Young Adult Library Services Association

The official journal of the Young Adult Library Services Association

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volume 6 | number 1 fall 2007 Issn 1541-4302 $12.50

ANNIVERSARY TH ISSUE! 50 �“Beautifully crafted.”*

MARTHA BROOKS “Brooks’s (True Confessions of a Heartless � “Readers will connect strongly with the Girl) keenly observed novel interweaves teenager’s astonished, powerful feelings of first the lives of three generations of women love and her shocked realization that painful overshadowed by secrets . . . All of the family burdens can also be life-changing gifts.” characters seem distinct and real, thanks to —Starred, Booklist the author’s exceptional skill.” � “As readers have come to expect from —Starred, Publishers Weekly Brooks, Mistik Lake expands its exceedingly “An exceptional writer, Brooks once again well-told tale of teenage romance with equally immerses readers in a fully realized fictional absorbing stories of adults who have played world and leaves them potentially wiser.” the tricky game of love.” —*Starred, Kirkus Reviewsad —Starred, The Horn Book cvr2

$16.00 / 978-0-374-34985-1 Young adult MELANIE KROUPA BOOKS FARRAR • STRAUS GIROUX www.fsgkidsbooks.com The official journal of the Young Adult Library Services Association young adult library services

vol ume 6 | nu mber 1 fall 2007 Issn 1541-4302

YALSA Perspective 35 YALSA Member Memories Edited by Valerie A. Ott 4 Oh, Those Golden Oldies . . . By Michael Cart 39 A View from the Top Past YALSA Winners Reflect on the Printz School Library Perspective and Edwards Awards 8 Fifty Ways to Promote Teen Reading Interviews by YALSA Member in Your School Library By CD McLean Author Perspectives 11 Printz Award Winner Speech By Gene Luen Yang Plus . . . 14 Printz Award Honor Speech 2 From the Editor By John Green The Heart of YALSA 16 Printz Award Honor Speech By Valerie A. Ott By Markus Zusak 3 From the President 18 Printz Award Honor Speech By Paula Brehm-Heeger By Sonya Harnett 42 Professional Resources 20 Printz Award Honor Speech 43 The YALSA Update By M. T. Anderson 46 Guidelines for Authors 22 Margaret A. Edwards Award 46 Index to Advertisers Acceptance Speech A Passionate Yearning 47 Index to Volume 5 By Lois Lowry Best Practices 26 Teens Plus Books Honoring the Best in Literature and Reading About This Cover Programs through the Sagebrush Award By Cara von Wrangel Kinsey The cover image features YALSA publications Hot Spot: YALSA’s Fiftieth Anniversary during the past fifty years, including “The Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts” by Margaret 28 Making the List A. Edwards. Behind the Scenes of the Best Books for Young Adults Committee: A Retrospective By Holly Koelling 32 Remembering YALSA The View of “The Oldest Living YA Librarian” By Mary K. Chelton YALSA Editorial Advisory Committee (performing referee duties and providing advisory input for the journal) Mary Ann Nichols, chair, Fairlawn, Ohio; Julie Thomas Bartel, Sandy, Utah; from the Sarah English, Omaha, Neb.; Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax, N.S.; Angela S. Leeper, Wake Forest, N.C.; Nicole M. Mills, Palatine, Ill. YALSA Publications Committee Erminia Mina Gallo, chair, Seven Hills, Ohio; Heather Booth, Westmont, Editor Ill.; Cindy Mediavilla, Culver City, Calif.; Elizabeth Shuping, Florence, S.C.; Emily Valente, New York. Editor Valerie A. Ott Valerie A. Ott YALSA Executive Director Beth Yoke YALSA Division Coordinator The Heart of YALSA Stephanie Kuenn Relatively speaking, I haven’t been a YALSA member for that Circulation Young Adult Library Services (ISSN 1541-4302) is published four times a long—just six or seven years. In that short time, however, I have year by the American Library Association (ALA), 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, been afforded some great growth opportunities—serving as the IL 60611. It is the official publication of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of ALA. Subscription price: members of editor for this journal, for example. I’ve served on a couple of YALSA, $25 per year, included in membership dues; nonmembers, $50 committees and made some new friends as well. In reading the per year in the U.S.; $60 in Canada, Mexico, and other countries. Back issues within one year of current issue, $15 each. Periodicals class postage reminiscences of fellow YALSA members, though, I realized that paid at Chicago, Illinois and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: YALSA can continue to enrich the professional lives of its mem- Send address changes to Young Adult Library Services, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. Members: Address changes and inquiries should be sent bers for as long as one chooses because there are myriad ways to be to Membership Department, Changes to Young Adult Library Services, 50 involved. Most, if not all, of these reminiscences point to the fact, E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. Nonmember subscribers: Subscriptions, orders, changes of address, and inquiries should be sent to Changes to Young too, that YALSA is like a big family, an association of friends who Adult Library Services, Subscriptions, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; work passionately and tirelessly toward the same goal: to provide 1-800-545-2433, press 5; fax: (312) 944-2641; [email protected]. the best possible library service to teens. YALSA members are Statement of Purpose truly the lifeblood of the association; however, it occurs to me that Young Adult Library Services is the official journal of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library the blood wouldn’t be pumping if it weren’t for the heart of our Association. YALS primarily serves as a vehicle for continuing education for association: teens. Several of the reflections and memories shared librarians serving young adults, ages twelve through eighteen. It will include articles of current interest to the profession, act as a showcase for best prac- in the coming pages certainly speak to the fact that teens drive tices, provide news from related fields, publish recent research related to YA what we do, just as a heart pumps blood through a body. librarianship, and will spotlight significant events of the organization and Teens are the inspiration for authors, too, as evidenced in the offer in-depth reviews of professional literature. YALS will also serve as the official record of the organization. Printz speeches contained in this issue as well as in the reflections Production of past Printz winners. While the Printz Award is arguably one ALA Production Services—Troy D. Linker, Angela Hanshaw, and Chris of YALSA’s greatest achievements in the past fifty years, there are Keech. certainly many more successes about which we can boast. YALSA’s Advertising numerous booklists, such as Best Books for Young Adults, guide Bill Spilman, Innovative Media Solutions; 1-877-878-3260; fax (309) 483- 2371; e-mail [email protected]. YALS accepts advertising teachers, parents, librarians, and teens to exemplary materials for for goods or services of interest to the library profession and librarians in young adults. YALSA’s member awards, such as the Sagebrush service to youth in particular. It encourages advertising that informs readers Award, highlight the accomplishments of librarians who connect and provides clear communication between vendor and buyer. YALS adheres to ethical and commonly accepted advertising practices and reserves the right teens with reading through innovative programming. These exam- to reject any advertisement not suited to the above purposes or not consistent ples serve to bring me back to my point: that teens have always with the aims and policies of ALA. Acceptance of advertising in YALS does not imply official endorsement by ALA of the products or services advertised. inspired and motivated YALSA members to work as hard as they Manuscripts most assuredly do, and that teens will continue to drive us for the Manuscripts and letters pertaining to editorial content should be sent next fifty years as well. Happy birthday, YALSA! YALS to YALSA, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; e-mail: [email protected]. Manuscripts will be sent out for review according to YALS’s established referee procedures. Visit www.ala.org/yalsa for further information. Indexing, Abstracting, and Microfilm Young Adult Library Services is indexed in Library Literature, Library & Information Science Abstracts, and Current Index to Journals in Education. Microfilm copies of Journal of Youth Services in Libraries and its predecessor, Top of the News, are available from ProQuest/Bell & Howell, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. ∞ © 2007 American Library Association All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be photocopied for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. For other photocopying, reprinting, or trans- lating, address requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.

2 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007 from the President Paula Brehm-Heeger

his year’s ALA Annual Conference sponsored in Washington, D.C., featured YA Literature T several events celebrating YALSA’s Symposium to be fiftieth anniversary. These celebrations held in Nashville in 2008! provided a unique opportunity for me to With so many accomplishments to our sessions. It was reflect on YALSA’s rich tradition of excel- credit, and so many plans in the making, the result of lence and to hear about the remarkable how do I see our division continuing to lead YALSA mem- accomplishments, activities, and ideas of the way into the future? How can I, as your bers and leaders many current YALSA members. We may president, encourage members to be the having a vision be turning fifty, but we haven’t lost our pas- driving force leading others to rise to the for teen inclu- sion for and dedication to YALSA’s mission challenges of providing outstanding service sion and a com- of advocating, promoting, and strengthen- to teenagers in our nation’s libraries? mitment to giving teens a voice whenever ing library service to young adults. With I will work to ensure maximum possible. I will work to keep this tradition our proud past on full display, and an excit- commitment and engagement from our of innovative thinking and action alive. ing future unfolding in front of us, it is the division’s leaders. One important piece of In addition, I will work to increase perfect time to concentrate on the theme this equation came in the form of the over- partnership and sponsorship opportuni- of my presidential year, “YALSA: Leading whelming approval for two proposals on ties. The recent addition of Stephanie the Way.” the spring ballot, one for adding a director- (Stevie) Kuenn, YALSA’s new commu- Never afraid to try something new, at-large to YALSA’s board of directors, and nications specialist, will certainly help us YALSA members and staff have been a second for adding a secretary position spread YALSA’s message, but individual quick to utilize new technologies for the to YALSA’s board of directors. The deci- YALSA members and leaders also must benefit of our division. We’ve created an sion to ask the membership for approval be informed about the division’s many award-winning blog, developed MySpace of these additional board positions was activities. Whenever possible, we should all and Flickr pages, and recently added the not undertaken lightly, however, to keep be ready and willing to speak confidently YALSA wiki. More than two hundred leading the way with dynamic programs about the many reasons partners and individuals have taken part in thirteen and high-profile, nationwide initiatives, we sponsors should support our initiatives. online courses offered in the last year. must be certain our members have the nec- As president, I will work to keep YALSA Our list of partners and sponsors essary board support to ensure the highest members and leaders well-informed and continues to grow, helping us raise the quality in all that we do. I deeply appreci- to raise awareness about the Friends of profile and increase the impact of our ate this vote of confidence in the YALSA YALSA, whose generous gifts are vital to national initiatives, including Teen Read board, and am certain that the additional YALSA leading the way. If you would like WeekTM, featuring the WrestleMania positions will translate into real-world to know more about how you can become Reading Challenge; Teen Tech WeekTM; results. a Friend of YALSA, visit www.ala.org/ala/ and Support YA Literature Day. Last year, I also plan to encourage and sup- yalsa/givetoyalsa/give.htm. the Friends of YALSA generously spon- port members in trying new and exciting Accomplishing these goals depends sored two YALSA members to represent activities. While our recent utilization of on the support of each and every YALSA us among ALA’s first class of Emerging cutting-edge technologies is an example member. If you have additional ideas, Leaders. In addition, this spring YALSA that comes immediately to mind when dis- please do not hesitate to contact me at received $10,000 through the ALA-World cussing this focus, let’s not forget that the [email protected]. It is with Book Goal Award, which allowed us to willingness of YALSA members to try out great excitement, anticipation, and honor provide additional training and resources new, sometimes risky ideas is a long- that I look forward to serving as your in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi to standing tradition! For example, teen president and to working with our more improve teen services in these states. As if participation in the Best Books for Young than 5,600 members to help YALSA lead all that were not enough, we also are in the Adults sessions at Annual Conferences the way into the future. YALS process of planning the first-ever YALSA- has not always been a standard part of the

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 3 feature YALSA Perspectives

reading material on the shelves of the public library, that all-you-can-eat cafeteria for Oh, Those hungry minds. It would be another thirty or forty years before publishers started releasing original paperback novels tar- Golden Oldies . . . geted at teens who, by then, were shopping in the new chain bookstores in America’s malls. In the ’50s, though, the library By Michael Cart was still the only place in town where a book-hungry kid like me could satisfy his appetite. I found my book fodder through grazing . . . okay, through indiscriminate browsing. And because the shelves of my public library had never been systemati- eflecting on YALSA’s fiftieth to adolescents, it would become the first cally weeded, that browsing amounted to a anniversary, I had an epiphany. crossover title. Plus ça change! Today, fifty- self-education in the history of “books for R If YALSA, I mused, turns fifty five years later, writers for young adults are young readers,” a kind of generic term I use this year (it does), and if I’m sixty-six (I still employing that same first-person voice to describe what would not be called “teen” am), then the year YALSA was born, I and tone, and crossover novels are now the literature until the mid-1940s, when teen- turned sixteen. Omigod! I was a young hottest thing happening in the field. The agers first emerged as a separate and dis- adult myself then! That means YALSA and Catcher in the Rye really was a harbinger of tinct category of human being in America. I are cosmic cousins! Dudes, no wonder things to come. But, it also was an anomaly Before that, in the ’30s, there was some- I’m so devoted to the association and to as food for hungry teen minds because, thing patronizingly called the “junior novel” all that wonderful young adult literature truth to tell, what teenagers such as myself (Rose Wilder Lane’s Let the Hurricane I was reading back then! Oh, but wait! were more often reading in the ’50s was still Roar of 1933 is an example), and before The year was 1957, wasn’t it? That means almost exclusively old-fashioned, traditional that there was just an amorphous bunch of another decade would have to pass before genre fiction such as romances, career- books called “children’s literature.” S. E. Hinton and Robert Lipsyte “invented” romance hybrids (Sue Barton and Cherry In due and deliberate course, all of young adult literature, in that magical Ames, anyone?), car stories, adventures, these terms would meld and merge into year of 1967, with their instant classic mysteries, and science fiction. These were the contemporary descriptor of “young novels The Outsiders and The Contender. the titles that crowded the shelves of what adult literature.” But that wouldn’t happen So I guess that means I didn’t actually was then being called the “junior high sec- until the late ’60s. begin reading young adult literature until I tion” in my local public library (and yours, Frankly, though, who cared what it was turned twenty-six and was no longer part perhaps?). These were the books that I was called? It was published for category-defying of its target audience. reading so avidly (well, not the romances, kids who read it when they were ready for Hmmmm . . . so if there was no but more about that in a minute) way back it, when it caught their attention, and when young adult literature yet, what were teenag- in ’52 and ’53, when I was still a preteen in it interested them. What a field day we had, ers like me reading way back then in that the fifth and sixth grades, trembling on the those of us who entered our teenage years heart of darkness known as the 1950s? brink of adolescence, counting the days until in the early ’50s. But then we turned sixteen Well, duh! J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the my voice would change and my first whis- and got our first driver’s licenses, and most Rye, of course. Though published in 1951 as kers would sprout. never looked back at the library as it rapidly an adult title, this was really the first book Frankly, I had no sense of literature receded in the rearview mirror. that smelled like teen spirit and—thanks as literature back then. I only knew I loved It was liberating, that license, but even to Holden Caulfield’s own jittery, angsty, books, and I loved reading, and I found my more liberating for me was the fact that nervous, disaffected, sarcastic, and sometimes self-pitying first-person telling—gave a voice to a whole new literary form that, a Booklist columnist and reviewer Michael Cart is a former decade later, would be dubbed “young adult president of YALSA (1997–98) and the author or editor of fifteen literature.” Because of its radical appeal books. He also is the recipient of the 2000 Grolier Award.

4 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007

Cart

turning sixteen meant I could, for the first belonged not to series, but to authors, such Not surprisingly, it excited considerable time, enter the sanctum sanctorum, the as Janet Lambert, Rosamund DuJardin, controversy but found a strong champion holiest of holies: the adult stacks of the Betty Cavanna, Anne Emery, and, if your in the sainted Margaret A. Edwards). Of all Logansport (Ind.) Public Library! Before taste was a wee bit more literary, Mary these boy-friendly categories, that of ani- turning sixteen I had to sneak into this Stolz and Beverly Cleary. For those young mals probably boasted the strongest assort- hushed, dimly lit area when the librarians’ adults who read adult titles, there were ment of offerings, including Walter Farley’s backs were turned; now I could swagger in there under the steeliest of adult gazes. And what did I read? Well, not The Catcher in the Rye; I didn’t read that until I was a I had no sense of literature as literature back then. freshman in college in 1959. No, I read . . . I only knew I loved books, and I loved reading, and more genre fiction. As a teenage boy I doted on science fiction, discovering to my delight I found my reading material on the shelves of the that Robert A. Heinlein, whom I had previ- public library, that all-you-can-eat cafeteria for ously known only as the author of such kids’ hungry minds. books as Farmer in the Sky (1950), Rocket Ship Galileo (1947), and The Rolling Stones (1952), also wrote for adults! Who knew? And then there was Paul French, author the borderline romance and family stories Black Stallion books (enraptured, I read all of the Lucky Starr series, who was actually such as Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in of them); Fred Gipson’s Old Yeller (1956); Isaac Asimov, author of an astonishing array Brooklyn (1947), Harriette Arnow’s The the many offerings of Jim Kjelgaard; Eric of titles published for newly minted adults Dollmaker (1954), Daphne Du Maurier’s Knight’s Lassie books; Mary O’Hara’s such as myself. Rebecca (1938), Benedict and Nancy horse stories; Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ Mysteries were another ample field to Freedman’s Mrs. Mike (1947), Herman The Yearling (1938); Sterling North’s So be explored. As a young teen in the early Wouk’s Marjorie Morningstar (1955), Sally Dear to My Heart (1947); and a whole ’50s, I loved the likes of Augusta Huiell Benson’s Junior Miss (1941), and so many pride of others. Seaman, Stephen W. Meader, and—best miscellaneous others. Arguably even stronger stories fell of all—Howard Pease, who blended Girls didn’t have all the reading fun in into the category of historical fiction, such mystery and action-adventure. (A small the ’50s. Boys had a lot of action-adventure, as work by the gifted likes of Rosemary confession: I also read Nancy Drew; but, sports, car, and animal stories from which Sutcliffe, Harold Keith Rifles( for Watie, for some reason, I never cracked the covers to select. My personal favorite in the adven- 1957), Elizabeth George Speare (The of a Hardy Boys mystery!) Now, however, ture category, aside from Howard Pease, Witch of Blackbird Pond, 1958), and, I could omnivorously read the adult likes was probably Robb White, whose much of course, Esther Forbes, whose Johnny of Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, and later novel, Deathwatch (1972), became Tremain (1943) remains the sine qua non Rex Stout! And, me being a boy and it one of the most celebrated young adult of historical fiction for young readers. being the ’50s, I must confess to having novels ever. Although I was never a sports So was there a literature for young been a secret reader of Mickey Spillane (or enthusiast, I did read the occasional novel adults before there was young adult litera- “Mucky Spleen” as Walt Kelly called him). by John R. Tunis, but more for his in-depth ture? Well, as I hope I’ve demonstrated, I never read romances—perhaps the characterization than for any play-by-play the answer is an enthusiastic “You bet- only genre I didn’t touch—but if I had, action. As for car stories, lo, the name of cha!” That said, it speaks volumes, doesn’t the ’40s and ’50s would have been the Henry Gregor Felsen, like that of Abu it, that YALSA’s annual Best Books for wonder years! Starting with Maureen Ben Adam, led all the rest. (Interestingly, Young Adults list didn’t start including Daly’s Seventeenth Summer in 1942, love Felsen’s 1952 novel Two and the Town is a young adult books until 1973! What did was everywhere in the pages of books for quite good story, not of cars, but of what it include before? For an answer, look no teens back then. Ah, L’amour! You were so happened in one’s back seat, which resulted further than the original name of the list, toujours! And unlike the ’80s, another great in an unwed pregnancy. This was at least a which was “Adult Books for Young People,” period of romance fiction when original decade-and-a-half ahead of all the rest of remaining thus until 1966. paperback series were queen of the prom, the titles about adolescent sexuality that Margaret A. Edwards championed the the brand names of those earlier decades would become commonplace in the ’60s. reading of adult books by young readers, a

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 5

Oh, Those Golden Oldies . . .

reason that YALSA’s annual list of the ten Margaret A. Edwards, but I confess that, edification, sometime enlightenment, and, best adult books for young adults is called in a way, I’m sort of glad, because that yes, even secret titillation. Ah, good times. the ALEX Awards in her honor. (Mrs. means I never had to tell her that my own And good books, that, like YALSA—and Edwards was called “Alex” by her friends, (secret) favorite adult book of the ’50s maybe even me—have in the years since though probably not by the terrified young was—wait for it—Peyton Place by Grace become Golden Oldies! librarians whom she trained so strictly at Metalious (1956). Some things are better Happy Birthday, YALSA. YALS the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, kept secret. where she “invented” young adult library The 1950s—when YALSA and I Editor’s note: See Michael Cart’s featured services and later wrote about the topic in were still young—were years of oppor- article in the October issue of American The Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts tunity for young readers: opportunity to Libraries. in 1969). To my sorrow, I never knew read for pleasure, inspiration, occasional

6 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007 From the creator of the Max Finder Mysteries!

