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I take two subways to get to work every morning. This may seem daunting to people who
live in places where cars rule, but I actually enjoy my commute; it gives me time to wake
up and ready myself for the day ahead. The subway rides also afford me time to indulge in
reading, my favorite past-time, my deepest passion and, frankly, my job.
Of course, I am as nosey as any other New Yorker and like to glance over at my neighbors'
choices of reading material. Lately I have noticed the other subway riders checking out
the books I am reading and then reacting with surprise or confusion. You see, while they
are reading the latest legal thriller or the best seller about the dying Mom, I am
enthusiastically devouring SQUIRE by Tamora Pierce. Never heard of the book or of the
internationally acclaimed, million-selling Ms. Pierce? Maybe that has something to do with
the fact that she is a "Young Adult" author and her books are relegated to the
ghetto of children's literature.
J. K. Rowling has done Young Adult literature a great service with her HARRY POTTER
series. Granted, these books are for an audience a little bit younger than that attracted
to Young Adult books --- don't even get me started on 'tween literature --- but HARRY
POTTER made it okay for adults without kids to peruse the children's section of a
bookstore and not feel silly. No one hides the cover when they are reading one of
Rowling's books in public; in fact, being an adult Harry Potter fan marks you as a member
of a kind of cool-in-a-geeky-way club.
For years readers have assumed that Young Adult literature is of interest only to young
adults, dealing only with subjects as "serious" as high school dating traumas.
And sure, there are more than a few glossy teen series out there that feature cardboard
characters whose main goal is stealing their best friend's boyfriend. That doesn't mean YA
books should be dismissed as a whole. There is a ton of great writing out there, solid
prose full of emotion. Readers just need to know where to look.
That's where Bookreporter.com comes to the reader's rescue. Summer is the perfect time to
explore the wide and wonderful world of Young Adult literature. If you need any more
convincing, consider the fact that Young Adult books tend to be shorter and sharper,
perfect for a day at the beach or a lazy afternoon in the back yard. Or an early morning
subway ride.
First in the Young Adult category are ones you should have read in school and didn't, or
you only read them to do a term paper and hated them. Don't feel badly --- just pick one
up and read it now. You will definitely appreciate these books in a whole new way as an
adult.
THE CHOCOLATE WAR
Robert Cormier
Laurel Leaf
ISBN: 0395869323
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN
Betty Smith
HarperPerennial
ISBN: 006092988X
THE YEARLING
Majorie Kinnan Rawlings
Aladdin Paperbacks
ISBN: 0020449313
If you are related to a teenager, or have one in your life, they will undoubtedly have read one of the following books. These are the new faves, destined to be classics, that all the hip kids have read.
WHALE TALK
Chris Crutcher
Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 0688180191
STARGIRL
Jerry Spinelli
Knopf
ISBN: 0679886370
BRIDES OF EDEN: A True Story Imagined
Linda Crew
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060287500
If the following books were written by less talented authors, they would come off as
shallow, Bridget Jones wannabes. As it stands, they were written by three very cool ladies
and are three of the funniest, sweetest, most genuine novels about teen girlhood that I
have ever read.
ANGUS, THONGS AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson
Louise Rennison
Harpercollins Juvenile Books
ISBN: 0060288140
FEELING SORRY FOR CELIA
Jaclyn Moriarty
St Martins Press
ISBN: 0312269234
THE PRINCESS DIARIES
Meg Cabot
Harpercollins
ISBN: 0380978482
History Buff? Don't lug a huge biography or footnote laden tome to the beach. Chew on
one of these re-imagined and retold stories featuring famous figures.
CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY
HarperTrophy
ISBN: 0064405842
PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER: A Novel of Ancient Egypt
Julius Lester
Silver Whistle
ISBN: 0152018263
MARY, BLOODY MARY
Carolyn Meyer
Harcourt Brace
ISBN: 0152164561
Love chills, thrills, and mysteries?
THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE
Philip Pullman
Random House Childrens
ISBN: 0394895894
THE BODY OF CHRISTOPHER CREED
Carol Plum-Ucci
Harcourt Brace
ISBN: 0152023887
BODY BAGS: A Body of Evidence Thriller Starring Jenna Blake
Christopher Golden
Archway
ISBN: 0671034928
Put away the Camus. The following Young Adult books are deep and philosophical enough
for any beret wearing bohemian.
THE GIVER
Lois Lowry
Laurel Leaf
ISBN: 0440219078
SPEAK
Laurie Halse Anderson
Puffin Books
ISBN: 014131088X
LIFE IS FUNNY
E. R. Frank
DK Publishing
ISBN: 078942634X
Of course I recommend all of Tamora Pierce's books. They feature brave, proud,
talented and tough female heroines --- girls who really kick butt, all the while facing
oppression and discrimination. As Pierce writes mainly fantasy novels, she throws some
magical creatures and evil wizards into the mix, making her books the perfect antidote to
the stress of everyday life.
--- Jennifer Abbots
(c)
Copyright 2001, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
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