Teen Read Week 2011

It is Teen Read Week and I want to share some information about this celebration of YA literature with you. According to the ALA website...

"Teen Read Week is held each year during the third week of October. In 2011, it will be celebrated Oct. 16-22.

Teen Read Week is an national literacy initiative of the  Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. It's aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults.

Teen Read Week's theme is Read For The Fun Of It. Each year, YALSA offers a new sub-theme to serve as a basis for developing programs in schools, public libraries, and bookstores. The 2011 sub-theme is Picture It @ your library, which encourages teens to read graphic novels and other illustrated materials, seek out creative books, or imagine the world through literature, just for the fun of it. The event offers librarians and educators a chance to encourage teens to read for pleasure and to visit their libraries for free reading materials. If you have a recommendation for a theme for 2012, please send it to yalsa@ala.org.

Teen Read Week 2011 will be celebrated at thousands of public and school libraries, classrooms, and bookstores across the country. Although teens realize the importance of reading, they have a huge menu of activities to choose from when deciding how to spend their free time, and reading gets lost in the shuffle. Reading skills get rusty when they are not used. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports that over the last 20 years there have been only modest gains in reading achievement. And although there are many active literacy campaigns, very few efforts focus on teenagers."

The YALSA Teens Top Ten titles for 2011 are:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Simon & Schuster)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (Simon & Schuster)

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (HarperCollins)

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Harlequin)

Matched by Ally Condie (Penguin)

Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson (Little, Brown & Company)

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (HarperCollins)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (HarperCollins)

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (Penguin)

These "teens choice" titles were chosen by teens who are members of book groups in sixteen school and public libraries around the United States. You can see all the 2011 nominated titles here. 

Teen Read Week 2009

Don't forget that October 18th to 24th is Teen Read Week in the U.S. This year's theme is Read Beyond Reality, which encourages teen readers to read something fantastical or science fictional, and to explore worlds that have never been. You can find some excellent book and media suggestions here, and more ideas and information about this even here and on the ALA website.

If you have a teen in the house, you might be interested to know that teens can vote for the 2010 Teen Read Theme. Click here to vote.

Bookish Happenings in October

October is a great month for book lovers. In the United States October is National Book Month and I hope you will take this opportunity to read, discuss, share and enjoy books with the young people in your lives. Do visit the National Book Foundation website to get ideas about what you can do to make this a really bookish month.


October is also the month when we in the United States celebrate Teen Read Week. The week is from October 12th to October 18th and the theme for 2008, Books with Bite, is sure to provide teen readers with lots of entertaining possibilites. For more information visit the ALA Teen Read Week website.


The UK also has a book celebration during October. From October 6th to October 12th libraries, schools, and book shops will be participating in Book Week festivities. To find out more about this event visit the Book Trusted website. This years theme is Rhythm and Rhyme and I am sure you will be able to find all kinds of creative ways to make this week special.