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KLIATT Wild Ride Fall 07.indd 1 9/19/2007 3:09:09 PM feature School Library Perspective

young leaders to develop their skills. They can run your circulation desk, Fifty Ways to shelve books, and more. 6. Sponsor a poetry slam contest or partner with your school’s literary Promote Teen magazine to host an event. 7. Have a “Book Love” session once a month. Serve cookies and ask teachers Reading in Your and students to talk about a book they have recently read and liked. 8. Consider reviewing for a young adult School Library magazine and have your students review as well. Sometimes the lure of seeing their name in print may push By CD McLean them to read more books. 9. If you have all boys or have very competitive students, have a word reading club and stand back and watch the numbers grow! Some librarians have reported that they have several hen I want to know how to One librarian uses neon green Fast students who read more than a million promote reading to teens, I go Reads labels for easy identification. words in one school year. W to the fount of school library 3. Get graphic. Graphic novels are knowledge: independent school librarians! appropriate for boys and girls and In recognition of YALSA’s fiftieth anniver- for tweens and teens. Many times sary, these fifty tips, hints, ideas, and tech- they appeal to students who wouldn’t Second Step: Be Bold! niques from independent school librarians ordinarily pick up a book. If you have across the United States and Canada will concerns about age appropriateness 10. Put your cool stuff up front. I have give many young adult librarians a success- and have a collection that serves both my graphic novel collection near the ful start in promoting reading to their teen middle and high school students, you front entrance of the library. Other patrons for the next fifty years. can always break out the collection by librarians use that high-traffic area to division or grade level. promote their magazine collection. 4. Think outside the book club box. An 11. Books don’t have to stay on the anime club can lead to a manga or shelves. One librarian puts high- First Step: Be graphic novel club; strategic games or interest books next to her computers, Adventurous! MMORPGs (massively multiplayer and those books circulate. 12. Use the lure of the forbidden. 1. Step out of your comfort zone and online role playing games) can lead to promote something other than fiction. a fantasy book club; and a writing or Tell them a book is banned or Many teens (boys especially) are not author club can lead to reading about controversial, or just give them some fiction readers; they may be more writing or reading a particular of the crazy details (for example, interested in your magazine collection. writer’s work. boyfriend is on crack and parents are Let your teens know which magazines 5. Create some library leaders. Make abusive) and a questioning “Are you up are available in their library. the library in your school a place for to the challenge?” look. 2. Remember those reluctant readers. Promote Quick Picks for Reluctant YA Readers as Fast Reads, which is CD McLean is the Director of the Jean Ann Cone Library at less pejorative. Have a spinner filled Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Fla. She also is a YALSA with fast reads and label it as such. member and serves on its Publications Committee.

8 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007

McLean

DREW HAYDEN TAYLOR

13. Tie the book to a movie. If a movie Web site. Better yet, ask your teens to is based on a book, you have an create podcasts of themselves talking automatic tie-in; but, don’t be afraid up their favorite books. to go beyond the specific book and, 23. Move ’em out. Prepare a book truck for example, tie in the Dragonriders of with brightly colored graphics Pern series with Eragon. indicating the genre and filled with A NATIVE GOTHIC NOVEL 14. Make mine a contest. Have a book- popular books; take it out to the related contest such as a Harry Potter cafeteria, study halls, or anywhere the contest, or a contest related to the last kids gather. book (The End) of Lemony Snicket’s 24. Create short films to promote the Series of Unfortunate Events. library using faculty and student 15. Pimp your contest prizes. Book gift actors. certificates are great, but go with 25. Celebrate Teen Read Week in whatever is going to draw your kids whatever manner works for you. For into the library, such as coffee cards, example, because Teen Read Week iTunes certificates, or local eatery falls in October, have teens read certificates. Halloween stories to primary school 16. Make your prize match your audience. students. One librarian at a school for girls has a special bracelet for her seventh- grade Gone with the Wind (GWTW) readers. If they read all one thousand Third Step: pages, they get a GWTW bracelet, Be Organized! which has been very well-received! A mesmerizing blend 17. Mix it up. Instead of holding separate 26. Make it a point to promote your of vampire thriller and book clubs for students and faculty, new books. Make sure a significant coming-of-age novel. mix it up and have them both at one percentage of books get a book blurb meeting. You’ll be rewarded with and are on display to generate interest. “... offers food for thought amazing discussions. 27. Print out (in color if you can) as well as frights. Taylor Marketing your materials: posters of newly acquired books and sensitively works several post them throughout the campus 18. Berkeley Preparatory School has a important themes ... into his convocation during which high school (including the restroom stalls!). treatment of discussion- students meet every morning for 28. Change your bulletin boards twenty minutes of announcements. frequently and make them interesting. worthy issues.” There is always at least one slide It’s easy for that place to become —Quill & Quire �starred review on a new book in the slideshow of stagnant. announcements. 29. Have your students and faculty Sample chapter and 19. Make your book talks a blast. Several contribute reviews and make those teaching activities librarians dress in character when reviews into bookmarks. The available at giving book talks. So indulge your bookmarks could have their photo, www.annickpress.com inner actor! the book’s cover, and a snippet of their 20. Use props for your book talks. opinion on the book. 21. Use your teen actors to do your book 30. Update your signature file on your talks. Teens are more likely to listen to e-mail account with a “What I’m their peers. Reading Now” tag and encourage your 22. Podcast or vodcast your book talks. faculty and teens to do it as well. annick Don’t just present to a class; make a 31. If you go to ALA Midwinter Meetings excellence & innovation vodcast and keep it on your library’s or Annual Conferences, bring back Distributed by Firefly Books. www.fireflybooks.com

AVAILABLE FROM YOUR WHOLESALER

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 9

Fifty Ways to Promote Teen Reading in Your School Library

the advanced reader copies and give normally come to the library. Fifth Step: Be Willing them out to your students. They love 36. What’s that they say about writers to Ask for Help! free books, and you can get advanced being readers? Host an Eat n’ Speak or reviews of books. poetry slam. Teens are always writing; 43. Have your students lead the book 32. If your budget permits, be willing what better way to get them in the club discussion or have them pick to buy books for your book club library than to have them read their the book. members. Free books are a great draw. own works? 44. Have your students run your book 33. Let your book club kids get first crack 37. Bring in authors. An author visit may discussion blog. at the new books. Knowing they are spark interest in reading more of that 45. Have a faculty or student Pick of the getting special treatment is a big plus author’s work, or inspire a teen to read Week or Month. Display it all over for teens. or write. campus, not just in the library. 38. Celebrate Banned Books Week. 46. Ask your students or tech department 39. Celebrate National Poetry Month or for help creating a Facebook or bring in a poet to speak. Many English MySpace page (or do it yourself Fourth Step: teachers are more open to using a if you know how), and list what Be Welcoming! particular poet’s work than they you are reading or what books you are to using an entire book in their recommend. 34. Make the library a welcoming place curriculum. 47. Ask your students what titles they by hosting parties designed to attract 40. Food! If you provide food, they will think are missing from the library, readers. One library had an Eclipse come. You don’t have to have a full then buy them if appropriate. Read-In on August 7, 2007, when lunch; try providing just dessert or 48. Take your students to the bookstore Stephenie Meyer’s new book was pizza. For example, if you are reading with you. Several librarians take released. They had games, prizes, a book that has a wedding, consider students with them to help pick or readings, vampire movies, and even getting a faux (meaning less expensive) review materials for the library. a vampire potluck lunch. (For more wedding cake for dessert. 49. Ask your faculty to sponsor a book information on this program, visit 41. Kick start your summer. Host a for summer reading. Many students http://hhlibrarytwilight.blogspot summer book fair before school ends will want to read what their favorite .com.) to encourage reading over the summer. teacher is reading. 35. Remember that teens gravitate to 42. If you charge late fines, be willing to 50. Get your students to do the displays online social activities, so by hosting a take money off if they come in the and bulletin boards. They know what’s Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) night, library and read. (For example, give hot and may have a more interesting gaming night, or Guitar Hero night, fifty cents off the fine for every half way of presenting it. YALS you may attract kids who might not hour of reading in the library.)

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10 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007 feature Author Perspectives

’ve had a pretty amazing year. And really, that’s an understatement. Two I years ago, I photocopied and stapled Printz Award individual chapters of American Born Chinese to sell by the dozen at comic book conventions, usually to personal friends or Winner Speech my mom. Today, I’m standing here in front of you. Along the way from there to here, I’ve By Gene Luen Yang had the privilege of talking to many, many librarians and teachers about why graphic novels belong in our libraries and classrooms. Without exception, my message has been met with unbridled enthusiasm. There’s no doubt about it. Librarians love graphic novels. gested that she start reading them for her Post #4: i think its funny hes This past March, however, while I was own educational benefit? making fun of chinks still enjoying the afterglow of the Printz Then a month later, something hap- committee phone call, I began having pened that completely shifted my perspec- Post #5: Heh. people still read serious self-doubts. I thought back to an tive. MySpace honored American Born books? incident from a few years ago, when one Chinese with the dubious distinction of of my students, an aspiring rap musician, being their April 2007 featured book. Before I went and burned my draw- gave me a copy of his album. I brought it What followed was a furious online dis- ing table, I decided to compare these posts home and played it. Though I found most cussion about my graphic novel among to posts from other online discussions of it incomprehensible, I thought it had MySpace users. Although there were occa- on American Born Chinese. These other a good beat. The next day in class I told sional nuggets of wisdom, the vast majority discussions took place on the Web sites of him I liked it, and immediately his friend of the posts made me regret ever putting libraries and schools, and were guided by remarked, “Dude, Mr. Yang is a teacher. If my inking brush to paper. Let me share librarians and teachers. A few examples: he likes it, it must kinda suck.” some examples with you. This past March, after reflecting on Post #1: I had heard about this and many other similar experiences, I Post #1: Funnay. this book looks stereotypes, but never really fully came to the slow realization that we adults totally awesome. I know ppl who understood them. This book has who work with teenagers—we teachers pee in Cokes and eat dead cats. taught me to at least get a little and librarians—simply are not that cool. Ba-haha grasp on the pain and hurt that And really, the cooler we try to be, the stereotypes can really cause. more uncool we become. If you doubt me, Post #2: RACIST BOOK. repost if try wearing a backwards baseball cap and u got any AzN pride. its practically Post #2: It is important to know sagging, extra-large jeans to work some racist against AzNz, even the dude’s everything about yourself. . . . time and take a good, hard look at the name is CHINK-kee and all dat It’s important because knowing faces of the teenagers you serve. You will s___. go to dis site and Place Bad yourself allows you to see more not find admiration, I assure you. comments, Destroy this son of a clearly what you want, who you I began to wonder: By going from b____ book! Destroy it! Destroy it! consider as friends, where you want library to library and school to school Racist son of a b____ book! to go, how you want to live, and evangelizing librarians and teachers on the what you really care about. That virtues of graphic novels, was I robbing Post #3: Shut up. its funny. leave stuff matters. comics of their cool? Would a teenager it alone. ur mad cuz u aren’t funny. stop reading graphic novels as soon as her ur just asian and not funny. Funny Post #3: Sometimes we choose classroom teacher or local librarian sug- asians are better to give up certain values or things

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 11

Printz Award Winner Speech

that we believe in to get to a certain drowned by the torrents of media we cre- the Cousin Chin-Kee character with you. position. Part of who you are may ate. We need them to model for us how Chin-Kee stars in one of the three sto- get lost. . . . But you can always to think about what we read and watch rylines in American Born Chinese. choose to get your soul back. and listen to. In short, my epiphany can be With Chin-Kee, I attempt to tie summed up like this: You librarians are all today’s popular images of Asians and Post #4: [I] didn’t want to be a that stand in the way of the entire world Asian-Americans with the more overtly person who had ADHD. I wanted turning into one big, no-holds-barred racist imagery prevalent in the late 1800s to be normal and I kept trying to MySpace discussion board. and early 1900s. find a way to do it, I searched for a I suddenly appreciated how lucky I Here is a political cartoon from few years, but couldn’t find a way am to be able to count librarians among the 1880s, around the time the Chinese to do it. Finally, I guess I just had the most ardent supporters of American Exclusion Act was enacted. to accept just who and what I was. Born Chinese. My Cousin Chin-Kee char- Cartoons like this sanctioned discrim- Unfortunately, this urge still comes acter, especially, has the potential to be ination and violence against early Asian- to me once in a great while. reduced to nothing more than a YouTube American communities. It is from here video clip in the mind of the reader. Now, that Chin-Kee got his outfit and hair style. Afterwards, I had an epiphany. In a it’s okay for you to find him funny, but I My next example shares something data-rich society like twenty-first-century want you to laugh at him with a knot in in common with one of my favorite span- America, we need information experts to your stomach. Without at least a passing dexed crimefighters. Batman began in a prevent complex ideas from condensing knowledge of Chin-Kee’s historical roots, a comic book series called Detective Comics, into polarized, essentially meaningless young reader might not develop that knot. DC Comics’ flagship title. Few people sound bites. We need these experts to To empower you to make knots in the know, however, that Detective Comics did teach us to sort good information from stomachs of teenagers across the nation, I’d not begin with Batman. In fact, twenty-six bad. We need them to save us from being like to take some time now to deconstruct issues of the series were published before

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12 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007

Yang

Batman reared his brooding, pointy-eared edged that Fu Manchu and other historical ians are at their side, encouraging them to head. The inaugural issue of Detective caricatures of Asians and Asian Americans not just laugh at the funny scenes and cry Comics featured a character much more are racist. But what do we make of at the sad ones, but examine what’s behind familiar and marketable to comic book modern-day stereotypes? Often these are their laughter and their tears. readers in the 1930s. treated as little more than impolite jokes. I’d like to end by extending my grati- This is Ching Lung, a cheap Fu After all, Asians and Asian Americans tude to the people who made this possible. Manchu knock-off. From him Chin-Kee are largely seen as successful in American One does not go from photocopying and inherited his leering eyes and menacing society. stapling comics by hand to making speeches slouch. Images, however, have power. And in front of audiences like this one all by Those are the origins of Chin-Kee’s images have history. Today’s depictions himself. First, I thank God for His many appearance. His words and actions are of Asians and Asian Americans rest on a blessings upon me and my family. I thank much more modern. One of Chin-Kee’s tradition. They draw on visual cues and my wife for her infinite patience and love, most over-the-top lines is a word-for-word shorthands already established in the mind and my two children for just being cute. I quotation from a political cartoon by an of the audience. When we encounter John thank my parents for instilling in me a love award-winning, nationally syndicated car- Hughes’ Long Duc Dong or Pat Oliphant’s of stories, and my brother for sharing in the toonist. In a lunchroom scene in the sixth Chinese waiter, we must remember who habit of comic book collecting. chapter of American Born Chinese, Chin- their grandfathers are. And we must To my fellow cartoonists, especially Kee offers Danny a bite of his “crispy ensure that the next generation does those in the Bay Area alternative comics fried cat gizzards with noodles.” On April the same. scene, and most especially Derek Kirk Kim 9, 2001, in response to the Chinese spy Getting the next generation to read and Lark Pien, thank you for inspiring plane crisis, American political cartoon- and watch and listen with all their minds me to be a better storyteller, for open- ist Pat Oliphant drew a six-panel strip and all their hearts is no small task. ing doors, and for partnering with me in depicting Uncle Sam’s visit to a Chinese Generation Next is constantly tempted so many ways. To Mark Siegel, Simon restaurant, where he is served “crispy fried to communicate through ten-letter text Boughton, Lauren Wohl, Gina Gagliano, cat gizzards with noodles” by a slant-eyed, messages, make snap judgments based on Danica Novgorodoff, Kat Kopit, and the bucktoothed waiter. two-minute video clips, and understand rest of the First Second team, thank you Chin-Kee’s lust for buxom American the world through a rotating set of Yahoo! for your vision, your passion for excellence, girls mirrors that of Long Duc Dong, homepage headlines, all the while having and your elbow grease. I cannot tell you Oriental comic relief in John Hughes’ 1984 more information at their fingertips than how lucky I am to be published by such an film Sixteen Candles. Most Asian American was available to all previous generations amazing outfit. To my agent Judy Hansen, men of my generation can vividly recall the combined. Whether you realized it or not, thank you for reading and explaining to me sting of this character. In a strip drawn for when you got your librarian’s degree and all that fine print I find so tedious. Giant Robot magazine, Adrian Tomine, a chose to work with teenagers, you enlisted And finally, I thank all of you here fellow thirtysomething Asian American yourself in the frontlines of this struggle. at the Young Adult Library Services cartoonist, recounts his phone interview So am I robbing graphic novels of all Association. Thank you for the honor of with Gedde Watanabe, the actor who por- their cool by this very act of presenting to this award. Thank you for your enthusias- trayed Long Duc Dong. Tomine doesn’t a group of librarians? That really isn’t the tic support of my graphic novel. And thank just speak for himself when he ends the right question. Instead, I should ask, “Can you for developing the intelligent, passion- strip with an emphatic, “I hate that graphic novels—and all young adult litera- ate, insightful readership for whom it is f***ing guy!” ture, really—nurture thought, passion, and such a pleasure to write and draw. YALS Since the Civil Rights movement in understanding within our young people?” I the 1960s, America has generally acknowl- believe the answer is yes, as long as librar-

