Event: YALSA Lit Symposium, Austin

Young Adult Literature Symposium, November 14 - 16 in Austin, TX

YALSA’s YA Lit Symposium will take place Nov. 14 - 16, 2014 in Austin, TX, at the Hyatt Regency. Come hang out with YALSA and 500 library workers, educators, researchers, authors and publishers to explore what’s ‘real’ in the world of teen literature! Highlights include a Book Blitz where attendees receive free, autographed books, and the chance to meet and mingle with over 50 YA authors at various receptions and sessions. Register online and view the preliminary program at www.ala.org/yalitsymposium. Registration discounts are available for students and members of the Texas Library Association and Texas Association of School Librarians.

I'll be there and maybe even serving a few cocktails on the boat cruise, lolz! Here is a highlight of some of the programs and authors!

Repost: Virtual Road Trip: Texas & Book Festivals

I was asked to write a post about youth something unique to Texas that has to do with youth services. Well that took me less than two seconds! Below is what I wrote for YALSA:

You know that saying “Everything is bigger in Texas”? It’s true and when we talk about literary events for young readers and book lovers the saying couldn’t be more fitting. Devoted fans travel across the country, and teachers and kids pack in school buses at too-dern-early o’clock to spend the day with their favorite and soon-to-be favorite authors in Texas. There are more than just a few opportunities to discover new authors and series. Texas hosts a multitude of events throughout the year. Some are YA focused while others bring a mix of YA, middle grade, and picture books that are loved at every age.

YALSA's Teens' Top Ten - 2011

The Young Adult Library Services Association announced the top ten teen books of the year- voted on by teens! Actually, over 9,000 of them! These teens come from book groups from 16 different libraries all over the country. Take a look at who made the list and who the winner was.




Cheers for Cassandra Clare and Clockwork Angel! The entire list is below. Surprised about the winning choice? I would have loved to see Matched closer to the top and I'm not sure how I feel about I Am Number Four. What do you guys think?

1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
3. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
4. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
5. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
6. Matched by Ally Condie
7. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson
8. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
10. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Fin out more information about the Teens Top Ten at YALSA
Who won in 2010? Find out HERE

2011 Top Ten Graphic Novels For Teens

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens. The list of 63 titles, drawn from 89 official nominations, is presented annually at the ALAMidwinter Meeting. The books, recommended for those ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens. The complete list with annotations can be found HERE



Aristophane. The Zabime Sisters. Trans. by Matt Madden. First Second, 2010.
Experience the first day of summer vacation with three sisters on their island home of Guadelupe.

Dayton, Brandon. Green Monk. Self-published, 2009.
A young monk with the most powerful blade of grass EVER wanders into battle with a fierce giant.

Iwaoka, Hisae. Saturn Apartments V. 1. VIZ Media, 2010.
Mitsu takes on his late father's dangerous job as a window washer on the space ship Saturn Apartments.

Kim, Susan, et. al. Brain Camp. First Second, 2010.
Two teens discover there is something far more sinister than nature hikes going on at their summer camp.

Layman, John and Rob Guillory. Chew V. 1: Taster’s Choice. Image Comics, 2009.
When Tony Chu has to investigate murder, just about anything can end up down the hatch.

Neri, G. and Randy Duburke. Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty. Lee & Low Books, 2010.
The life, death and aftermath of an eleven-year-old gangbanger, based on a true tragedy.

Shiga, Jason. Meanwhile: Pick Any Path. 3,856 Story Possibilities. Amulet Books, 2010.
Have you played any comics lately? Choose your own adventure.

Telgemeier, Raina. Smile. Graphix, 2010.
Brace yourself: Middle School plus orthodontia equals dental drama.

TenNapel, Doug. Ghostopolis. Graphix, 2010.
Garth Hale has gone to the other side, but he’s not dead yet.

Weing, Drew. Set to Sea. Fantagraphics, 2010.
A lumbering poet discovers hardship and wisdom on the high seas.

Have you guys read any? My daughter loves graphic novels, and I recognize a few....

Happy Reading!

2011 William C. Morris Award - Shortlist

The nominees have been narrowed down. Here is the shortlist:

William C. Morris Award, which honors a book written for young adults by a previously unpublished author. YALSA will name the 2011 award winner at the Youth Media Awards on Jan. 10, during the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting in San Diego.

The 2011 finalists are:

Hush by Eishes Chayil, published by Walker Publishing Company, a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
Growing up in her insular Chassidic Jewish community has always made Gittel feel secure and given her a sense of belonging. But when her best friend, Devory, hangs herself after being sexually abused, her faith in the group is challenged and only gradually does she find ways to express her desire for the community to deal with the issue. 

