I love to read. My mom used to get frustrated with me when I spent my mornings reading the back of the cereal box instead of actually eating breakfast.
Now that I am an adult, I can read at the table (although I do realize how rude I am being to my family, so I usually don't). But I read everywhere else - while I'm drying my hair and putting on makeup, while standing in line, while waiting to pick my son up from school, while he is watching TV, before bed... I could go on.
Reading is my escape, my pleasure, my sanity-saver.
A few months ago, Ruth Graham wrote an article for Slate called "Against YA," saying that adults should be embarrassed if what they are reading was meant for children. I disagree.
Young adult, or even children's literature, can be just as interesting, entertaining and thought-provoking as "adult" literature. I've never bought into the belief that "good" books have to be impenetrable to the casual reader.
I actually love to read all genres. My library bag usually has a mix of mysteries, thrillers, contemporary fiction, chick lit, fantasy and classics. About the only thing I don't love is horror. I am too empathetic. When I read, I tend to live the characters' lives, and horror scares me too much.
Are there bad YA books? Sure, just like there are bad adult books. And what is bad and what is good is subjective. I had this conversation with another mom just a couple of weeks ago. She saw the book I was reading, and said her daughter had tried it, and just couldn't get into it. I finished it, and liked it a lot.
So here is my list that I would recommend. I don't have The Fault in Our Stars, or the Divergent or Hunger Games series on here; everyone knows about those. But these might have slipped under the radar and are worth a look!
The Last Dragonslayer and The Song of the Quarkbeast - Jasper Fforde: I love this author. He also has written some fantastic adult books. He creates alternate realities you want to live in. This series is about a young woman who is running a company who has magicians for rent, in a time when magic is drying up, and she may be the only hope to bring back Big Magic. There are kings, dragons, quarkbeasts (aren't you curious about what they are???), and a lot of humor that adults will appreciate as much as children.
A Corner of White and The Cracks in the Kingdom - Jaclyn Moriarty: If you like Jasper Fforde, you will love these books, too. Both Jaclyn and Jasper have a quirky sense of humor and create alternate realities that seem like they could be real. This series is about a young girl in our world who finds a way to communicate with a boy in the world of Cello. This kind of communication is forbidden in Cello, but why? And can they send more than just a slip of paper, or can they find a way to solve the mystery that is occurring in both of their worlds?
Revolution - Deborah Wiles: This book about Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964. Children (and even adults) who weren't alive during that time cannot fathom this world. [As an aside, I am not saying racism does not still exist. But there aren't governors physically blocking students from entering a school, police using tear gas and fire hoses to subdue a peaceful protest and towns closing public pools so they don't have to integrate.] This story is written from the viewpoint of children, and includes wonderful photos, quotes and song lyrics from the time. It would be a great place to start the conversation about race and our country's history of treating others as less than human.
The Glass Sentence - S.E. Grove: I just finished this one a few weeks ago. Again, this falls into the fantasy/alternative reality genre. A young lady whose parents disappeared when she is young is being raised by her uncle, who is a cartographer extraordinaire in a world where different areas of the world are in different time periods. Maps help people navigate from country to country, but also time period to time period, and when her uncle is kidnapped, she will stop at nothing to get him back and figure out the map he left her and why it is important.
The Mysterious Benedict Society Series - Trenton Lee Stewart: This one is really aimed at even younger audiences, probably the late elementary school crowd, and I cannot wait for my son to be old enough to enjoy them! They are about some young children (all orphans of some sort) who are recruited to go on a secret mission only they can complete. You cheer for the children, gasp at the villains, and like that the happy endings are a little different than you might expect!
Code Name Verity: Elizabeth Wein: This book is set during World War II, and tells the story of what some extraordinary women did to help the war effort, sacrificing so much to serve their country. A great one to foster conversations about war, propaganda, and world history.
The Ring and the Crown - Melissa de la Cruz: This is a story about two young girls, one who is destined to become queen, and one who is to be her magician (which is how her family has kept their power over the Franco-British Empire). Not only is the storytelling wonderful, and the characters real, but the ending isn't what you expect. A book that surprises you is one worth reading.
The Finishing School Series - Gail Carriger: These are just fun reads. You have young ladies living on a dirigible, learning how to be proper and make a good match... and also learning how to throw a knife, poisoning and the other finer arts of espionage. Steampunk at its finest!
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes - Chris Crutcher: We read this in my book club, and really started me reading young adult fiction again. Eric and Sarah are friends, and outcasts in their high school, because Eric is fat and Sarah was badly burned as a child. But as Eric starts swimming and shedding pounds, and Sarah tries to deal with her past, everything changes. This book is another great conversation-starter that I am sure I will use when my son is older to talk about friendship, how to treat others with respect, and how important it is to stand up for what is right.
Now it is your turn. Any books I should add to my list?
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