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 13 feature Author Perspectives

ing about the anger on the Arab Street. Hassan was screaming that the Arab Printz Award Street, whatever the hell that was, did not speak with a unified voice. And then new footage came in from Baghdad, and they Honor Speech played it while Mr. McGee, who was also watching it for the first time, spoke about it from New York. The camera panned By John Green across an Iraqi home that had plywood nailed to a damaged wall. On the plywood, there was menacing-looking graffiti in black Arabic script. Mr. McGee talked about the inborn rage of the Iraqi people, the hatred in their heart, and so on. And then Hassan started laughing. hat you say is “Good morning, ably the reason I am standing here today. “What’s so funny?” I asked. Hank. It’s Wednesday.” On Nothing I write would be possible without “The graffiti,” he said. W three. One. Two. Three. Julie Strauss-Gabel, who is the best editor “What about it?” I asked. I’d like to begin by thanking Tobin and the best friend an author could ever “It says ‘Happy Birthday, Sir, despite [M. T. Anderson] for his speech, and ask for. Julie’s commitment to good litera- the circumstances.’” I would also like to thank him for my ture for teenagers should be an inspiration And that is where An Abundance of speech, since many of the ideas in it are to us all. Katherines started for me, with Shithead stolen from him. So anyway, if I’m not An Abundance of Katherines began McGee’s radical misapprehension of some good, it is Tobin’s fault. with my friend Hassan al-Rawas. Hassan Arabic graffiti. It was then that I started I am very grateful to be here tonight, now lives in Dubai, but he grew up in thinking about writing a Muslim char- and when people get extremely grateful, Kuwait near the Iraqi border, and for acter who, like my friend and the other they can sometimes become gratuitously several years lived with me and two other American Muslims I know, is religious thank-you-ey. I figure the best way to do friends in a small house on the north side without being defined by his religiosity. It this is to dispense with them right away of Chicago. During the invasion of Iraq in is possible in this nation to be Jewish and and to cover everything in less than one 2003, Hassan and I watched TV pretty punk, or Christian and fond of modern- minute: I would like to thank the Printz much constantly. Actually, we watched ist architecture, but it sometimes seems committee for honoring Katherines and TV pretty much constantly regardless, impossible to be Muslim and anything, for all their hard work this past year. I’d but in those weeks, we watched a lot of because we think we know all what being also like to thank my wife, Sarah, who war. I liked to watch CNN, because it a Muslim involves. And so Katherines inspires everything I write; my fairy god- features—you know—news, but Hassan started not with its main character, a mother, Ilene Cooper; writing partners always insisted on watching Fox, because washed-up child prodigy named Colin, Maureen Johnson and Emily Jenkins his primary source of entertainment in but with Hassan. I decided then that I and Scott Westerfeld; and everyone at those dark days was screaming at the wanted to write a book wherein a guy’s Booklist. Stephanie Lurie, Lara Phan, television, and Fox makes for far better Muslimness was not his defining character Allison Smith, and everyone at Dutton television-screaming material. I have never trait. I realize this is a lot of weight to put and Penguin believed from the beginning known anyone who screamed at the tele- on a character who refers to his penis as that this book had an audience despite its vision with such charming vitriol, and it Thunderstick, but such I suppose is the abundance of nonlinear equations. And was a pleasure just to sit next to him and fate of the comic novelist. speaking of those, I must also thank my listen as, day in and day out, he eviscerated The problem on Fox News, and the friend Daniel Biss, who wrote the formulas Shepherd Smith, whom Hassan referred problem in Katherines, and the problem in the book and also wrote the appendix, to only as “Shithead McGee.” in so many places, is one of narrative. Our which I think is by far the best twelve So two days after Baghdad fell, brains like stories that make sense; they are pages in the entire novel and is prob- Shithead McGee was on the air talk- easier to remember, easier to access, easier

14 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007

Green

to believe. We live in a world in which equations—and a girl who knows how happened. And I do believe, although every TV ad tells a different story; each to tell a story—that begin to help Colin maybe it is unfashionable to say so, that news station tells a different story; each understand the power of good storytelling. such power must be utilized thought- MySpace page tells a different story. We are I don’t mean morally good; I just fully. I believe that authors—particularly supersaturated with narratives—none of mean a compelling yarn. Look at The Book those of us writing for teenagers—have a them terribly reliable—and many of those Thief. It is a good story—Hitler’s histori- responsibility to tell stories that are both narratives are competing against each other. cal narrative—that keeps Death so busy. good and—for lack of a better word— In the end, the narratives that triumph are But it is also good stories—the ones told moral. I heard Tobin Anderson say a few not necessarily the most factual or the most by Max and Hans and in Liesel’s stolen months ago that he is no longer opposed interesting. The stories that win are the books—that transform Liesel into the to fiction that teaches lessons, and neither ones that make sense, the ones that strike kind of person so radiantly good that even am I. In fact, I believe that fiction must us as touching or revealing. It is the good Death must love her. teach lessons—after all, any story that we stories that win. Islam-is-a-scary-monolith It is a hard thing to make a good story. believe in comes with a lesson, be they YA is a better story than Islam is a multivalent Like, even after librarian action figures and novels or Geico commercials. A book that and loosely associated set of ideas and Book Lust and challenging the PATRIOT is just its lesson cannot be a good story, actions. Or, to put ourselves in Colin’s Act, people still think of librarians as of course. But we can’t ignore the moral brain: Dumpees are victims is a better story shy, retiring flowers. Whenever I hear power of good stories, either. than dumpees are only victims sometimes. someone stereotype a librarian, I counter The teenagers we work with and Another example: Librarians are sensibly their inherited story with a true one of work for are in the process of form- shoed shhhers is a better story than librar- my own: I say that last year, at a librarian ing their values. As participants in that ians are the greatest contemporary defend- conference in New Orleans, I learned how process, we owe them good stories—but ers of America’s national values, people who hard librarians party. I was in the Harrah’s we also owe them more than that. We will stand up for intellectual freedom and casino downtown walking to the roulette owe them what we know—or hope we the rights of young people when no one table with Sarah Dessen when we hap- know—of the truth. else will, and also people who, in my expe- pened across a librarian, passed out drunk, There will be no easy hope for rience, often wear very cute shoes. sprawled across the loud carpet of the today’s teenagers as they come of age. No Colin Singleton, the washed-up child casino, a spilt drink in one hand, a galley of simple platitudes will nourish them in this prodigy at the book’s center, has a lot of a promising first novel in the other. Parts story-drenched world. It is a hard thing information at his disposal. But his brain of that story may have been fictionalized sometimes to tell stories that make sense is still human; it still prefers lies that make by my brain, but it doesn’t matter: The without giving in to deceit or despair. I am sense to true stories that don’t. There is a story becomes true, and maybe just maybe so proud to be here today because these moment toward the end of An Abundance some of the stories will shift from “librar- four other books that we are celebrating of Katherines where Colin Singleton says, ians are retiring violets” to “librarians are tonight each manage to do this—they are “You don’t remember what happens. What drunks.” But probably not—because once a each powerful books because they each you remember becomes what happened.” story is in your head, it’s hard to get it out. tell good stories, and they each use that The stories we tell do not shape history. Such is the significance of a good story. power wisely. These books, and the many They are history. We have a way of saying that a others like them, give me hope that better Colin is at a social disadvantage partly book is good if we liked the characters, historical and contemporary narratives can because, while he can mold language in or if it kept us turning the pages, or if triumph among teenagers and adults alike. all kinds of useless, nonnarrative ways, he we enjoyed, albeit guiltily, the exploits of These are stories that tell the truth about cannot turn language into a good story. It the snotty popular girls. But I think that the worst hard times, the truth about the is a hard thing to do, of course, for some- such good stories are not necessarily good circumstances. And they also remind us one whose brain does not think in a linear books. All good stories have power—as that despite those circumstances, there is fashion, and so in the end it is nonlinear Colin says in the book, they become what still such a thing as a happy birthday. YALS

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 15 feature Author Perspectives

Things I’m Glad I Said Printz Award 1. I thanked Catherine Drayton, Judith Haut, and Shanta Small—three people who made The Book Thief a Honor Speech success with a kind of iron will that I had never experienced before as a writer. By Markus Zusak 2. I dedicated the award to Erin Clarke, my excellent editor and friend, who took a gamble on me at a time when I thought I wouldn’t be published in America any more.

The problem now is that I’m glad for two things and sorry for four, but I console s far as speech transcripts go, it’s publicly known characteristics of the myself in the knowledge that there is a ominous to start with an apol- Kennedys. . . . The best I can say is third and final category. A ogy, but I feel I have to. I didn’t that I look forward to many more have a written speech for the Printz cer- works from both writers over many, emony, unlike the other four very gifted, many years to come. very prudent, award winners; I had in my 3. The incompetence of my praise for Things That Had pocket what I have for any speech I give—a Sonya Hartnett, my fellow Australian. to Be Said flimsy piece of faded, folded paper with I’d like to make amends now by small points on them. The expansion was saying what I intended to say—that 1. The story of whereThe Book Thief in my head. The intonation was practiced, one of my goals is to become one came from. countless times. I had never been better of Australia’s best writers, and that 2. The story of how I found out about prepared, for disaster. Sonya is already there. the Printz Honor. 4. Forgetting to thank Tracy Bloom and Adrienne Waintraub—two people I’ve published five books now, and I Things to Be Sorry For who made The Book Thief a success, love them all, hate them all, and am both and continue to do so today. proud and embarrassed of each of them. 1. Forgetting on stage to congratulate Only one of them, however, means every- the very gracious, talented, and Perhaps five years ago, there was thing to me. Only one of them is the book, forgiving Gene Yang for winning the a moment when I tried to recite a fully however flawed, that I worry I can’t better award. . . . I must thank him now for written speech. It ended badly. If I write a in my next attempt—and that’s The Book his response to my panicked apology. speech completely, I will stumble at every Thief. His exact words went something like full stop [period], searching for my place. There are many reasons why this this: “Dude. I know how crazy it is I will drown in the second paragraph. My book means everything to me, but the up there. Don’t worry for a second.” only alternative is to gamble on a memo- main one is my parents. Growing up in Thank you, Gene, and congratulations rized speech with a few dot [bullet] points Sydney, I had a slightly different child- on the unforgettable American Born to bob around in front of me—usually hood from most kids in my neighborhood, Chinese. ignored when I’m on the stage, saying especially when it came to stories that 2. Calling M. T. Anderson and John words I didn’t mean to say, and forgetting were told at home. My mother is from Green the Kennedys of young adult the words that were often most important. Munich and my father from Vienna—and literature. My intention was to Still, at the end of the day, I’m although they’re Australian now, they assert them as young, charismatic, reminded that this is just a speech, and brought a whole different world of stories and inspiring writers. The intention I feel that I did get a few things right, with them. It was those stories that kept was not to imply certain other between the failures outlined above. us glued to our kitchen chairs as we grew

16 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007

Zusak

up. It was those stories that inspired The here that I need to acknowledge that I’m I found out about receiving the Honor Book Thief. extremely fortunate to have parents who Award . . . My brother, my two sisters, and I were not only have great stories, but also have It’s fitting that my mother told me the always entranced as we saw cities of fire, the ability to tell them in a beautiful, mean- news. Last January, when the awards were people crouching in bomb shelters, and ingful, and compelling way. They are the announced, I was away from home. My several close brushes with death. We heard beginning of The Book Thief. Writing the mother, who was at my house minding the about German teenagers giving bread to book resulted in me telling my parents that pets, received the call from the committee. Jewish people being marched to concentra- I loved them, and for that, I’m more grate- She then went on to call me immediately. tion camps. We heard how the Jewish peo- ful than anything else. Given that she doesn’t know much about ple were whipped for taking the bread. And It’s an exciting thing to receive literature awards, she was delighted to tell we heard how the teenagers were whipped a Printz Honor, and I want to thank me that I’d won a Quince Honor. for giving them the bread. . . . I remember YALSA and the Printz committee for With that in mind, I want to say how being stunned by the ugly world I was told their love of books, their love of young proud I am to have received this Printz about, but more so by the moments of people, and, of course, their love of books Honor, even if it will always be a Quince beauty that existed there as well. I wanted for young people. It would be remiss of me, Honor to me. to write about those moments, and it’s however, not to end with the story of how Thank you. YALS

Volunteer for a YALSA Committee!

Starting this spring, YALSA begins appointing new committee members—and we need your help!

 Make sure your YALSA membership is up-to-date! We can only offer committee appointments to current members.  Fill out the Committee Volunteer Form at www.ala.org/ala/ here’s yalsa/joinus/joinus.htm.  Contact the chair of the committees you’re interested in, your and let them know! Names and contact information are available at the “Governance” link on the left-hand side at www.ala.org/yalsa. chance  Committee members are expected to attend Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference, so plan your schedule to get accordingly. involved Find more ways to make the most of your YALSA membership at www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/joinus/howparticipate.htm!

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 17 feature Author Perspectives

if there had been, I’m sure I wouldn’t have read them. Australia, and the Australian Printz Award life lived by myself and my siblings and friends, was unworthy of fiction. Australia was a bland and unremarkable thing. Honor Speech America, though, was a strange place, an adventurous and dangerous place; one where, if the novels were correct, a fearful By Sonya Hartnett or outcast teenager was not a loser but, rather, a kind of beautiful young god or goddess. That promising world was the one in which I wanted to live. It was certainly the one I wanted to read about. Looking back on my teenage years, few weeks ago, not long after as have its eucalypts and birds and green I feel kind of breathless at the thought Surrender was honored in this year’s grass and blue skies. On the other hand, of what my life would have been like if AMichael L. Printz Awards, I drove it’s this neighborhood that, years later, I had not had the triumvirate of Suzy home to visit my mother in the dark-green makes me hesitate shiftily when someone Hinton, Paul Zindel, and Robert Cormier heart of Box Hill, the suburb of Melbourne asks what I do for a living. An ordinary kid to bolster me against the ill winds that in which I spent my childhood and teen- from an ordinary Australian suburb could blow through those tightly wound, easily age years. Rounding the corner into Mum’s never be a respectable writer of books: It’s wounded, blindingly bright years. Hinton street, I passed a billboard advertising a something I believed when I first started gave me characters to aspire to create and local theater group’s production of a play writing, as a thirteen-year-old, and some- become. She showed me that words can called The Outsiders. I stopped the car, thing I still can’t help believing, for the bleed. Most importantly, she showed me reversed back. It was as I’d hoped: these cultural cringe runs as deep in Australians that the world was much, much wilder Outsiders were, indeed, S. E. Hinton’s as does guilt in a Catholic. S. E. Hinton than I knew. Life in that wild world could Outsiders. For twenty-five years, they and could do it, but she was S. E. Hinton, who be fraught, but even fraughtness has she have lurked in the corners of my mind. had several unfair advantages. She had beauty and style when it’s lived by guys Now they are back in the bright light, hav- a cool name, she had a flair for plot, she with names like Ponyboy and M&M and ing skipped a generation in the ’90s, the invented charismatic characters and chris- Tex. Paul Zindel was the joker who taught first generation of Australian teenagers who tened them with ace nicknames, and, most me to cock an eyebrow at life’s quirks; the read mostly Australian books. I couldn’t unfairly of all, she was American. loneliness and awkwardness and sadness help grinning like an idiot, as if I had met, At thirteen, I had no clear image of of his characters was something they could unexpectedly, a friend I’d thought gone America as a country at all, but I did know laugh at, in the end. Like Hinton’s charac- forever. that its teenagers were worldly and good- ters, Zindel’s were brave, but brave within When I was a teenager in the 1980s, looking, ran in gangs and hung out in pool an ordinary world—not brave during a Box Hill was a suburb still a little rough halls, had parents who were in prison, got gang brawl, but brave throughout a hor- around the edges; it was not somewhere into knife fights and were handsomely rible day at school. Hinton broke a teenage anyone aspired to. There was a lot of open, scarred, or even, occasionally, died roman- girl’s heart, but it was Zindel’s characters unusable ground where creeks ran and tically as poets in each other’s arms. An who you wanted to be your friends. horses browsed, and the earth was swampy Australian teenager couldn’t compete with And lastly, there was Robert Cormier, in winter, and in summer tall gum trees any of this. No one I knew had banged- whose work you picked up carefully, like a dropped their branches onto the roads. up parents who’d left them in the care of precious gem covered in spikes. Cormier The weekends spent roaming this wild their sexy and curt but good-hearted elder looked at the world through dark eyes, neighborhood fanned my imagination, brother. No one I knew had been in a fist- and saw as a teenager sees—that there is and maybe made a writer out of me, for fight, let alone been stabbed. When I was hypocrisy and cruelty and unfairness in its silent streets and sullen houses have a teenager, there were very few Australian the world, that things can go skiddingly featured in my work since the beginning, books being written for teenagers, but even wrong, that everything hangs by a very thin

