Teen Read Week

There’s a short article in the Pocono Record, written by the librarians at Pocono Mt. Public Library, speaking about Teen Read Week (October 13 – 19, 2002); the theme this year is “Getting Graphic @ Your Library”, focusing on graphic novels.

By the way, on the ALA site, in the article on collection development for libraries with graphic novel sections, Steve Raiteri gives his highest recommendation, in terms of mature reader titles, to the Sandman series. Brief Lives and other titles in the Sandman series are recommended in the reviews written by teens.

###

On a somewhat related note, it looks like Coraline has been nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults for 2003 by the Young Adult Library Services Association; Death:The High Cost of Living was one of the winners for graphic novels in their Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2002, and Stardust won their Alex award in 2000.

###

And speaking of young adult novels, as noted in the blog, Neil reviewed Summerland in today’s Washington Post. In reference to authors moving into the YA field, thought this was incredibly apt:
I wonder, though, if there isn’t another phenomenon at work here. Fiction seems capable of existing in only one ghetto at a time, so if your book is in what used to be known, rudely, as the kiddylit ghetto, then it is children’s fiction, no matter what else it might be (fantasy, historical, horror, sf, humor, romance and so on). As a result of the enormous success of authors like J.K. Rowling and Pullman, adults in the millions have now read and enjoyed fantasy novels without ever having had to browse the fantasy shelves. For the most part, after all, the crossover books tell tales in which the joy of story is also the joy of the fantastic without apology, a freedom of children’s literature that can be lost at adulthood, where metaphor becomes literal and genre restrictions apply.

But whatever the reason, the former kiddylit ghetto has become fashionable, the cool people are moving in, and property prices are starting to climb.

The review is worth reading, as is Summerland itself, and if you have opportunity to hear Michael Chabon read, do so, even if you don’t have children to take in tow. He’s very good.