higher the number, the better or more popular the book).
10.
Cynthia Leitich Smith
(http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/diversity/native_am/NativeThemes_intro.html) This is not the home page for Ms.
Smith’s site. However, when doing a list of books for teens it is important to
be aware of cultural difference. This page is the page with an essay on Native
American themes in books for teens and children. On the left side of the page,
users will see the links for finding all sorts of books, such as multiracial
books, Asian books, etc. Educators, unfortunately, do not always seek out
titles that reflect the bigger world in which we live. Teens need to know that
there are places to find information about different races, different family
structures, different social issues. This site is one of the very best ones at
trying to find quality resources for a wide spectrum of races, religions,
cultures, and peoples. Ms. Smith is an award winning author and speaker. She
has written both children and young adult novels, her latest entitled
Tantalize. Here is information about her site, note the seal of approval from
the Association of Library Services to Children.
This Web site includes substantial
teacher support resources about Cynthia's books as well as tremendous resources related
to the entire
body of children's and young adult literature. It has been recognized among
"Great
Web Sites For Kids" by the American Library Association.
11. Nancy Keane’s Booktalks (http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/ya.htm)
Booktalks are short commercials designed to peak the interest of teen (or
other) readers without giving away the ending or other surprises crucial to
maintaining interest in the story. Nancy Keane is an author who has compiled
booktalks over the years. She does presentations at state reading conferences
on how to get students, even that most reluctant reader, to beg for books. This
is a site to use when you need to know just bit more than the brief annotation
provides. It is a site that is more useful for teachers and librarians than it
is for teens. Every librarian should know how to do a booktalk and should give
them regularly. If librarians or teachers are not sure how to do one or what to
say, this site gives permission (within guidelines) for using these prewritten
booktalks.
12.
Teen Lit (http://www.teenlit.com/)
This site includes teen reviews, providing both name and grade level of
students writing the review.
13.
TeenRC. (http://www.teenrc.ca/blogs) This Canadian
site gives a feel for what teens in Canada are reading. Also take a look at: http://www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes/ggla/
While our Canadian friends often see books from the states, we should make sure
that US students see the exceptional work written by Canadians that we Staters
in our, what?, arrogance or ignorance often do not find. Try reading, for
example, True
Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks, or Chanda’s
Secrets by Allan Stratton, or Tribes
by Art Slade. Read one of my all time favorite books: Heck,
Superhero by Martine Leavitt, winner of the ESP Award (Ed Spicer Personal
book award, for the book which comes closest to being Ed’s autobiography).
While these books are older, they still are some of my all time favorite books
and well worth finding and reading. A newer ESP contender is Canadian, Tim
Wynne Jones’ book Blink
& Caution. Interested in what Australian teens are reading? Try this
site: http://www.arts.gov.au/funding-support/awards/prime-ministers-literary-awards/2011-shortlists