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Harnett

Great reads from thread. Of the three, Cormier’s world was the real world as I suspected it to be. It is Scholastic Cormier who showed me the way in to being a writer, and Cormier to whom I owe Does My Head my biggest literary debts; but the influence Look Big in This? of wry Zindel and shadowy Hinton runs by Randa Abdel-Fattah through what I write every day. 0-439-91947-9 Yet putting aside everything these Hardcover • Ages 12 and up • $16.99 three taught me as writers, what I’m most � “A courageous exercise in grateful for is the huge delight their work self-understanding.” — Kirkus, starred review brought me. I loved every word that they � “Hilarious…and sometimes wrote. I saved for months to buy their heartbreaking.” books; I read them again and again. Each —Booklist, starred review one filled me with that warmth in the � “Just what we need in the chest that a beloved author gives a besot- way of diversity.” ted reader. In the twenty-five years that —Kliatt, starred review I’ve been writing, I have striven to create work that might give my own readers just a taste of the joy that Hinton, Zindel, and Cormier gave me. Gregor and And so it is a tremendous honor to the Code of Claw have Surrender recognized in this year’s by Suzanne Collins Michael L. Printz Awards for Excellence 0-439-79143-X in Young Adult literature, and a great Hardcover • Ages 9 –12 • $17.99 pleasure to be here in Washington tonight. “Rip-roaring adventure…. A ﬁ tting end to an unﬂ inchingly gutsy series.” I congratulate Gene Luen Yang, M. T. —Kirkus Anderson, John Green, and my good “Fly you high, Gregor.” mate Markus on your fine and deserving —Horn Book work. I would like to thank my publisher, Candlewick, for taking on a book as difficult and strange as Surrender, and my editor Deborah Wayshak, for being such a sweet friend to me over the years. In publishing my work in your country, you give Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell me the opportunity to give back a little of 0-439-91848-0 what your writers gave to me. Finally, I’d Hardcover • Ages 12 and up • $16.99 like to thank the 2007 Printz committee � “A unique and eloquently for honoring the book in this way, and wrought addition YALSA and for sponsoring the to Arthurian lore.” Booklist —Publishers Weekly, prize. You do a great service not only to starred review teenage readers, but to those who write for “An excellent modern them as well. YALS � take on an old story.” —Kliatt, starred review

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Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 19 feature Author Perspectives

Comprehensive Assessment System] tests, Massachusetts’s standardized tests, part of Printz Award the No Child Left Behind program. The day the tests began, an older kid was shot near the school. The second day, a police- Honor Speech man posted outside the school to guard them was shot and killed right in front of the school just before school began, and By M. T. Anderson they had to walk through police tape to get to their classrooms. The school was in lockdown. The teachers received instruc- tions, not simply on invigilating the test, but also on what to do if a student found a discarded round. Later the same day, two irst of all, I’d like to thank the righteous. We look at a book about slavery, kids were shot about a block away. Printz committee for this incred- like this one, or about the Holocaust, like At the elementary school about five ible honor. Markus’s beautiful novel, and the evils F blocks away, the days preceding the MCAS Second, I’d like to thank Candlewick of the past seem so clear to us. We seem this spring included an eighteen-year-old Press—not only Liz Bicknell, my wonder- superior to the dead. For one thing, after girl being gunned down at the school’s bus ful editor, but also the design department all, they’re dead, we’re alive—clearly we stop, and a fifth grader bringing a gun and the sales and marketing departments, know something they don’t. into class. who believed in a very unlikely project. The dangers of the past often seem So tell me. How accurately do we I wrote the first few lines of this novel, more quaint than our own dangers. From as it happens, the night that America our modern vantage point looking back, really think this test demonstrates these declared war on Iraq. I was down in we have supernatural sight: We can see students’ efforts? How scientific is its Colonial Williamsburg, and had spent the into torture chambers, across borders; we description of their intelligence and will- evening in a bar surrounded by off-duty, can peer into bedrooms and predict which ingness to learn? How can anyone say that eighteenth-century reenactors arguing infants are born to greatness; we can hear it makes statistical sense to compare these about international politics. Most of them the whispered orders in forest camps and test results—taken in those conditions— had taken off their costumes and had let words of command spoken in the colon- with the test results of schools in Boston’s their hair down. At first, I just thought nades and cupolas of power. For this rea- wealthy suburbs? I mean, take a class from they all had mullets. son, people in the past seem blinded and one of those suburban schools, fire off a So after Bush’s speech, these early bumbling. few rounds over their heads, and then tell American colonists start to argue about And yet, the dead have their lessons them to take the test. Then there will be our chances in the Middle East. It’s crazy. to teach us, if only we’ll listen. some legitimate basis for comparison. On the one side, this guy is quoting from It is worthwhile, when we read of the Everyone deserves safety. Every child the Federalist Papers; on the other side, past, to say not just, “How did they pos- deserves to feel like their school, their this guy is standing up and roaring the sibly believe this was right?,” but rather, town, and their government wants them immortal words of Patrick Henry; and this “What do we do that our grandchildren to succeed. guy is describing Washington’s tactics; and and their grandchildren will look at And yet, there are always reasons that in the middle, this one guy in street clothes aghast? What are we blind to?” inequities make sense to us. If this prob- is saying, “Jesus. Coming to this bar’s like For example, the theme of race and lem seems intractable to us, imagine how getting a goddamn Ph.D.” education, which I get all sniffly about in intractable a problem slavery must have It strikes me that this image—men this book: seemed. It’s easy to diagnose and fix the of the past arguing over the politics of the My girlfriend teaches in the Boston problems of the dead. present—is an excellent emblem of what public schools. The students at the elemen- By the same token, it is easy to weep the historical novel can do. tary school where she works—overwhelm- for slavery in the past; it is more difficult The danger in reading historical ingly African American and Latino—just to confront the fact that there are an novels is that they make us feel safe and took the MCAS [Massachusetts estimated twelve million people enslaved

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Anderson

today—not “wage slaves,” but people who completely unacceptable ourselves: twelve there—down almost to the minute—the were kidnapped or purchased and who are to fourteen hour days, seven days a week, men of my town, ordinary citizens, men restrained with shackles, threats of vio- in factories in Bangladesh, in Lebanon, in like my father, had come over the rise, and lence, or even hamstringing. India. had marched down toward the river where We can tell ourselves that, if we were When we read about the inequities I sat to engage in battle with the most whites living in the Antebellum South, we and atrocities of the past, we repeat, with powerful army in the world. would be the people aiding in escapes, we horror, “Never again. Never again.” But we That time, those people, were not would be hiding people in our cellars and cannot stop there, because genocide, cruelty, mythic; they had once been real, though agitating for change. But we are clearly not inequality, and graft are not just relics of his- now historical—just as the year 1975, the those people. Because the problem persists. tory, but a part of our world in the present. year I bobbed on the waters ten feet below And in a broader sense: We can look On April 19, in the year 1975, my the pants of the President of the United in horror at a system which forced many to parents woke me up at four in the morn- States, is now not real, but historical. suffer so that a few could enjoy leisure and ing. They took me down to the river and History is not a pageant arrayed for nugatory pleasures—they could eat with put me in the canoe. I have only the faint- our delectation. utensils made of precious metals and drive est memory of this. My father and mother We are all always gathered there. We fine equipages through their parks. We can paddled us down the Concord River to the have come to the riverside to fight or to flee. say we would never allow such inequities Old North Bridge, where, in the rushes, We are gathered at the river, upon those to exist. But of course, that’s a comfortable we saw some redwing blackbirds and the shores, and the water is always moving, and lie, because our way of life is dependent on President of the United States. President the President of the United States always a global system of labor founded on ineq- Gerald Ford was standing on Old North gesticulates silently above us, his image on uities. Our clothes, our toys, our gadgetry Bridge, delivering a bicentennial address. the water. Nothing will cease. Nothing will are more often than not assembled by peo- On the one bank was a hill where, stop. We ourselves are history. ple laboring in conditions we would find exactly two hundred years before I arrived The moment is always now. YALS

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 21 feature Author Perspectives

library in the small college town where I lived. It seemed the grandest building in Margaret A. the town, though there were other impres- sive ones nearby: the buildings of the college itself and the law school. The bank Edwards Award where my grandfather’s office was. But it was the library, the J. Herman Bosler Memorial Library, that had captured my Acceptance heart and in which I spent so many soli- tary and supremely happy hours. At home, while my sister played Speech “school” with her dolls, frowning at them and scolding them as she taught them to read and add and multiply and sit still, I played a game that I thought of simply as A Passionate Yearning “library.” I arranged my books (and I was lucky to grow up in a home that valued books, and bought books, and gave me By Lois Lowry books) carefully. I stacked them up, sorted them, checked them out to my dolls and stuffed animals with great solemnity and with those magical thumps that seemed important in that pre-computer era. Thump. Thump. And the book became the started writing this speech on a recent I checked an all-time favorite, Holes, property of that doll, or bear, or elephant, Wednesday, and as I sat there staring another Newbery book, a well-regarded and I would send it off to a corner of the Imindlessly at the computer, trying to film. It was number 20,373. room with the book propped against its think about what to say (what new to say!), I checked Bridge to Terabithia. stuffed lap or knees. I decided to look on Amazon for the cur- Newbery. Currently a very popular movie. I outgrew the dolls, of course, but rent ranking of The Giver. Number 23,366. never outgrew the books, or the library, Writers do this. It’s like touching your And finally, knowing for certain that though I said goodbye to that town, and child’s forehead to feel its temperature, I could find something that would put that library, when I was eleven years old, in sniffing the bottle of milk to determine The Giver into perspective, bring it down 1948, and moved on to others and to oth- whether it is fresh, glancing up at the a peg, humble it, I looked up To Kill a ers and to others. But I remembered the J. clouds before deciding to take an umbrella. Mockingbird. It was number 2,220. Herman Bosler Memorial Library as being Just a quick assessment of status. Astounding. a magnificent building, something on the The Giver, on Amazon, on this partic- I began to try to think about why order of a cathedral, with pillars, and at ular Wednesday, was ranked number 573. The Giver has remained so popular, so least a hundred granite steps. You may not be aware of how meaningful to so many people, for so many But a few years ago they invited me astounding that is. Number 573 on years . . . why this organization has chosen back to speak at the one hundredth birth- Amazon is practically a bestseller. And yet to honor it, and me. And I do have some day party for that library. It surprised me this book was published fourteen years ago. thoughts about that. that the library was actually small. The To put things into perspective, I But first I want to talk about what a steps were cement, and there were no more checked the ranking of The Higher Power pleasure it is to be here in the company of than ten of them. of Lucky, this year’s Newbery winner. It librarians. Just now I Googled it, and found this was number 1,078. (Of course, it has that One of my happiest childhood memo- description: “As a lasting memorial to Mr. controversial scrotum in it). ries is of going frequently to the public Bosler, his widow and five children erected

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Lowry

a handsome public library building . . . after another, and proud of each one of insisted on reading the entire book aloud, known as ‘The J. Herman Bosler Memorial them . . . but the best part is to watch them non-stop, standing on the auditorium stage Library.’ Entirely completed and equipped go out into the world, and to see what they of his Minneapolis private school, refusing with furniture and books, it was formally become to others. to obey the teachers who ordered him to transferred to trustees on Jan. 30, 1900, Last weekend I sat in a large audience stop and to return to class? together with an endowment fund of and watched a daughter receive a master’s How about the young woman who— $20,000. . . .The building has a frontage on degree. I felt proud of her, how hard she not sure of how copyright law applied— West High Street of 57 feet and a depth had worked, how well she had done. But asked my permission to have a page of The of 88 feet, standing on a lot 63 by 110 I never once felt, I made her what she is Giver tattooed on her left shoulder? feet. About 4,400 books are now upon its today. And what made it appeal to a trou- shelves under the care of the efficient and And I don’t feel that way, either, about bled adolescent in the rural South? popular librarian, W. Homer Ames.” books I’ve written. I turn them loose. Well, just last week I got an e-mail It is the trick that memory plays, isn’t They’re on their own. They take on a life from a college student, a girl who was it? The enormity that we remember comes separate from me. writing a term paper using The Giver as more from our emotional attachment And it’s the life of one book that I’m what she called “contemporary myth.” She to things than to actual size. Grandpa’s here to talk about. asked me if I agreed with that assessment. lap—the place I curled so often, as he read Not long ago I got an e-mail from a I confessed to her that I didn’t know, that Kipling to me—is remembered as soft and teacher in South Carolina who told me I hadn’t a clue what she meant by “con- comfortable. Could it be that he might that she teaches in a rural part of the state, temporary myth,” but that I was sure her have had, actually, bony knees and scratchy a dirt-poor area. During the winter she paper would be intriguing and I wished tweed trousers? was reading The Giver aloud to the class, her well. Could my beloved library, the cathe- one chapter a day. One day it snowed. A Then, thinking about it after I had dral of my earliest literate life, have actually rare occurrence in South Carolina, and replied to her, I tilted back my chair so that had a frontage of just fifty-seven feet? schools closed. During the day, when she I could reach my bookcase and I pulled I also, incidentally, found this as part was at home, her phone rang. She said it out Joseph Campbell, began to skim, and of the library’s history: “The price of a was the most troubled, most troublesome, realized it indeed answered the question of library subscription in 1900 cost $1.00 most disruptive boy in her eighth-grade what is it about this particular book? per year. The rules stated that ‘all persons class. We’ve all known those boys: sullen, I certainly didn’t think in grandiose above the age of twelve years, of cleanly disaffected, unresponsive. Yet here he was, terms—no thoughts at all about religion or habits and good reputation may use the on the phone. And he begged her to read politics or philosophy—when I sat down books in the building.’” the next chapter of The Giver to him. simply intending to write a story, the story That age rule must have changed, The teacher told me that she almost that became The Giver. I had been thinking because I was well under twelve (of cleanly wept as she read to him that snowy after- a great deal about memory because I had habits, usually, though, and I think my repu- noon, sitting alone in her house and hear- been watching my father’s diminish and tation was good) when I prowled the stacks ing the boy’s breath through the phone fade at the same time that I watched my of that library so contentedly in the 1940s. as he listened. It was the first time the mother cling tenaciously—fiercely—to the It’s probably not surprising that when boy had ever become engaged, interested, tiniest memories that went back seventy and I sat down to write the book that would be enthusiastic about anything. eighty years and meant so much to her. called The Giver, and to create a world that And so I am back to the earlier ques- So I thought about what memory had lost so much of importance . . . it was a tion. What is it, about this particular book? means, what it does, how we use it—and world that had no books. What was it to the young Trappist of course, what would happen if we let go My own first book was published monk who wrote to me once, and told me of it. If we chose to do that. when I was forty. My thirty-fourth book that in the silence and solitude of his order, I sat down to write a story that grap- has just been published, and I’m seventy he had read The Giver and considered it a pled with those questions. I chose to make now. I’ve turned them out in somewhat sacred text? the story about a boy. the same way I turned out babies, in 1958, Or the privileged high school senior And without planning or intending 1959, 1961, and 1962: close together, one who risked punishment because he it, I recreated the classic hero of all recur-

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 23

Margaret A. Edwards Award Acceptance Speech

rent myth: the figure (and yes, though it is Well, the boy in the classroom, the caught in a world that offers him little, that sexist, the mythic hero seems always to be one slouched in his desk, is scared, too. is in many ways a sick society; and through male) who perceives something wrong in His own world sucks. His own parents— a mentor—a teacher—a Giver—he begins the world and who therefore is compelled assuming he has them in his life—do their to undertake his own journey, as Jonas does. to undertake a quest. best, but are not a source of wisdom or There are other stock situations in Picture the boy in South Carolina. I comfort. He hasn’t a clue what his own myth. There is a threshold that the hero know nothing about him beyond what his future holds. He suspects it holds nothing. must cross in order to enter the unknown. teacher told me. He’s an eighth grader. He’s He begins to listen to the story about Jonas gets on a bike and crosses a disruptive, disaffected, disadvantaged. He’ll the scared, uncertain boy. bridge on his way to Elsewhere; the young be a drop-out soon. Then the boy in the book meets a man. boy in South Carolina picks up a tele- But I am a very visual person. My This is part of the structure of myth, phone on a snowy day. mind creates images. I picture him African of course. The hero encounters a mentor— Myth requires a journey. They both American. I don’t know his ethnicity, but often it is someone with magical powers. set out. I know where he lives—a place with a Jonas, in the book, has this experience. Myth requires that they encounter largely African American population—and He meets a man who has amazing pow- obstacles, entertain doubts, that they that’s how he appears in my mind. I see a ers and who is able to give him something despair and feel all is lost. We know, those of us who know The Giver, that Jonas experiences all of those things. We don’t know the boy in South Carolina. But we know the rural South. I thought about what memory means, what it does, We know our culture. We know what the how we use it—and of course, what would happen if world offers a semi-educated, disaffected we let go of it. If we chose to do that. I sat down to boy like him. And so we know that he, too, write a story that grappled with those questions. is going to experience crushing defeats and terrible despair. But for now, during two weeks in February, he makes that mythic journey with a fictional character. lanky black boy with large sneakers, rest- intangible, something mysterious, not yet There is a moment when Jonas feels less legs, bored eyes, forced to sit in a class- explainable. like giving up, like giving in: room with inadequate resources—this is a The boy in the classroom, listen- poor rural area—a classroom with nothing ing, maybe less restless, attentive by now, He got off [the bicycle] and let it that seems relevant to him, nothing that knows in his heart that he is not going to drop sideways into the snow. For holds his interest. have an opportunity to meet a bearded a moment he thought how easy it I see him sprawled at his desk, legs in man who will be his mentor. Maybe there would be to drop beside it himself, the aisle. I see him yawn and fiddle with a have been people in his past—a Cub Scout to let himself and Gabriel slide into pencil and gaze out the window, or glance leader once, a Little League coach, maybe, the softness of snow, the darkness at the clock, when the teacher begins to who tried—but there had been no con- of night, the warm comfort of sleep. read a story and it is about a boy. nection for him; they tried to make him But because he has a mind, and an conform, to follow their rules, and it didn’t But the trials that a mythic hero imagination—because all kids do, all work for him, and he dropped out and undergoes test him and reveal his true humans do—he begins to see himself in drifted away. nature. So it is, with Jonas: the fictional boy. Something feels familiar. But something is happening that he The boy in the story is scared. He’s wor- is unaware of. He has met a teacher who is He pressed his hands into Gabriel’s ried about what is going to happen to him. magically transferring excitement to him, back and tried to remember His parents don’t seem to care. But the and a sense of wonder. sunshine. For a moment it seemed boy, the fictional boy, Jonas, senses that So we have a boy who is himself a that nothing came to him, that his something is wrong in his world. Jonas. He is a mythic hero, a young boy power was completely gone. Then

