The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2010 annual lists of Fabulous Films for Young Adults and Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults ages 12 to 18. This article presents the list of titles that were released in January 2010 during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston,…

Street lit is controversial stuff. Even though street lit is a huge hit with today's teens, one will not find the semiautobiographical novels of Vickie Stringer and Nikki Turner, the grandes dames of urban fiction, on many (if any) high school reading lists or, for that matter, on some public libraries' shelves. That's because street lit (aka…

This talk delivered at the "Focus '86...The Curriculum and You" Conference by an author of books for young adults, focuses on the problem of teenage suicide. The characters and situations of three books are described with emphasis on the need for human values within the community. (CLB)

Reviews series mysteries for children and adolescents in two categories: mysteries for girls ("Nancy Drew,""Doris Fein") and mysteries for boys ("Hardy Boys,""Race against Time"). Characters and plots, appeal of the series, and series books and adolescents are discussed. Eight sources are given. (EJS)

Examines presence of moral viewpoints in young adult literature, suggesting that while literature can raise questions and acknowledge contradictions implicit in any moral decision, young people can only look inward for conclusions. Explicit didacticism (instructive qualities concerning moral, ethical, or religious matters) and examples of…

This annotated bibliography, listing fiction titles for young adults on the subject of religion and the religious experience, will be useful to teachers, librarians, and others working with young adults. There are few existing guides to the literature in this subject area. This study explores fiction published from 1986 through 1990. The only…

Focusing on issues raised in secondary schools, this report itemizes book protests gleaned from both the American Library Association's "Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom" and the newspapers and compares results with six published censorship surveys. Interpreting the survey, most frequently and least frequently protested books, and…

Recently, many new and veteran authors have begun creating modern vampires that are seducing readers with their tales of mystery, suspense, and hunger. Their audiences span most age groups, but teens especially seem to be drawn to these books. As such, librarians must develop a better understanding of which vampire stories really stand out. In…

This bibliographic essay cites fiction titles for adolescents in grades seven through 12 on a wide range of subjects and reading levels. Suggestions for preparing booktalks to promote current books, introductions and summaries to be used for particular titles, and the effectiveness of booktalks are highlighted. (EJS)

This book provides annotations for 300+ contemporary and classic fiction and nonfiction books that support and enhance the middle school curriculum. The selected titles represent top-quality literature that ties into all areas of the curriculum. The annotations are organized into chapters that cover the following subject areas and genres:…

Lists sequels or books in series published from 1973 to mid-1985 and intended for grades 4-12. Titles are grouped by author in six categories (fantasy and science fiction, historical fiction, autobiographical fiction, modern realistic fiction, mystery, sports); sequels are listed in preferred order of reading; series alphabetically by title. (EJS)

Following a brief introduction to the topic of child abuse (why children are abused, who are abused, who are abusers, what forms abuse takes, what sources of help are available), this essay examines 16 children's fiction books and comments on the action of the characters. Five references are included. (EJS)

This review of young adult paperback publishing covers original paperback romances, romance series, standard series novels, sex in series fiction, and review media. Prominent publishers, popular titles, and sources for paperback reviews are mentioned, and selection of materials for the library collection is discussed. (EJS)

Summarizes results of analysis of 209 reviews of fiction books for children and adolescents appearing in six major selection aids in 1979, and discusses classification of statements in reviews--descriptive (objective statements); analytical (literary elements); and sociological (nonliterary considerations). The Classification of Book Reviews form…

An author of books for young adults discusses the need for realism in adolescent literature as a means of helping teenagers to cope with real problems and describes her most recent book, which deals with euthanasia. (CLB)