It's already been a very busy fall in the Teen Room, with school visits, outreach programs, and regular clubs and activities. Now that we are nearing mid-October, we are preparing to celebrate Teen Read Week -- a national campaign sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association to encourage teens to "read for the fun of it." Unfortunately, teens are often required to read books they don't really enjoy -- a pattern that leads to a dislike for reading that lasts well beyond high school. Librarians -- and probably, many teachers and parents -- would like to shift the focus so that, by encouraging teens to read materials they enjoy, they will naturally build the amount of reading they do, leading to higher comprehension and fluency.
One great way Wyoming libraries do this is through the Soaring Eagle book award program, sponsored by the Wyoming Library Association and the Wyoming Reading Council. As I've stated before in this blog, this book award program takes its nominations and it voting results directly from Wyoming students in grades 7 through 12. Students submit titles for nominations in the spring; once those titles are reviewed by a committee, a final list is presented to teens the next fall. Those teens who read at least three titles on the list are then encouraged to vote for their favorite the following March.
Because the nominations come directly from teens, these titles are more likely to grab their attention and help them enjoy what they are reading -- in other words, to "read for the fun of it."
This year, there are 14 titles on the list of nominations. While not all of them are funny, they are engaging, suspenseful, and thought-provoking -- all qualities of good literature. Teens, if you are looking for something new to read, give one of these titles a try: they are all nominated by kids your age, so what better recommendation can there be? Parents and teachers, why not try a title or two yourself? Depending on the title you choose, you may be surprised at the quality and insight of the writing.
This week, I'll focus on only two of this year's nominees, and I'll start with the two that are the most "fun." There will be plenty of time to get to the more serious nominees later!
Lost Hero by Rick Riordan: Fans of Percy Jackson and the Olympians will be pleased to know that the adventures continue in this spin-off of Riordan's best-selling series. The five-book Percy Jackson series brought the gods and monsters of Greek mythology into a modern, real-world setting. In Lost Hero, Percy Jackson has disappeared, and a mysterious boy named Jason Grace enters the scene. The problem is, Jason has amnesia, so cannot remember who he is, or why is in on a Wilderness Bus headed to the Grand Canyon. The truth is revealed, however, and Jason and his two friends soon discover their demigod status, as well as their quest to save the gods from disaster. Riordan's writing style is fast-paced and suspenseful, with just enough humor to keep both teens and adults entertained. Already there are two sequels to Lost Hero: The Son of Neptune and Mark of Athena. Try the entire Heroes of Olympus series if you are a fan of Riordan's other work; this is also a great choice for fans of the 39 Clues series who are ready for something a bit older.
Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson: Patterson, famous for his novels for adult and older teen audiences, turns his attention to a younger teen audience with this new series. The main character, Rafe Khatchadorian, struggles with his home life, but middle school is no better. Together with his only friend, "Leo the Silent," Rafe hatches a plan to make his sixth-grade year the best ever, by breaking every school rule listed in the code of conduct. Adding both humor and perspective to Rafe's narration are the in-text illustrations by artist Christopher Tebbetts. Borrowing from the example of Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which was written for an older audience, Patterson teams with Tebbetts to create an illustrated novel that tackles difficult subjects by interjecting healthy doses of levity. Give this novel, and its sequel, Middle School: Let Me Out of Here!, a try if you are a fan of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
Hopefully, these first two entries in our list of 2012 Soaring Eagle nominees will entice reluctant teens to read a novel just "for the fun of it."
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