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Lowry

it flickered suddenly, and he felt ing. They want to make that mythic jour- so many wonderful writers for children, tiny tongues of heat begin to creep ney with a boy named Jonas. They want so many wonderful librarians, so many across and into his frozen feet and to share his passionate yearning and to wonderful teachers, who understand that legs. He felt his face begin to glow emerge into a place where there is music. power and who use it with wisdom and and the tense, cold skin of his arms They want to know it is possible. intelligence. and hands relax. For a fleeting I ‘d like to quote some lines from a And all we writers do, really, is, as second he felt that he wanted to poem called “The Makers” by Howard Nemerov said, “say the visible”—the con- keep it for himself, to let himself Nemerov, a former poet laureate of the crete, the details, the things that make a bathe in sunlight, unburdened by United States. “The Makers” of the title book come to life, that tell the story, that anything or anyone else. refers to the very first writers, those of capture the attention, that invite the reader But the moment passed and ancient times, and in the poem he to make a journey. And then, when it was followed by an urge, a need, says this: works, it does what the poet said: it brings a passionate yearning to share the invisibles to view. The invisibles are those warmth with the one person left for They were the ones that in whatever abstract, mythic things we care about: him to love. tongue integrity, honesty, a sense of history, a hope Worded the world, that were the of future. We try to make them accessible And of course his true nature is cou- first to say to the young. Interesting to the young. rageous and unselfish. He becomes, after Star, water, stone, that said the Important to the young. passing through the trials, like all mythic visible I look with awe at the list of previous heroes, transcendent. Maybe, briefly, to the And made it bring invisibles to view recipients of this award. I’m very honored boy in South Carolina, reaching a destina- to be among them. tion seems possible. When a young reader—whatever But you know what makes me feel I think the reason the book remains, age—ten or twelve or fourteen—is cap- truly honored, truly successful? Knowing after all these years, a bestseller (I began tured by a book, is enthralled with a plot that on a snowy afternoon in an impov- writing this on a Wednesday. Now it and in love with a character, he (or she), erished home in South Carolina, one is Friday. I just checked Amazon again. curled in a chair, or listening to the voice troubled, angry boy crossed a threshold Today it is number 474 . . . up a hun- of a teacher, puts himself into that fictional when he picked up a telephone, called his dred notches in two days) is because situation, and weighs the choices the fic- eighth-grade teacher, and said, with pas- everywhere—in China and Hungary and tional character makes, that reader becomes sionate yearning n his voice, “You gotta Germany and Serbo-Croatia and every that character for a period of time. read to me.” one of the twenty-two countries in which Books for young people have tremen- Thank you. YALS this book is published now—readers live dous power over their audience. We’re in a world that is wounded and needs sav- fortunate, in this country, that we have

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 25 feature Best Practices

reading or literature program for young adults.” As stated in the application docu- Teens Plus Books ment (www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/awardsand grants/sagebrush.pdf ), the submitted program must “bring young adults and books together” and “encourage the development Honoring the Best in of life-long reading habits.” The Sagebrush Corporation provides $1,000 to support the recipient’s attendance at ALA’s Annual Literature and Reading Conference. Just as YALSA was once named the Young Adult Services Division (YASD), the Sagebrush Award has not Programs through the always been so named. In 2000, the name of the award was changed from the Econo- Clad Award to the Sagebrush Award Sagebrush Award for Young Adult Reading or Literature Program when Econo-Clad was purchased by the Sagebrush Corporation. By Cara von Wrangel Kinsey In 1999, Donna McMillen won the Econo-Clad Award for her teen review group. The teens read and reviewed books nominated for Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA). At a time when official teen participation in BBYA was just enter- s YALSA looks back over its that positively affect the teens with whom ing a pilot stage, Donna was a librarian first fifty years, the Sagebrush they interact. They reach teens in groups, who had never attended a conference A Award Jury has begun to reflect and they connect with them individu- and never served on a committee. Still, on the history of the award. When any ally. They bring books to teens and, in she was more than willing to organize anniversary comes around, people tend turn, teens to books. The books that they her teens to review and provide feedback to experience a series of reactions. We introduce might change a worldview, help for a local BBYA committee member. reminisce about what has come before. We a mourning process, or help teens realize Donna still enjoys connecting books with assess where we are now. We look toward that they are not alone. patrons, and her library continues its the future. It is wonderful that YALSA The Sagebrush Award recognizes review group. For Donna, the trip to ALA booklists have brought recognition to what librarians who find innovative ways to Annual Conference meant a new era for was once an underappreciated genre. It is connect teens with books, and proceeds her own work and her strong leadership heartening that YALSA advocates have to connect those librarians with ALA and in YALSA. She has since served on the helped to greatly increase the number of YALSA. Formed in 1988, the committee Printz committee and chaired BBYA. In young adult librarians in the country. It is began its mission to reward a member of return, appointment to committees helped inspiring that Margaret A. Edwards and YALSA who “developed an outstanding Donna secure financial support from her Michael L. Printz have achieved national recognition through the awards given in Cara v. W. Kinsey, of the St. George Library Center of the New their names. York Public Library, served as chair of the Sagebrush Award The year 2007 has been one for hon- Jury for 2007. Fellow jury members include Diane Tuccillo, Teen oring the great leaps of YALSA-kind, but Librarian at Fort Collins (Colo.) Public Library, Victoria Vogel, the Sagebrush Award has spent almost Rocky River (Ottawa) Public Library, Nicole Redmond, Librarian twenty years awarding the small steps, the people who work in libraries, and the for Rockwall Independent School District in Texas, and incoming people who love young adults. Every day, chair Lisa Youngblood, Library Director of the Harker Heights young adult librarians do amazing things (Tex.) Public Library.

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Kinsey

local library to continue to go to confer- has worked with teens to select appealing technology-dependent literature programs ences, and she has attended each Annual and pertinent books and bibliographies to across the country, other past winners Conference since. Words of wisdom from present to each conference attendee, with continue to prove that successful literature Donna: “Attend YALSA events at the ALA a focus on Latino authors. Winning the programs come in all types and sizes, and conference; volunteer for committees; award gave the conference and the at-risk that the work continues after the award reach out and network—our fellow librar- teens it serves visibility and recognition. is given. Patricia Suellentrop, the 2002 ians are doing fascinating work! Learn and It also led to contacts with librarians winner, continues to work with teens in grow—there is so much that can be done.” around the country who were interested in correctional facilities (the activity that won Diane Tuccillo, formerly of the City of replicating the program. “As a teen librar- her the award), but she’s now branching Mesa Library, won in 2004 for the Open ian, I feel that it is important to continue out to work with teens and younger kids Shelf newsletter (http://mesalibrary.org/ to work with populations outside of my in foster care. One of the early winners teens/books/openshelf.aspx). Teens write library building (and community) to sup- of the award, Cathi Dunn MacRae, had reviews for the newsletter that are posted port literacy and pleasure reading,” Amy a national voice as the editor of VOYA online and distributed in print to all the recently said. This year, the conference magazine. The Sagebrush Award Jury junior and senior high schools in the area, will look at starting a magazine targeting encourages everyone to replicate winning thus reaching both national and local audi- Latino teens. programs in their own libraries, or use ences. Still going strong, Open Shelf is In 2007, Joanna Peled won for her them for inspiration to do something new. a good example of a cooperative project program at the Tucson-Pima County The Sagebrush Award Jury received between a school and public library. Public Library in which she recruited teens more than a dozen applications last year, Diane reminds us that winning the to create movie-trailer-style advertisements and hopes for many more in the future. award celebrates not only the librarian who (www.lib.ci.tucson.az.us/teenzone/trailers) Young adult librarians shouldn’t be shy wins, but also the students who partici- for their favorite books, such as Patricia about sharing what they’re doing; you pated in the program. Diane was inspired McCormick’s Cut (2000) and Nancy never know who will be inspired. Past to apply for the award using a program Farmer’s The House of the Scorpion (2002). applicants can even resubmit ongoing pro- that she had been conducting for years This required training the teens to become grams or submit new programs. The appli- because she was about to leave her posi- screenwriters, storyboard creators, and cation for this award and YALSA’s other tion and wanted the teens to be recognized actors. By partnering with Tucson’s City grants can be found on the YALSA Web for their hard work. When budget cuts Channel 12, these trailers aired throughout site at www.ala.org/yalsa in the Awards threatened the program, she came back the city. At first glance, this project might and Grants section; applications are due to as a volunteer and, with the help of the appear to be daunting, but a strong alliance the YALSA office by December 1, 2007. Friends of the Library, the group contin- with the local television station made the The jury searches for innovative programs; ued. Diane continues her work with teens difference. Replicating this program could strong contenders often include commu- and YALSA, even serving on the 2007 involve film students, network stations, nity partnerships, teen participation, repro- Sagebrush Award Jury. public access channels, or even parents ducible or inspiring elements, and quality Amy Shelley, the youth and outreach with a camcorder as library partners. results. Young adult services continue to services manager for the Laramie County Does Joanna’s win for such a high- change. Who knows what cool, rad, spiffy, Library System, won the award in 2005 for tech program herald a new era for litera- groovy, wicked, gnarly, and frankly spec- her work with the Wyoming Latina Youth ture programs? While Joanna’s program tacular things young adult librarians will Conference. For the past several years, she might inspire, or be representative of, produce in the future? YALS

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 27 feature Hot Spot: YALSA’s Fiftieth Anniversary

Donna McMillen, senior library manager in the King County (Wash.) Library Making the List System, said in an interview that she can’t imagine how she handled the “tremendous” amount of books. “Looking back, I wonder at how I was able to do it. You end up tak- Behind the Scenes ing time out from many of your interests for several years.” Indeed, former chair Erin Pierce, teen of the Best Books coordinator at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, admits during an interview to being overwhelmed. “I literally did nothing for Young Adults outside my full-time job but read for a year of my life, and I still felt like I didn’t do justice to creating nominations.” Committee: A There is no doubt the BBYA committee has hills to climb and obstacles to over- come. Is it worth it? Although many might Retrospective like to see changes to the process and to the lists, no one seems willing to imagine a world without each year’s BBYA list in By Holly Koelling it. The lists are highly appreciated and utilized, as are the library professionals who create them. In the words of Canadian publisher Colleen MacMillan: “A group of dedicated and knowledgeable librarians who have committed their time and energy s with all great and complex Common challenges for the BBYA to reading, evaluating, and creating annual machines, the Best Books for committee include interpersonal chal- lists of great books for teens and the teen- A Young Adults (BBYA) committee lenges, such as poorly performing members serving community? Is this real? Pinch me.” needs regular care to run smoothly so that or a demographic makeup that’s somewhat Among what is likely a lengthy list of it can successfully complete the job it was homogenous, but the single greatest chal- benefits of the BBYA committee’s work is designed to perform. Like any machine, it lenge BBYA members face is the volume a selection of commonly expressed themes. stutters and coughs when a screw comes of books and the time required to read First and foremost, the work of the BBYA loose or a wrench falls in the engine. Keen them. “The number of books to consider committee fosters an awareness of the attention to its operations and the quality just grows and grows,” Mary Arnold said variety and quality of teen literature pub- of its output is required, as is a strong com- in an interview. Arnold, the regional teen lished for teens and adults. In the opinions mitment to updating and upgrading the manager at Cuyahoga County (Ohio) of some librarians, this awareness sets the machine to keep it in top working order. Public Library, noted that this is “a happy stage for the Printz Award. Beyond this, the The BBYA committee faces challenges problem, but a challenge for the commit- BBYA committee and its lists both set and as a committee, as a group of people with tee to truly read and consider everything raise professional standards, promote pro- different life ways, outlooks, ideas, and available.” fessional recognition, enhance professional practices who are brought together to meet a broad charge and achieve a demanding goal. Through a series of interviews with Holly Koelling is Outreach Services Manager for the King former BBYA members, publishers, and County (Wash.) Library System. She currently chairs YALSA’s Best authors, this article will examine both the Books for Young Adults committee and edited the third edition of hardships that go into creating the BBYA Best Books for Young Adults (ALA Editions, 2007). She holds her lists as well as the list’s achievement. master’s in library science from the University of Texas at Austin.

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Koelling

development, provide local and national do not receive the support they so richly pleasure of their own teen book groups. It’s connections for teens, provide readers’ advi- deserve. The BBYA lists carry, at least in a wonderful phenomenon that brings teens sory and collection development assistance selected arenas, a well-earned stamp of into the process not only under the tute- so that outstanding reading connections quality, and they confer clout on those lage of librarians on the committee, but with teens can be made, and encourage links who dedicate the time and effort to their within the larger network of teen services with authors and publishers. production. This recognition is a positive librarians and teen readers sharing the motivator for continued professional focus same goal in a library system. on teens and on the power of books in Numerous librarians and libraries, their lives far beyond the years of commit- large and small, use the BBYA process Professional Standards, tee participation. to make connections with teens, provide Recognition, and The BBYA committee provides par- books for them, talk about books with Development ticipating members and observers oppor- them, and get their input on the best tunities to develop a greater understanding In addition to giving credibility to litera- books of each publication year to fulfill of teen literature and its trends and to ture for teens, the BBYA committee sets an the part of the committee’s purpose that develop increased evaluative and reviewing example for how professionals and readers identifies books with “proven or potential” skills. It also offers them opportunities to at large might evaluate this teen literature appeal. share their knowledge and skills regarding to identify, promote, and even encourage Pam Spencer Holley, 2005–2006 teen literature both within their own pro- works that not only attract and resonate YALSA president and past BBYA member fessional communities and more broadly in with teen readers, but that are exception- and chair, believes that “from the book ally well-crafted. local communities. discussion groups, there’s been a natural The committee’s demonstrated com- Betsy Fraser, branch librarian at progression to teen advisory groups in mitment to teens, to literary tools for teens, Alexander Calhoun Library, a branch of the libraries that foster YA work.” Levine and to feedback from teens regarding the the Calgary Public Library in Alberta, adds shared Pam’s observations, noting, “I’ve world of teen literature also sets a standard. that she was “able to provide information been able to share the review books with The BBYA committee is perhaps the earli- on these books in my own community, teens and get their input. We have monthly est professional trailblazer in finding and doing presentations at teachers’ conventions review meetings where we talk about the showcasing literature for and of interest to over my time on the committee in three books together, and many of these teens teen readers. Now, with its fellow YALSA areas in Alberta, as well as building infor- have then become involved with other selection committees, BBYA demonstrates mation into training for the public library.” library programs, including the teen advi- not only the exceptional importance of sory council.” books and reading in teen lives, but how Going further, teens already in a teen essential the “great conversation” is about Teen Connections advisory group can be given a new and those books and reading between teen-serv- meaningful focus. Rick Orsillo noted that ing adults and teens themselves. In addition Deliberate or not, the BBYA committee BBYA “has galvanized my teen advisory to encouraging literary connections at local process is designed in such a way that it is board. It has given them goals and even levels, the BBYA “great conversation” goes all simple to involve teens at the local level in more of a purpose. It is a tangible program the way up to the national arena. the work of this national committee. Teens that I can point them to and say, ‘See. Mary Arnold notes that “YALSA are easily connected to the committee and This is what we can do.’” He adds that it pioneered teen involvement at conferences to each year’s publications through read- has created a positive awareness with his with their input to the BBYA work,” and ing groups and book clubs, teen advisory library’s Friends Group of the value of teen that it “has become a highlight for many groups, special collection areas in libraries, participation not only at the local level, but conference goers, and reinforces YALSA’s and through existing reading incentive at the national level. He said, “. . . this is commitment to youth participation.” programs. something that I have been able to rally my The work of the BBYA committee Community libraries with strong Friends group around. In fact, I was able has brought recognition, respect, and even reading groups will read and review BBYA to take a number of teens on an almost- prestige to nationally active library pro- candidates to submit to librarians on the all-expenses-paid trip to the San Antonio fessionals who serve teens and typically committee who do not currently have the Midwinter Meeting in 2006 on Friends’

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 29

Making the List

funds. I think that this can be one of the of the highest quality and most appealing the overwhelming numbers of materials most powerful aspects of BBYA—that it is literature for teen readers each year, they released every publication year. In Betsy something tangible that we can point our are used alongside reviewing and other Fraser’s words, the BBYA lists “provide a librarians, staff, and community toward as collection development resources to build constant and ongoing resource for librarians an example of what librarians and teens strong and attractive collections for teen across North America who don’t themselves working together can create.” readers. have access to these items firsthand . . . they For those teens who do not feel com- Although the charge of the BBYA then have a reliable buying tool.” fortable in groups, but who read avidly committee is to make an annual list for Once those books are selected and and have much to say about what they teens to be used directly by teens, making find their way to library shelves, BBYA read, a less formalized BBYA reading and the broadest connections between teens lists and the clout they carry can also play reviewing process has been used in librar- and BBYA lists generally requires a far a positive role in defending content chal- ies. Some librarians create from scratch a more creative and multifaceted approach, lenges, which appear in all library types, process for teens to access BBYA and sub- one masterminded by teen-serving profes- but perhaps are most commonly seen in mit reviews without ever needing to join a sionals. In addition to being a resource school libraries. As Kimberly Paone says, group or even speak with a librarian. A set teens can personally browse to find out- “The BBYA list is a wonderful collection of shelves or carts are dedicated to BBYA standing reading choices, the BBYA lists development tool for librarians and I know books, the books are identified in some serve as great building blocks for other many who rely very heavily upon it to help way as part of a unique collection, and readers’ advisory tools. Cindy Lombardo them make purchasing decisions. It also review forms and a drop box are provided shares that BBYA lists provide a list of lends credibility to books that may have for teen use. Other librarians piggyback “quality literature that can be used to challenges—the librarian can say: ‘Well, BBYA reading on reading and review compile reading lists and to engage teens the book was selected as a Best Book for incentive programs already that already in reading,” and Eunice Anderson suggests Young Adults by YALSA.’” exist in their libraries. that the lists can be used to create displays The BBYA lists, when examined as In the end, whether opting for a group in libraries, another aspect of readers’ advi- a collective over their many years of cre- process or an individual one, the BBYA sory service. ation, have additional benefits for those committee provides a range of straight- In such an expansive teen publishing who observe, track, teach, and write about forward opportunities for making con- market, staying abreast of current trends teen literature, and perhaps even as a nections with teens, not only to fulfill the in teen literature and the highest quality foundation for professional evaluation, charge and purpose of the committee, but representative titles in those trends is a trouble-shooting, and decision-making simply to bring current books to teen read- tall order for any teen-serving librarian, at organizational levels. Michael Cart, as yet one that is critical to making strong ers and give them a strong evaluative voice. both library educator and author of library connections with teen readers. McMillen The benefits also exceed the goals of the professional literature, as well as from the believes the BBYA lists play a positive role committee; in a broader view they build a vantage point of a literary historian, shares here, providing teen-serving professionals foundation for continuing literary connec- that “reviewing past BBYA lists is an enor- with a regular tool that keeps current their tions and conversations between librarians, mously helpful way of getting a handle on readers’ advisory knowledge without over- teens, and books. the evolution of the literature and of the whelming them, asserting that, “the work cultural environment in which the books of the committee brings books forward were published and selected.” for others who do not have time for all the Readers’ Advisory and reading. It helps them winnow down what Collection Development to pay attention to.” Perhaps more than as readers’ advisory Industry and Author In addition to being a direct resource for tools, BBYA lists play an important role Connections teen readers, the BBYA lists are excep- in collection development. In addition to tional readers’ advisory and collection reviewing resources, BBYA lists provide The BBYA committee has been an incred- development tools for professionals who librarians with a highly defensible tool for ible connector between library profession- work with and build collections for teens. building contemporary, responsive, quality als, teens, authors, editors, and publishers The lists serve not only as guides to some collections from a menu much smaller than who are all invested in its work. In a way,

