School libraries can hardly keep graphic novels on their shelves. Enthusiasm for the genre has led many librarians to question how such novels might be infused into normal curricula. However, many librarians who have proposed such an integration have learned that their colleagues do not share their enthusiasm. From the teachers' perspective, it…

Inspired by the memory of a student shot and killed due to suspicion that he was an illegal immigrant, the author has compiled a bibliography of books written by immigrants or their descendents. These books, based on family experiences that include the immigrant experience, can add richness and diversity to U.S. children's literature.

Web 2.0 tools enable today's writers to connect with their audience in unprecedented ways. The advent of social networking and other Web 2.0 tools have changed the rules for how authors and book publishers market and communicate with their audience. Through tools like blogs, Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook, Young Adult (YA) lit authors can choose…

As advocates for reading, librarians cannot help but love a reading program. In this article, the author talks about the Battle of the Books, a reading enrichment program that had been in place since 1996. Battle of the Books promotes reading among middle school students by offering interesting books and a trivia-type competition. The author…

Audiobooks have been around for years in various formats, like cassette tapes and CDs. This article describes a new type of audiobook on the market which is generating an interest in "reading." The device, called Playaway, is the size of a MP3 player and comes with a lanyard and ear buds. Buttons on the back of the player control the…

The decision to add graphic novels, and particularly the Japanese styled called manga, was one the author has debated for a long time. In this article, the author shares her experience when she purchased graphic novels and mangas to add to her library collection. She shares how graphic novels and mangas have revitalized the library.

In this article, the author thinks about the changes that have taken place in school libraries during the past 25 years that she has shared with Linworth Publishing. She remembers the first copy of "The Book Report" that arrived in the mail as a sample. As a high school librarian with several years experience, she found this new magazine an…

Eighth graders offer librarians and language arts teachers the greatest challenge of matching the student with just the right book. These duplicitous creatures have a foot in two worlds. They are both children and young adults. While sixth graders may be emotionally immature, three years later, they are usually prepared for the young adult world.…

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…

In this article, the author presents a listing of 10 novels about well-known artists. These novels provide unique views of not only the artists, but also of the times, places, and cultures in which they lived. These novels provide a quality reading experience for the art student and others.

Many secondary students have given up the joy of reading. When asked why they don't read for pleasure, students came up with many different reasons, the first being lack of time. High school students are busy with after school jobs, sports, homework, etc. With the growing number of students enrolled in AP classes, not only is there not much time…

"Title Trekking program" is a young adult reading program that encourages students to read books from a carefully selected reading list and reflect about them in a journal. The program's momentum comes from personal communication and encouragement, which includes staff sharing good books with their students, sharing them with each other, and…

Not only are the hills alive with the sound of music, but the school library media center at Delsea Regional High School in Franklinville, New Jersey, is alive with the sound of reading. The media center has become a hub of reading, because the school library media specialist has made the promotion of reading and reading-incentive activities an…

This article is a discussion of authors and controversial novels that should be on the top of library media specialists' reading list if they work with high-school-age teens. "Controversial" is not a dirty word, it is an enticement! The goal of library media specialists is to get teens who may be burned out with reading due to incentive programs…

The fiction genre novels published in the US for children as well as for young adults and their responses to contemporary realistic fiction are discussed. The novels from both the 2000-2005 Children's Notables and Best Books for Young Adults lists displays a strong preference for historical fictions.