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey, published by Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group
Seventeen-year-old Ellie Spencer is just trying to make it through her last year of high school, but a chance interaction with the school's weirdo, Mark Nolan, puts her on a very different path filled with Maori legends come to life.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride, published by Henry Holt

Sam thinks his life working in a fast food restaurant is awful. But when he's confronted by a powerful necromancer, he learns that everything he thought was true about his life — isn't.

Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber, published by Margaret McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon &Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

In the 1920s, Iris' emotionally distant father sends her to rural Missouri to act as a companion to an elderly woman while he heads to Kansas City with his fiance. Iris' mother died when she was five, and it takes her some time to learn to care for Mrs. Nesbitt and see her own future with optimism.

The Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston, published by Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group

Loa, a strong, intelligent, hardworking sixteen-year-old experiences a year of loss: the death of her sister who was born with a genetic disorder, her lifelong friend who was killed in an accident, her best friend who has gone to Europe, and even her dog. While trying to take care of her family and make it through school she ponders the laws of physics and tries to understand what can never make sense.

Okay...confession time, I haven't read any of them. The good news is that I've at least heard of them. The last two, not so much. Have any of you read any?

2010 - Winner: Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan

Finalists: Ash by Malinda Lo, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, The Everafter by Amy Huntley, and Hold Still by Nina LaCour

2009 - Winner: A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Finalists: Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne, Madapple by Christina Meldrum, and Me, the Missing, and the Deadby Jenny Valentine.

For more information on the William C. Morris Award go HERE 

Teen Read Week 2010

Teen Read Week was initiated by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) in 1998. The purpose of Teen Read Week is to encourage and inspire teens find Bookjoy! It is a great way for libraries to promote thier library by having free, fun activities, programs and reading sessions for teens. This year's Books with Beat @ your library®," which encourages teens to read poetry, audiobooks, books about music, and more.

Here is author and poet Nikki Grimes where she explains the role of the library in her younger years. She is a wonderful author and an inspiration to all! 

Teen Read Week has a great Wiki page full of ideas. Here just a few of my favorites I found:

2010 Theme ideas:

Read Beat (Audiobooks)

It's Got a Beat (Music and dance)

To the Beat of a Different Drummer (Iconoclasts)

The Beatdown (Awareness about bullying, abuse, and violence)

Beat Generation (Beatniks and poetry)

On the Beat (Crime, detectives and mysteries)

A Beating Heart (Love and romance)

Check Your Heartbeat (Medicine and health)

We Can Beat 'Em (Sports and Athletics)

These are great ideas, and I can picture the displays! 

51 Ideas for Teen Read Week

by Pam Spencer Holley (reprinted with permission)

1. Extended library hours

2. Addition of lots of paperbacks

3. Open House with food and volunteers to explain teen activities

4. Set up a Suggestion Box, then post suggestions with responses

5. Establish a Teen Advisory Group

6. Design and set up a website/blog/MySpace location

7. Collect and post teen reviews [offer some instruction in review writing]

8. Amnesty Week to coincide with TRW

9. Sleep-in with teens reading all night, followed by breakfast

10. Books to Movies festival

11. Laugh-In film festival with lots of old funny movies

12. Stand-up Comedy Night

13. Pizza Tasting Contest

14. Ice Cream Sundaes Contest

15. Night/afternoon of gaming

16. Sponsor a Battle of the Bands

17. Redesigned book jacket contest

18. Anime/Manga Character contest

19. Self-defense training session

20. Salsa dancing [or any other dancing style--hire an instructor]

21. Teen photo contest [ex. Potentially Funny Situations]

22. Talent Show

23. Program on being a clown

24. Book giveaways

25. Karaoke night

26. Scavenger Hunt

27. Duct-tape or other crafts

28. Murder Mystery Night [rewrite to murder a comedian]

29. Librarian Challenge [offer something silly in exchange for # books/pages read]

30. Free rentals of DVDs, VHS, audiobooks during TRW

31. Teen-produced Public Service Announcements

32. Partner [school and public library]

33. Family Activity--teens read to younger kids at library

34. Which book would you save from a fire?

35. Trivia contests [about comedians perhaps]

36. Contest to create new Knock-Knock jokes

37. Display photos of teens reading

38. School-wide read-in [during the day; after school; at a mall, etc.]

39. "Sock It to Reading"

40. Bulletin board filled with book title suggestions from teens

41. Teen Book Column in local newspaper; teen reviews

42. Teens read books to kids at hospital, day care centers, etc.

43. Paperback and/or Comic Book swap

44. Media Swap

45. Joke Swap

46. Tickets to a concert for readers

47. Contest to select teens for TV PSA [local station]

48. Radio talk show interview--teens and reading

49. Write a letter to your favorite author

50. Read-a-thon of teen writings

51.   Podcast teens reading scary short-stories and put it on the internet

What can YOU do to celebrate Teen Read Week? Me...I'm off to volunteer at Austin Public Library! 

Happy Reading!