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Koelling

the BBYA committee meetings are like a Diana Tixier Herald, consultant and It is not uncommon to find authors biannual potluck that hosts folks from dif- author of Genreflecting, adds, “Publishers sitting quietly in the audience during ferent parts of the book world, including want their books to be named to the list BBYA discussions. They may have one or teen readers themselves, so that they may because it really does seem to increase more books on the current nomination list, look over, promote, discuss, select from, the marketability of the titles. This makes or they may just be regular participants and relish the most delectable literary fare additional good YA books available.” in ALA conferences and enjoy the discus- on the table—and all leave full and hope- Kimberly Paone sums up BBYA’s sion of all books written or recognized for fully satisfied. influence perfectly: “It’s obvious that more their potential power in the reading lives The guests at this party are all essen- books are being published for teens, books of teens. Whatever the case may be, they tial in making the BBYA committee and of better quality; I’m sure that BBYA appreciate the committee process and see its lists possible in the first place. Authors has had some influence as far as that’s its value in their lives as authors. need to conceive and write quality books concerned.” “I think recognition by ALA is that appeal to and engage young read- Colleen Macmillan addresses the ben- almost vital. Being a BBYA choice is even ers; editors need to help authors polish efits of this connection from the perspec- better,” said Gail Giles, a multiple-title and present their stories in the best pos- tive of a publisher by saying: author for teens whose book Shattering sible way; publishers need to get those Glass appeared on the 2003 BBYA list and stories packaged and out on the market; With the diminishing numbers of on the 2005 Best of the Best list. “Making dedicated, teen-serving professionals need independent children’s bookstores the list is great for sales, for buzz, and— access to the books so that they might and the accompanying decline face it—for your own ego. It validates evaluate and recognize them; and teens of hand selling, publishers who your book.” need a resource that narrows down the endeavour to select projects of Giles continues, “Do I think the publishing market in a way that provides a high editorial standard deeply BBYA list is valuable? You bet. Some them with a neat annual list of high-qual- appreciate the extraordinary time libraries with small funding might be able ity, high-appeal reading choices. commitment and devotion to to order nothing more than the books on In addition to helping create and reading countless numbers of books BBYA. And to those lunatic authors like maintain a higher profile for outstand- that takes place in the various me that value the craft just a tad more than ing teen literature and for the importance youth-related committees of the the sales—yes, the list is important. It says of that literature in the lives of teens, as ALA. Through the committees’ something to me about my work.” well as endorsing the professional role of work, publishers receive the All in all, there are a lot of people YALSA in general and the BBYA com- encouragement that is essential from all aspects of the book industry and mittee in specific in the lives of teens, fol- to publish the best books for teen services profession who are involved lowing are some benefits past and current youth. There was a time when in, important to, and invested in the BBYA BBYA members find in the connection publishers could look to two committee. This committee plays an essen- between the committee and the publishing strong constituencies of support— tial role in showcasing outstanding and industry. independently owned children’s appealing books for teen readers across the “The publishers are active in watch- bookstores and the institutional nation and beyond its borders, and also is ing what is being discussed and what the market. While we are grateful a player in the larger world of books that, teens think of the books,” said McMillen. for the tremendous efforts of the through its process, is dedicated to ensur- “It provides an important way for them to remaining independent bookstores ing there will be more and more outstand- discover more about their audience. The and others who promote new ing and appealing books for teen readers to cache of the list also propels some of their releases and backlist for young recognize over and over again. YALS books forward that may otherwise have readers, we can’t fail to recognize had a weaker debut.” the critical role of youth librarians.

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 31 feature Hot Spot: YALSA’s Fiftieth Anniversary

from various Midwinter Meetings, which are much more manageable venues than Remembering Annual Conferences, where I remember aching feet and learning that I was interested in the program in the hotel where YALSA I was standing because it took too much effort to get to another hotel. The View of “The Oldest Mike Printz Living YA Librarian” I had heard about Mike Printz from Bill Morris (the wonderful marketing director and subsequent vice-president of By Mary K. Chelton HarperCollins, then Harper and Row, for whom YALSA has named a new book award), and finally met Mike on a corner in downtown Los Angeles after the Still Alive in 75 Best Books preconference. We instantly bonded amid the winos and gar- bage over several titles we loved that other he part of YALSA’s fifty years to make me put it aside and attend ALA’s members of our groups had not. Years that I remember best was in the Annual Conference in New York City later, Mike asked for my advice on how to T 1970s, when I was most active in to see what was going on. I don’t think get on the Best Books committee. I knew what was then the Young Adult Services enough kind words can be devoted to that Joan Atkinson, the incoming presi- Division (YASD). Carol Starr can take full Carol’s importance in creating a vehicle dent, was looking for regional and gender credit for getting me active, because until for an entire generation of YA librarians diversity for the committee, so I told him she started the Young Adult Alternative to communicate with each other. She also to write her a letter outlining his skills and Newsletter, I never realized what a national made a concerted effort to learn how ALA experience while at the same time making community of practitioners would mean worked and to mentor those of us whom it clear that he was male and from Kansas. intellectually or politically. I had been she thought might need it. He did what I told him verbatim and got nurturing one of my better snits for sev- The following are highly personal appointed immediately. (It’s still good eral years over never getting a response anecdotes of YALSA participation, but advice, by the way.) to something I asked of the YASD office, vivid memories nonetheless. It is not acci- While Mike was on the committee, and it took a kick in the pants from Carol dental that most, but not all, are culled he got so annoyed with what he felt was a middle school bias that he brought several of his school’s seniors to talk to the com- Mary K. Chelton, a co-founder of VOYA, is a Professor in the mittee about what they liked to read. He Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Queens and the boys stayed in the hotel together, College, City University of New York. Her 1997 dissertation on and, over dinner, I asked how they were YA services is Adult-Adolescent Service Encounters: The Library doing. He said, “Oh, Mary K., it’s terrible! Context. She is the editor of the first three editions of Excellence I have to stay dressed all the time, and they don’t want to do anything cultural. They in Library Services for Young Adults for YALSA. Among her many just want to watch the previews of the articles is “The Problem Patron that Public Libraries Created: The X-rated movies on the TV!” Mike was a Normal Adolescent,” which appeared in The Reference Librarian in teacher down to his toenails, but the New June 2002. She was YASD President in 1976. York Museum of Natural History was

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Chelton

of no interest to Kansas teens who didn’t told this story all over the conference, so I apologized because all they had was a paddy have X-rated movies at home. feel little guilt repeating it here. wagon. (At this point, they could’ve had a Once, Mike told a funny story about magic carpet, and I would not have cared.) himself. Thinking the extra space in the We put Susan in a wheelchair provided Palmer House Hotel room doors was an by the police officers, but just as we were extra closet, he hung his suit inside and Exploratory Committee getting on the elevator, the house detective was in a total panic when the hotel took it on Possible Services slithers out of nowhere to demand all of the to be cleaned, until it came back. to Young Adults in details. Apparently, he was to be informed I adored Mike, as did most people Personal Crisis, Ad Hoc if the police were called to the hotel, as if who knew him. It’s possible, though, that I I was supposed to know that through my Because phone-in crisis hotlines, heavily would never have met him had I not been pores. I started to tell him the entire story, used by and aimed at kids, were all the active in YALSA. Knowing Mike remains and he took out a tiny piece of paper to rage during the early ’70s, and many public a life-changing event for me. YALSA has write it all down. It was bizarre. libraries were starting analogous informa- given me friends all over the country and When we got to the emergency room, tion and referral services, YASD wanted in Canada whom I cherish. Susan was whisked away for hours while to examine the phenomenon. Yours truly Sara and I exchanged life histories, only became chair of this committee. The two to discover at about midnight that she members I remember are Sara Fine from had the flu. Upon getting Sara back to Richard Peck the University of Pittsburgh who, besides being a professor there, was a counseling her hotel room, we discovered her frantic When the ALA Annual Conference was psychologist, and Susan Ellsworth, a recent roommate who had returned to their room held in Detroit, there were lots of warnings graduate of library school in Maryland, to find the phone book open to “hospitals” about being on the streets at night. After a whose entire experience had been with cri- but no message because, in all the chaos, I party at the Poncha Train hotel, however, sis hotlines. Unfortunately, I don’t remem- forgot to leave one. I can’t remember if the I decided to walk back to the Renaissance ber the other members, for which they committee ever had the rest of its meeting, Plaza where I was staying because I had may be grateful, nor do I remember what but we sure had a crisis! to attend an obscenely early board meet- brilliant report we turned in to YASD. ing the next morning. There was no one What I do remember is our own, home- on the street that I could see, and there grown committee crisis. Susan Tait were lights everywhere, so I started off, The committee was meeting in only to encounter a man walking toward a Palmer House dining room, minus My favorite memory of coming home late me. It turns out it was Richard Peck, who Ellsworth, who had gone off to meet the from a meeting or event at the Palmer immediately escorted me back to my hotel, National Runaway Hotline staff based in House was meeting Sue Tait of the Seattle desperate for human company. It seems Chicago. Twenty minutes into the meet- Public Library. Sue was on YASD’s Best he thought he had a room by himself, so ing, we received a call from the front desk Books committee and an ALA Councilor he had not packed any pajamas. When he explaining that one of our committee at the same time (I do not recommend arrived, thanks to some people not leav- members was there and very ill. Logically, doing this). She was trotting around the ing the Poncha Train as scheduled, he I ended the meeting, and Sara and I went hotel in her bathrobe with three books discovered his publisher had put him in a down to discover Susan in a miserable state. under her arm and her council name room with Robert McCloskey, who was We helped her up to her room, got her into badge on. sound asleep and snoring like a brass band. bed, went off and had a drink together, Richard was out wandering because he and returned to check on her. By this time, didn’t want to go back to his room, espe- she was vomiting, had massive diarrhea Susan Madden cially without pajamas. Desperate to be and looked green, so we decided to call the conscious at 7 a.m., I left him leaning and house doctor, only to discover there wasn’t Seated next to Dorothy Broderick, who looking wan over one of the Renaissance one. After calling 911, two of Chicago’s had recently returned to ALA after a Hotel’s many pods. I learned later that he finest, both about 6'4", showed up and hiatus of some years, I watched as Susan

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Remembering YALSA

Madden of the King County (Wash.) sors). What should have been a very pleas- a room in order to participate in YALSA. Library System dropped to one knee after ant time, instead saw me prostrate with the I responded quickly to communications; I introduced her to Dorothy, and kissed “crud” on her mother’s sofa. I was roused thanked people in writing; welcomed them her hand as a longtime admirer of her only to have dinner before being delivered upon appointment; arranged for a com- work. It was a great moment. back to a prone position. I did interact munal meal if they were interested; made with Evelyn’s family enough to realize that sure they knew when we were meeting much of her political sense came from in time for them to book cheaper plane family discussions of temple politics, and I reservations; gave everybody agendas; and My Variable Buttons learned to love chopped liver. Luckily, the kept to our schedule. I also learned to The Palmer House elevators were so only other time I was sick during a confer- keep the YALSA office informed of every- crowded during a Midwinter Meeting that ence was in Dallas, where I could only eat thing I did, realizing early that, despite once when I got on and turned around, the French bread and drink water in a five- any personality problems or philosophical friction of rubbing against somebody while star hotel. disagreements I may have had with them, turning opened every button on the front the office staff never needed to be taken of my blouse! Standing in the front of the by surprise because of something I never crowded elevator as it stopped on every told them. I sent all files to my successor in floor, I unwittingly flashed every floor until What I Learned any endeavor. These things sound simple, we reached the lobby. It was only then that Besides all the silly anecdotes, what I or possibly simple-minded, but they were I happened to look down. Would that I mainly learned from YALSA was that I absolutely necessary to my political and had known about Victoria’s Secret under- was not alone either in implementing or organizational development. It is still wear; instead, only a plain cotton bra did caring about library services for adoles- amazing to me how often they are ignored the flashing! cents, and that there are many different in professional associations. ways to do both. I also learned how to I also learned through watching the organize large-audience programs while struggle over allocated page space in Top The “Palmer coping with an unreasonably long planning of the News, which the YASD and the House Crud” time, a frequently maddening bureaucracy, Children’s Services Division (CSD) both and unresponsive committee members. shared, that there was a great need for a I used to say that half of ALA’s active Thanks to very good advice from dedicated and professional voice in young members came to the Palmer House with Lillian Gerhardt, former editor of School adult library services, which is basically the “crud” (a.k.a. the flu), and the other Library Journal, I learned how to make how VOYA was conceived. I like to think half left with it. I remember planning to people feel good about serving on com- that this has helped foster YALSA’s cur- spend some time with Evelyn Shaevel’s mittees or boards I chaired, especially rent strength, which I now enjoy partici- family in Chicago after the conference when they often paid their own way, used pating in online as much as I once did in (Evelyn is one of Beth Yoke’s predesces- vacation time, and stayed three or four to person. YALS

34 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007 feature Hot Spot: YALSA’s Fiftieth Anniversary

ecause this issue of YALS celebrates a big milestone for YALSA, B we thought it only appropriate YALSA Member that we ask the worker bees of the association—YALSA members—to reflect about their fondest memories. After all, these Memories folks, and others just like them, are the reason that, after fifty years, YALSA is stronger than it ever has been. So, we posted Edited by Valerie A. Ott messages to the YALSA wiki and the YALSA-L discussion list, inviting members to share their memories of YALSA. Below are the members’ responses.

My best YALSA memory was being in New Orleans [for ALA Annual A Series of Fortunate Events. . . . That’s how I was fortunate that Linda “turned Conference] last year (2006). I was cross- it feels, like I was fortunate to be in a night me in” to Dorothy Broderick and Mary ing the street when a young man looked at class that was taught by the Cedar Falls K. Chelton at VOYA, and to Trev Jones me, saw my badge, and very quietly said, high school librarian, Linda Waddle, at the at School Library Journal as a potential “Thank you for being here.” It’s those kind University of Northern Iowa (UNI) while reviewer. What a treat to have been able, of moments that truly make you feel hum- working on my library degree. I had been a in various contexts, to visit with and learn ble and happy to be part of such a great classroom reading teacher for twelve years from these folks as well as with Lillian organization as YALSA.—Amy Long, or so, and thought Linda didn’t require us Gerhardt, Roger Sutton, Betsy Hearne, Young Adult Librarian, Bel Air Branch, to read enough books, so I read and wrote Hazel Rochman, Stephanie Zvirin . . . Harford County (Md.) Public Library up twice the number she requested each I was fortunate to spend a summer week. Later, when Linda became deputy afternoon in the UNI library reading It was the first Get Graphic @ your executive director of YALSA, I imagine she VOYA’s first year, gaining an appreciation library® preconference at ALA [Annual may have had some impact on my appoint- for the need to put teens and their various Conference]. I wasn’t a librarian back then. ment to the Best Books for Young Adults needs first in all our professional delibera- I wasn’t even in library school! My mom was (BBYA) committee. tions—and being a bit irreverent, when attending [the conference] in Atlanta, and I was fortunate that when I attended warranted, in doing so. I decided to go because it was an excuse my first ALA [Annual Conference] in I was fortunate to benefit from the to see the South for the first time. I didn’t Chicago to observe the BBYA committee leadership provided by people like YALSA know what I was going to do with myself in action, I got to see Judy Nelson in action (or YASD) past-presidents Christy Tyson while there. Thankfully, I read the confer- as chair. She became my role model. Her and Ma’lis Wendt, whose work and ence catalog the night I arrived. I saw the combination of expertise, decorum, and thoughts inspired me. YALSA preconference listing. I couldn’t obvious love for her work simply shined I was fortunate to serve on BBYA believe that Art Spiegelman was actually through everything she did and said. with wonderful folks like Francis going to be there! I ran over there in the I was fortunate at that first and sub- Bradburn, Debbie Taylor, Audra Caplan, morning and paid up front so I could get in. sequent conferences to meet hundreds of Bonnie Kunzel, Dee Herald, Ann I had the best day. I sat next to Neil Gaiman dedicated, award-winning YA authors; Sparanese, C. Allen Nichols, Sue Riley, and got to ask him questions. I was com- dozens of editors, such as Dick Jackson, Suzanne Manczuk, Judy Sasges . . . I could pletely taken by all the speakers, including Marc Aronson, David Gale, and Laura go on and list dozens of others whose vital Jeff Smith, Colleen Doran, and, of course, Godwin; and a legion of talented and real-world teen expertise, unending passion the genius behind Maus. That day was so smart marketing people, like Bill Morris for their work, and sense of fun had such a cool; I am pretty sure it was the moment I and Terry Borzumato. [There have been] positive impact on me and my work. decided that I should be a librarian.—Amy so many important contacts who have I was fortunate that Audra introduced Pelman, Young Adult Outreach Librarian, helped me bring books and teens together me to Cathi Dunn MacRae, who at that Burlingame (Calif.) Public Library so many times and in so many ways. time usually described herself as being one

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YALSA Member Memories

half of the YA Wizards at the Boulder l The equally constant focus on ALA Annual Conference location, and I (Colo.) Public Library. [Editor’s Note: Ms. providing additional services to our am thankful that they gave me the time MacRae is the former editor of VOYA.] members while searching for ways to and space to read, and read. And read. I was fortunate that no other commit- increase our membership. And that And I am most fortunate to have tee members clamored for the job of chair- worked, didn’t it? witnessed YALSA’s tremendous growth, to ing BBYA, so I enjoyed a third year of the have shared in passing the torch of leader- work I’d loved since the start. Working with Meanwhile, I was so fortunate that ship to a new generation of YA librarians Mike Printz that year, and with the other Mike Printz asked me to join his Econo- who will continue to shape and drive the members of “my” committee, remains a Clad Advisory committee, where again future of so many of the most impor- career highlight. If memory serves correctly, I was rewarded by working for several tant library people in the world—those that was the first BBYA committee to use a years with Marilyn Miller, Debbie, Pam, teens who come to our libraries needing “full-time” assistant, Susie Corbin-Muir, and Michael, Randy Enos, etc. Great discus- something good to read, something to do, the last not to have a Sunday afternoon teen sions about books, great road trips for something to learn. I feel so fortunate to participation component. We’ve come a long dinner, and great memories of Mike, benefit from the continued efforts of Beth way since then! Sally Estes, Booklist repre- another wonderful role model for work Yoke, Nichole Gilbert, and other “new” sentative, was always a delight. and life. YALSA folk, who continue to innovate, to I was fortunate to be elected to the I was fortunate to be elected president explore new ways to get the word out, and YALSA board of directors, where I again of YALSA to end the decade of the nine- to push the ALA envelope just a bit more got to work with stellar folks, some of ties. Certainly a highlight of that experi- each year. whom I’ve already mentioned, along with ence were the discussions having to do A cursory glance at my address book Leslie Farmer, Michael Cart, Pam Spencer with immediate past-president Michael tells me I have left out a raft of people and Holley, Patrick Jones, Susan Raboy, Jana Cart’s shepherding of what was to become events, but I trust they’ll know no slight Fine, and Mary Arnold. I was fortunate the Michael L. Printz Award from first is intended. I am sincerely thankful for to work under YALSA presidents such as proposal, through naming [the award] to every one of the people I’ve worked with in Elizabeth O’Donnel, Judy Druse, Jennifer the first announcement of winners. YALSA for providing me with this most Gallant, and Pat Muller—all watched over I was fortunate to continue to find fortunate series of events.—Joel Shoemaker, by, first, Ann Carlson Weeks, followed by ways to serve YALSA, as chair of the Library Media Specialist, South East Junior the “new-hire” Julie Walker—more great Printz committee, as a member of the High School, Iowa City, Iowa role models. And I was always fortunate to First-Time Author Task Force, and various really be watched over by Esther Murphy, other opportunities. I think my best YALSA memory was who had that knack of knowing just what I was fortunate that Charles Harmon SUS [Serving the Underserved] training I needed to do, know, or have just before of Neal-Schuman Publishers asked me to in Boston in January 2005. Being able to I knew it, and provided support for our be series editor for Teens@the Library; to meet so many awesome YA librarians in work that was simply exemplary. have been given the opportunity to publish one place was incredible, as was learning Highlights I recall best? interviews with YA authors in VOYA; and together about best practices. I will always to have been asked to teach as an adjunct fondly remember that time as a turning l YALSA’s first forays into the Internet, instructor at the School of Library and point that served to convince me that I especially including the creation of Information science at the University was following the right path in libraries. I the YALSA-BK discussion list and of Iowa. thought I was just meeting colleagues, but first attempts to use virtual committee I am fortunate to live and work in a it turned out that I was making friends members. community that cares about the reading as well.—Erin Downey Howerton, School l Increased opportunities for teen and writing of books, about literacy, and Liaison, Johnson County (Kans.) Library participation. about kids. l The constant search for new revenue I have been fortunate to have the love As I recall, as administrative assistant streams. We were never short of ideas and support of my wife, Becky, and my two for YALSA, I wasn’t involved in the first we wanted to try out, but figuring out sons, Jonathan and Michael, who for nearly two days of the first SUS seminar, so I how to do them on a limited (often twenty years have put up with family vaca- missed the huge roach and the bad food zero-based) budget was a challenge. tions that always corresponded with the in the Hotel Deauville (where the Beatles

36 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007

YALSA Member Memories

had once stayed, but that was during the and bits of the stuff flew off and landed and learning from knowledgeable and Deauville’s better days) in Miami. My on the bed. Mystery solved, and I imme- dynamic chairs, Sally Leahey and Walter supervisor, Linda Waddle, had already faced diately asked for a different room. My Mayes. The many fantastic committee those obstacles, and dealt with the hotel theory remains that the Deauville folks members I got to know while “shaping” our catering manager, who had explained to her took a shortcut during cleanup after the lists (Walter—I still use that great phrase, that “he really wasn’t good with details.” In last hurricane and didn’t bother replacing thank you!)—Diane, Robin, Janet, Allan, the same hotel, we had the Best of the Best the water-damaged ceiling on the top floor; Elizabeth, Michele, Alison, Melissa, Kevin, going on, and instead of a conference room they just painted over it. Hence, it was just Caryn, Carlie, and Marin—made this a with tables and chairs, the various groups flaking off on all the lucky people staying unique and truly amazing experience. I’m had to claim their respective areas in an on the top floor.—Esther Murphy, former very proud of the lists we created, but have auditorium and converse uphill and down- administrative assistant for YALSA a special place in my heart for both Books hill with their group members. When the That Won’t Make You Blush (yeah, Allan!) top 100 titles were chosen, we held a lun- My first YALSA committee assignment and What Ails You? (yes guys, I still have cheon there, with Michael Cart and Walter was to the Youth Participation committee lots of Purell).—Paula Brehm-Heeger, Teen Dean Myers, I believe, as speakers. But first, in 1996, with Carolyn Caywood as chair. Coordinator, Public Library of Cincinnati the Deauville housekeeping decided that It was a great experience, and was followed and Hamilton County the room reserved for the luncheon needed up with an even better experience the next some touch-up painting—the very day of year on Outstanding Books for the College Wow! So many memories! I remember the luncheon! We waited and waited for Bound, where I met some of the people being asked to serve on the Teen Read housekeeping to clean up the paint chips, who became my mentors and friends in Week Work Group. I remember very and finally we could wait no longer, so Pam YALSA: Audra Caplan, Frances Bradburn, clearly receiving the e-mail asking whether Spencer Holley wielded the carpet sweeper Adela Peskorz, Leslie Westbrook, Sara or not I would like to have my name and did it herself! Our hero! Thank heav- Ryan, and others. Probably my greatest placed on the ballot for the Printz com- ens the Edwards Award Luncheon was in a YALSA moment was being elected to and mittee. I had to read that notice twice very nice place. serving on the 2004 Printz committee, because I could not believe that it was for Since so much of the YALSA activ- which selected Angela Johnson’s The First me. “They asked me to allow my name on ity was taking place at the Deauville, Part Last as the winner. I was honored the Printz ballot!” I shouted. “I teach first Conference Services did Linda and me the to work with Pam Spencer Holley, Deb grade. I am not a teen librarian.” What favor of putting us up there. So while I was Taylor, Charli Osborne, Carrie Kienzle, an honor. Of course, this was immedi- dealing with the program oddities, I also Juanita Foster, Ruth Allen, Betty Lazarus, ately followed by months of believing had a bit of a room mystery. I kept finding Sarah Dentan, and Stephanie Zvirin. that I would never be elected. And then white powder on my bedspread. At first I There is nothing like an award commit- the e-mail that told me I was elected! thought it was cigarette ash, and that the tee for bonding people together! I was Speaking to the winning authors is noth- maid was very careless while smoking and then honored to be elected to the YALSA ing short of spectacular. Woohoo! Then cleaning my room. Then I began thinking board, which was a wonderful experience. BBYA! Serving on BBYA is probably that there was an awful lot of cigarette I learned so much about what goes on in harder work than any other committee ash. I had to solve this mystery, and since YALSA, and developed a new apprecia- I’ve ever been on in this life and all former I hadn’t read Philip Pullman yet, Dark tion for all the work that the members do. lives. Averaging a book a day will chal- Materials didn’t occur to me; I was sure YALSA is truly my home in ALA, and in lenge anyone! I have a very special spot there was an earthly explanation. I didn’t the profession.—Sarah Flowers, Deputy in my heart for all of the lists I’ve helped consider cocaine either, as someone would County Librarian, Santa Clara County create, including the two Best of the Best had to have thrown about a million dollars (Calif.) Library groups I’ve joined. I print them out and of the stuff around the room while I was save them in a file for eventual scrapbook- staying there. (Besides, I would certainly While it is hard to choose just one, many ing. These lists go into my school district, have been enjoying Conference a lot more.) of my favorite YALSA memories are surely and so do the books. Teens read these I looked up and noticed that the ceiling from my two years on the PPYA [Popular books, and these books change lives. I hear was the same color as the white power. I Paperbacks for Young Adults] committee. about this from real live teens that live in climbed on the bed and poked the ceiling I had the great fortune of working with my neighborhood. Awesome!

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YALSA Member Memories

As amazing and profound as these specialists, authors, editors, publishers, ist, and nice human being. Chris told me memories are, however, my very best agents, teachers, and groupies. I always how much he loved his dad [Walter Dean memories involve the teens and the feel like I am coming home when I attend Myers] and admired his talent. During this YALSA members. Because of YALSA, I [ALA] Annual or Midwinter. From day conversation, a reporter came up to speak have friends now that I will always have— one, YALSA has treated me—a first-grade to Chris. I told Chris that all talented peo- friends who share a passion for helping teacher by day and YA [literature] lover by ple must look alike because the reporter students develop into thoughtful, pas- night—as a family member. I will remem- thought that I was Christopher Myers, sionate, lifelong learners. I love that brave ber this honor. In fact, I am very close in all my five feet, nine inch splendor! He teen who tells me, “how i live now sucks” to [earning] my library media specialist shook hands with me saying, “Christopher, (the Printz winner from my committee). I degree, which would not have happened it is nice to meet you.” I looked down, love those teens who do not ever want to without YALSA. turned my name badge so he could read leave book group meetings and beg to keep My favorite funny story takes place my name, and watched as he walked out meeting during the summer. I’ve had par- on the night of the first Printz reception. of the room without stopping to meet ents call and thank us because their sons Remember that one? We were in Chicago. Christopher [Myers], who was stand- and daughters “are readers now.” Many, The rectangular room had food tables in ing right next to me.—Ed Spicer, Allegan many other YALSA members have these each of the four corners. The tables were (Mich.) Public Schools same memories of teens morphing into placed at an angle, creating a triangle of adults and leaders who will make a dif- space behind the tables. For that first The responses were all retrieved from ference. YALSA is all about making a dif- Printz reception, we ate first and then http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa50/index.php/ ference. The culture of caring and respect listened to speeches. I remember stand- Talk:Share_Your_Memories_with_YALS and passion for teens is the memory that ing in this small triangular space with and the YALSA-L discussion list. YALS stays freshest. When I think of YALSA, Christopher Myers, and being totally I think of people: teens, librarians, media charmed by this tall fashion designer, art-

38 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007 feature Hot Spot: YALSA’s Fiftieth Anniversary

s we commemorate YALSA’s fiftieth anniversary, it’s hard to ignore A one of the association’s most sig- A View from nificant achievements: the establishment of the Printz and Edwards awards. At the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, the Top D.C., in June, YALSA hosted a casual breakfast for past Printz and Edwards awards winners. At the breakfast, authors circulated from table to table, mingling Past YALSA Winners with YALSA members and other young adult literature enthusiasts. This afforded a few YALSA members the opportunity Reflect on the Printz to ask a variety of authors about their work and teen literature as well as the impact the Printz and Edwards awards and Edwards Awards has had on both. Not surprisingly, the authors graciously answered these questions, exuding enthusiasm for the Printz Interviews by Sophie and Edwards awards and modesty about winning them. Brookover, Jan Chapman,

YALSA: Do you think the Printz Award Erin Downey Howerton, has had an impact on what teens read? and Brooke Young Terry Trueman: Yes, the Printz absolutely has a huge impact on what teens read . . . this award brings books to the attention of librarians. Great books rise to the surface. The Printz also considers all types of books, which makes this Chris Crutcher: The Printz Award helps noticed, but I am grateful to win. I award much more meaningful. to legitimize young adult literature bought a new dress for it, and I was Jack Gantos: With Hole in My Life, the and gives it form. YA literature delighted. Printz did have an impact because it has often been the “redheaded Trueman: Completely. It gives you a leg brought my book, which was a “juicy stepsister” of adult fiction. Prior up, especially if you publish your first book,” to the attention of boys, who to the establishment of the Printz, book at the age of fifty-two. really gravitated towards it. the Newbery recognized children’s Gantos: In a smarmy way it covered up a Kenneth Oppel: The Printz is a “must” to literature, but there was no award to mug shot on the book cover. Teenage authors because it is such a prominent acknowledge quality young adult boys go to that book, and I don’t think award. The award raises awareness literature written for teens. The Printz teenagers get a book because it is an among librarians and teachers as to Award took up the slack. award winner. Teens want a book to worthwhile books for teens. That knock their socks off, and they will award sticker really draws attention to YALSA: How did winning the Printz find a book like this whether it wins the books. affect your career as a writer? awards or not. M. T. Anderson: I think that authors may Oppel: Before I won [the Printz], I was be less aware of the Printz Award than Virginia Euwer Woolf: [The Printz] bald, and the next day I had a full librarians. Librarians probably see didn’t have an enormous effect on head of hair. My marriage was bad and more of the impact of this award than my life because where I live Printz is my sex life awful, but the Printz really the authors do. not spoken. No one where I live has turned my life around.

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A View from the Top

Complete List of Printz Honor—Jan Greenberg Abrams for Honor—Allan Stratton for Chanda’s Award and Printz Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Secrets Honor Winners Twentieth-Century American Art Honor—Gary D. Schmidt for Lizzie Honor—Peter Dickinson for The Bright and the Buckminster Boy 2000 Ropemaker Winner—Walter Dean Myers for 2006 2003 Monster Winner—John Green for Looking for Honor—David Almond for Skellig Winner—Aidan Chambers for Postcards Alaska Honor—Laurie Halse Anderson for from No Man’s Land Honor—Margo Lanagan for Black Juice Speak Honor—Nancy Farmer for The House of Honor—Markus Zusak for I Am the Honor—Ellen Wittlinger for Hard Love the Scorpion Messenger Honor—Garret Freymann-Weyr for My Honor—Elizabeth Partridge for John 2001 Heartbeat Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, A Honor—Jack Gantos for Hole in My Life Photographic Biography Winner—David Almond for Kit’s Honor—Marilyn Nelson for A Wreath Wilderness 2004 for Emmett Till Honor—Louise Rennison for Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging Winner—Angela Johnson for The First 2007 Honor—Carolyn Coman for Many Part Last Stones Honor—Jennifer Donnelly for A Winner—Gene Luen Yang for American Honor—Terry Trueman for Stuck in Northern Light Born Chinese Neutral Honor—Helen Frost for Keesha’s House Honor—M. T. Anderson for The Honor—Carol Plum-Ucci for The Body Honor—K. L. Going for Fat Kid Rules Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, of Christopher Creed the World Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: Honor—Carolyn Mackler for The Earth, The Pox Party My Butt, and Other Round Things Honor—John Green for An Abundance 2002 of Katherines Honor—Sonya Hartnett for Winner—An Na for A Step from Heaven 2005 Surrender Honor—Chris Lynch for Freewill Honor—Markus Zusak for The Book Honor—Virginia Euwer Wolff for True Winner—Meg Rosoff for how i live now Thief Believer Honor—Kenneth Oppel for Airborn

YALSA: Do you think young adult literature that exists now at publishing books, and literary fiction—which to literature has changed over the years? houses, public and school libraries, me is a sign of a very healthy field of If so, how? and bookstores. literature. Laurie Halse Anderson: The biggest Lois Lowry: It’s hard for me to answer, John Green: In the last ten years, it’s change is that there’s more of it! I because I’m not really so much a become possible to write and publish don’t read lots of YA literature because YA author. Most of my books are books for teenagers, which wasn’t I’m writing it, and I don’t want for younger kids. The answer has to really possible before the advent of the other authors’ voices in my head. I be yes, but I’d be more interested to Printz Award. There were great books can see that the field has broadened hear what librarians think, because for teens published earlier, but there dramatically, though—there are many they’re the ones reading YA literature, wasn’t the systematic support for teen popular subgenres, like horror, beachy whereas I’m the one reading about it

40 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007

A View from the Top

(and writing it, of course). [At this any number of books will never be I think it’s a very exciting time. There point, the librarians at the table all surpassed. I actually think right now is don’t seem to be any boundaries for volunteered that YA lit is growing a golden age of YA literature. There are these books. more sophisticated and mature.] If so many wonderful authors working Gary Schmidt: Oh man! A cosmic sort YA literature is growing more right now. Usually you look to the past of question. . . . I think it’s going to sophisticated, it’s because the kids and you think, “Oh, well, Homer—no, be pushing envelopes. Adolescent themselves are more sophisticated. Shakespeare was the greatest”; there’s literature is today where children’s Trueman: The Printz Award has always a sense of literature in the past. literature was in the early ’80s, where dramatically expanded the scope of It’s wonderful for us all to be a part there was a movement out of expected teen literature. Everything for smart of that. genres and avenues, and children’s readers is considered, and the Printz Garrett Freymann-Weyr: I hope that it lit in the ’80s began to explode. . . . I honors books with literary merit that will head away from its desire and think YA literature is on the cusp of kids actually want to read! impulse to be a lesson of any kind to that. Robert Lipsyte: I do think YA literature kids, and I hate when kids are given Marilyn Nelson: It seems to me that has changed, enormously. It a book and told, “Oh, you can relate YA literature is becoming more goes through cycles. When I to this.” That’s just lazy reading; you interesting, risk-taking, edgier. I started writing, there was no YA should have to find a way to relate don’t know how far it can go in that literature. Ursula Nordstrom to something through language and direction, so I wouldn’t presume to [legendary HarperCollins editor] sort voice and epiphany and subtext and make a prediction. of invented it. With The Contender, mood. I hope that we will emphasize Walter Dean Myers: I think YA literature I just thought I was writing a boxing writing more. is among the best literature we have novel—I had no idea who my Allan Stratton: Oh my lord, all over the in the country right now. What I’m audience was. place! What’s great is that there’s seeing is that we’re attracting young something for everybody. There’s people who would normally be YALSA: Where do you think young stuff for readers who are just learning aspiring to adult literature. . . . How adult literature is headed? how to get into books and to enjoy YA literature differs [from adult lit] books; [there are] books on their is that it can be literary and still be M. T. Anderson: I think it’s interesting. lives as they’re living [them], and they successful. I think it’s going to be . . . Typically, I think writers always can go to it if they’re feeling alone better, and better, and better! YALS feel that there’s a previous age of and troubled; they can find friends literature, a golden age of literature that in literature; there’s fantasy, if that’s is now over . . . well, I mean obviously what they’re involved and engaged in.

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 41 YALS Professional Resources

advisory, feedback forms, and teen advisory groups, users can select Thomson Gale.Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center: components on which to focus in manageable chunks. Interviews Critical Thinking Database. 2007. www.gale.com; contact with a wide range of librarians, useful forms, and sample pages Thomson Gale representative for pricing: 1-800-877-4253. from different Web sites are peppered throughout the text. Each of these helps illustrate the topics discussed and adds concrete The new Critical Thinking module of Thomson Gale’s Opposing visuals assisting in creating a well-balanced picture for the librar- Viewpoints Resource Center database offers added features that ian ready to tackle what could be an overwhelming task. From the would be a great resource for teachers and school librarians. This opening contents page through the index, this resource is well laid database gives students access to reference and magazine resources out and quite thorough. A particularly helpful feature are the Tech for roughly 250 social issue topics ranging from the pros and cons Companion pages, complete with a thorough and basic-language of abortion, to capital punishment, to professional wrestling. The glossary of key tech terms. With obvious attention to detail and a database is useful for students working on social studies assign- passion for the subject, Doyle delivers a resource that every librar- ments as well as for those preparing for debates. In addition, the ian eager to serve teens in creative and current ways should add to new database package helps students develop and enhance their their professional collection. Highly recommended for school and critical thinking skills while researching and learning about a vari- public libraries.—Stephanie A. Squicciarini, Fairport (N.Y.) Public ety of typically assigned research topics. Library The critical thinking portion of the database is divided into six main sections, which are then subdivided into specific browse- able topics. Each topic features at least one overview and viewpoint Shontz, Priscilla K., and Richard A. Murray, ed. A Day in essay. Each essay article contains questions to think about, words the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science. to know, and a review quiz. There is even the option to listen to Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2007; ISBN the article in an MP3 format. Students will be encouraged to really 1-59158-364-0; 443 p. $45. think about the topics when using the critical thinking component of the database. Teachers will benefit from Critical Thinking This resource is a compilation of a wide cross-section of library because the material is curriculum-based, which allows more and information science careers. In each section, a different librar- time for teaching and less time preparing questions. Teachers and ian discusses the day-to-day challenges and joys of their position. librarians also will like the Curriculum Standards section, which The portraits range from reference librarian in a public library to details the national and individual state’s standards. This special international school librarian in Bolivia. In every entry, the librar- critical thinking edition of Opposing Viewpoints will gain some new ians discuss their daily responsibilities, the pros and cons of their users while continuing to be helpful for those who have benefited career, how to succeed in their field, and additional resources. Each from the original database.—Heather Timko, Librarian, Cuyahoga section is unique to the librarian that writes it, but all the entries County (Ohio) Public Library are filled with an aura of excitement and are written in a light, conversational style, likely to revive interest in the field for any Doyle, Miranda. 101+ Great Ideas for Teen Library Web reader. Although written for new librarians and those searching for Sites. Neal-Schuman, 2007; ISBN-13: 978-1-55570-593-0; a change, the book is interesting to anyone wishing to learn more 307p. $65. about the field. The book relies more heavily on library jobs than those in the field of information sciences, but, because there are Part of Neal-Schuman’s Teens @ the Library Series, this book ninety-five very different positions represented, anyone should be is sure to be an invaluable and well-used resource for any library able to find something that reflects their interests and abilities. looking to either start, expand, or completely revamp their Web This resource would be most valuable in library and informa- presence. Doyle organizes the information, tools, and suggestions tion science programs, where it would give insight to students and in an easy to use and methodical way, taking readers step-by-step professors. It not only offers unique alternatives, but gives valuable from general overview and evaluation of needs and Web desires advice on the more mainstream paths. While reading this book, through to each stage of potential components. Organized into new librarians will get a sense of different choices as well as differ- major topics, including information, communication, and creativ- ent approaches individuals take to librarianship.—April Cipo, Teen ity, which are then addressed in smaller pieces, such as reader’s Services Associate, Wadsworth (Ohio) Public Library YALS

42 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007 Professional Resources the YALSA Association news update

Save the Date! Young Details about the symposium, includ- Tune In @ your library® Adult Literature ing registration, programs, and more, will for Teen Tech Week Symposium in be available at www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/yalit- symposium/symposium.htm. The second annual Teen Tech Week will November 2008 be celebrated at thousands of public and The first Young Adult Literature school libraries across the country from March 2–8, 2008. The general theme of Symposium will be held by YALSA at Early Bird Registration the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel Teen Tech Week is Get Connected @ your ® in Nashville, Tennessee, November 7–9, Open for Midwinter! lobrary . This year’s focus theme is Tune ®. Download tech guides, 2008. The biennial event’s inaugural theme The 2008 ALA Midwinter Meeting In @ your library read up on contests, and register to partici- is “How We Read Now.” The Young Adult will take place January 11–16, 2008, in pate at www.ala.org/teentechweek. Want Literature Symposium is funded in part by Philadelphia. Register by November 30 to share your plans and get development the William Morris Endowment. to save as much as $25 off onsite registra- ideas? Visit the Teen Tech Week Wiki at The symposium’s theme, “How We tion fees. To register and learn more about http://wikis.ala.org /yalsa/index.php/ Read Now,” will investigate who, what, YALSA’s plans for Midwinter 2008, visit how, and why the burgeoning teen pop- Teen_Tech_Week. www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/midwinter.htm. Teen Tech Week is a national initia- ulation—the largest and most diverse in YALSA will kick off Midwinter with United States history—reads. The event tive aimed at teens, their parents, educa- “Taking Teen Services to the Next Level,” tors, and other concerned adults. The also will explore the impact this generation a one-day preconference focusing on advo- is having on young adult literature and purpose of the initiative is to ensure that cacy on January 11. The preconference teens are competent and ethical users of vice versa. The goal of the symposium is to comes at a special price: YALSA members, provide a venue for educators, librarians, technologies, especially those that are students, and retirees pay $100, with fees students, authors, publishers, and others offered through libraries. Teen Tech Week for ALA members at $125, and nonmem- interested in young adult literature encourages teens to use libraries’ nonprint bers at $150. A separate program during to gather and explore this vibrant and resources for education and recreation, and Midwinter will feature YALSA’s new growing genre. to recognize that librarians are qualified, three-year advocacy campaign. “Librarians attending the symposium trusted professionals in the field of infor- Midwinter attendees also can look will come away with a fresh perspective mation technology. on today’s young adult literature that will forward to YALSA’s annual Gaming Night. help them as they work to connect a wide At this year’s event, experienced gamers, variety of teens with the books they want beginners, and everyone in between will find something new in the world of online, New First-Time Author and need,” said YALSA President Paula Award Debuts in 2009 Brehm-Heeger. “This event will offer a video, and tabletop games while enjoy- unique chance for librarians to broaden ing refreshments, networking with other YALSA will honor a debut book by a first- the scope of their own YA literature young adult librarians, and checking out time author writing for young adults with knowledge and also symbolizes how far the latest games popular with teens. the William C. Morris YA Debut Award. YA literature has come. Having a full Finally, no Midwinter is complete The first Morris Award will be given in event dedicated just to literature for teen- without the Youth Media Awards. Get up January 2009. agers will help generate the support and early on January 14 to find out who this The Morris award will celebrate the respect these important works of litera- year’s Printz, Edwards, and Alex winners achievement of a previously unpublished ture deserve.” will be! author or authors who have made a strong

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 43 literary debut in writing for young adult within several systems with differing through the ALA Store at www.alastore readers. The winning book may be fiction, values (probation, library, school .ala.org or by calling 1-866-SHOP-ALA. nonfiction, poetry, a short-story collection departments, social services), issues or a graphic work—as long as the award of censorship within a structure that winner has not previously published a may or may not acknowledge ALA or book for any audience. guidelines, issues of providing services YALSA Names Twenty- “Many first-time authors write com- to youth with mental health issues or five Winners for pelling, high-quality books that have a serious criminal charges, and so on. Excellence Project significant and long-lasting impact on YA YALSA recognized twenty-five exemplary To subscribe to teachyal, yalsa- literature,” said YALSA President Paula teen programs and services from across lockdown, or YALSA’s other electronic Brehm-Heeger. “This award will provide the United States in the fifth round of its discussion lists, visit www.ala.org/yalsa a high-profile way to formally recognize, Excellence in Library Service to Young and click on “Electronic Resources” fol- celebrate, and spread the word about these Adults project. lowed by “Web Sites and Electronic strong rising stars. I’m thrilled that The top five programs each will Discussion Lists.” YALSA, through the generous donation of receive a $1,000 cash prize, while the an amazing individual such as Bill Morris, remaining twenty “best of the rest” each will be able to honor and recognize tal- will receive $250; all honorees will be ented new writers.” Best Books for Young included in the fifth edition of Excellence The award winner will be announced Adults, 3rd Edition Now in Library Service to Young Adults, edited annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting Available by Amy Alessio, to be published in sum- Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of as mer 2008. Winners also will be featured many as five titles publicized on the second ALA Editions released the third edition in a program at the 2008 ALA Annual Monday of December. The award will be of YALSA’s unparalleled Best Books for Conference in Anaheim, Calif. presented at ALA Annual Conference. Young Adults (BBYA) in August. BBYA “We looked for outstanding, inter- The Morris Award is named for will quickly esting, and original programs that could William C. Morris, an advocate for mar- prove itself to be adapted to libraries in a variety of keting books to children and young adults. be an invaluable, circumstances,” said Excellence jury chair He was beloved in the publishing field comprehensive RoseMary Honnold. “While all the sub- and the library profession for his generos- resource for those mitted programs were successful, the ity and enthusiasm in promoting litera- in public and programs chosen for Excellence are truly ture for children and teens. The award is school libraries special in their creative and ingenious made possible by the William C. Morris who serve teens methods of reaching and serving teens.” Endowment, established with money as well as an Applications were judged on the Morris left to YALSA in his will. excellent tool for degree to which the program or service readers’ advisory met the needs of its community, particu- and collection larly the young adult audience it served; development. originality; the degree to which the pro- YALSA Offers New BBYA includes annotated lists of the best gram or service reflected the concepts iden- Discussion Lists for young adult books extending back to 1966, tified in New Directions for Library Service Teaching Young Adult indexed by author and title and twenty- to Young Adults; the degree to which it Literature and Serving seven themed and annotated lists in easily impacted and improved service to young Incarcerated Teens reproducible formats. In addition, readers adults; and quality. will appreciate the book’s discussion of the The top five programs are: YALSA recently created two new elec- history of the BBYA lists, analysis of the tronic discussion lists: lists’ content from 2000 to 2006, and reflec- ● The Hennepin County (Minn.) tions on current trends in teen literature. Library for its International Teen ● teachyal, which offers resources and Editor Holly Koelling, current chair Club discussion for those currently teaching of YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults ● Austin (Texas) Public Library for children’s and young adult literature. selection committee, is the outreach ser- Second Chance Books Library school students, teachers, vices manager for the King County Library ● Cleveland Public Library for Teen librarians, and others can discuss System in Washington State. Empowerment: A Motivational theory and practice as well as exchange Best Books for Young Adults, third Summit ideas, syllabi, and information. ed., edited by Holly Koelling for ● Alameda County (Calif.) Library for ● yalsa-lockdown, which discusses YALSA with foreword by Betty Carter Teen/Senior Web Connection issues unique to librarians serving (ISBN: 0-8389-3569-9; ISBN-13: ● The New Scotland Branch of the incarcerated youth. The group will 978-0-8389-3569-9) costs $42 ($37.80 Albany (N.Y.) Public Library for its address such issues as working for ALA members). It can be purchased Skateboarding Discussion Group.

44 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007 The twenty “best of the rest” are: The Excellence in Library Service to personal use from public libraries, while 60 Young Adults Project was started by ALA percent sought out materials for personal ● Monroe County (N.Y.) Library past president Hardy Franklin in 1993. All use from the school library. System, Fairport Library Council and five rounds of the project have been funded The Harris poll also found that nearly Fairport Central School District for by the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust. one-third of youth surveyed would use both the Greater Rochester Teen Book Edwards was a well-known and innovative public and school libraries more if they Festival young adult services librarian at Enoch offered more interesting materials to borrow ● Loudoun County (Va.) Public Library Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland, (32 percent public, 33 percent school). One- for Hanging Out Rocks! for more than thirty years. quarter of respondents said they would ● Homer (Ill.) Public Library District visit their school library more if its comput- for Energy: A Teen Leadership ers didn’t block information they needed Academy (one-fifth cited this for public libraries). Youth and Library Use Other suggestions to draw more youth into ● Louisville (Ky.) Free Public Library Studies Show Gains in for its Anime Con libraries included offering more activities Serving Young Adults and events (32 percent public, 22 percent ● Cheshire (Conn.) Public Library for schools); staying open for longer hours (31 its Teen Podcast YALSA applauds two recent surveys that percent public, 21 percent schools); and cre- ● Randolph County (N.C.) Public illustrated progress in staffing and use of ating a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere Library for Teen Corner @ your library services to young adults. (22 percent public, 21 percent schools). library® The Public Library Association’s “When librarians committed to pro- ● Seward Park Branch, New York (PLA) 2007 Public Library Data Service viding excellent service to teens host pro- Public Library for its Teen Advisory (PLDS) Statistical Report tracked young grams full of excited, enthusiastic young Group Garden adult service trends in public libraries. The adults who check out books, manga and ● report found that nearly 90 percent of West Covina Library, County of other materials, there really is no doubt the public libraries surveyed offer young Los Angeles Library System for its that libraries can and should provide ser- adult programs, with more than half (51.9 Cultural Heritage Series for Young vice specifically targeted to and designed percent) employing at least one full-time Adults for this age group,” said Brehm-Heeger. equivalent dedicated to fostering young ● Virginia School for the Deaf and the “And to help them, YALSA offers online adult programs and services, up dramati- Blind, Blind Department, Staunton courses, institutes, and conference sessions cally from 11 percent in 1995. for its ABC Café Audio Book Club focused on helping staff—all staff— “We are seeing one of the larg- ● Fairfield Civic Center Branch of the feel comfortable and confident in est generations in United States history Solano County (Calif.) Library for serving teens.” begin their teen years, so it is not surpris- Teenie Boppers PLA is taking orders for the PLDS ing to see more and more teens visiting ● Berkeley (Calif.) Public Library for its Statistical Report at www.pla.org/ala/pla/ libraries,” said YALSA president Paula Vera Casey Parenting Class plapubs/pldsstatreport/pldsstatistical.cfm, Brehm-Heeger. “Clearly libraries that have ● Prince George’s County (Md.) and a summary of data from the Harris embraced teens have seen benefits to their Memorial Library System for its Interactive poll is available for download teens and communities and to ensuring Outreach to the Crossroads Youth as a PDF at www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/ that their libraries remain a relevant part Opportunity Center HarrisYouthPoll.pdf. of future generations’ lives. For libraries ● Alachua County (Fla.) Library considering expanding or enhancing teen District for Teen Artist of the Month services, these statistics can help them to ● The New York Public Library for be confident that in doing so, they will find Resources for Teen Classic Literature for Teenagers a receptive, responsive audience.” Social Networking ● Donnell Library Center, New York A poll conducted for ALA by Harris Available from YALSA Public Library for its Anti-Prom Interactive, which surveyed 1,262 youths ● San José (Calif.) Public Library for between the ages eight and eighteen on YALSA created Social Networking: A Guide San José Teen Idol library use, found that a significant amount f o r Te e n s with teen audiences in mind to ● Livermore (Calif.) Public Library of respondents used both their public assist librarians in educating teens about for its Teen Film Festival: An library and their school library media center safe use of online social networking soft- Independent View for personal use. Thirty-one percent visit ware, including such sites as Facebook, ● East Jessamine (Ky.) Middle School the public library more than ten times a MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, and LiveJournal. for its Student Novel Nibbles Party year, and nearly 70 percent use their school The guide is available as a PDF on YALSA’s ● Deltona Regional Library, Volusia library more than once a month. Of those Web site at www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/profdev/ County, Fla. a for The X-Room who regularly use their libraries, more than socialnetworking.htm. Librarians can ● Monroe County (Mich.) Library three-quarters (78 percent) indicated they download the color brochure to distribute System for 2007: Year of the Teen borrowed books and other materials for to their teen users.

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 45 “We wanted to give librarians a resource ing software, gives teens practical safety social networking,” said Braun. “As librar- they could use to jump-start discussions advice, explains why social networking ians who serve teens, it’s our responsibility with teens about Web 2.0 in their lives,” said causes so much debate, and provides sev- to help show them how they could get Linda Braun, editor of YALSA’s blog and eral online resources for safe, smart use of involved in educating others about social former Website Advisory committee chair. online social networking software. networking and how it has an impact on Written expressly for teens, the guide “Teens need help understanding why teen lives.” YALS offers definitions of online social network- adults are concerned about teen use of thank you! Candlewick Press Hachette Book Group USA/Little,Brown salutes its cohosts Clarion Books Books for Young Readers for the Groundwood Books Peachtree Publishers YALSA 50th Anniversary Party Harcourt Children’s Books Penguin Young Readers Group at ALA Annual Conference HarperCollins Children’s Books Random House Children’s Books Henry Holt Books for Young Readers Simon & Schuster Hyperion Books for Children School Library Journal Kids Can Press Scholastic Lerner Publishing Group Walden Media

Guidelines for Authors

Young Adult Library Services is the official publication of the Young relating to teen services and spotlights significant activities and pro- Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American grams of the division. Library Association. Young Adult Library Services is a vehicle for For submission and author guidelines, please visit www.ala continuing education of librarians working with young adults (ages .org/ala/yalsa/yalsapubs/yals/authorguidelines/htm. twelve through eighteen) that showcases current research and practice

Index to Advertisers

ALA Editions ...... 10 Orca Book Publishers ...... 7 Annick Press ...... 9 Scholastic ...... 19 Brilliance Audio ...... cover 3 St. John’s University ...... 12 Farrar, Straus and Giroux ...... cover 2 YALSA ...... 6, 17, 46 Hyperion ...... cover 4

46 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007 YALS

Index to Volume 5

Issue numbering: ANIME YALSA Announces Member Grant Fall 2006, v.5, no. 1 Cosplay, Gaming, and Conventions: and Award Winners (News), Winter 2007, v.5, no. 2 The Amazing and Unexpected Spr07:54 Spring 2007, v.5, no. 3 Places an Anime Club Can YALSA Wins World Book--ALA Goal Summer 2007, v.5, no. 4 Lead Unsuspecting Librarians, Award (News), Sum07:54 Win07:14–16 A Arnold, Mary Fifty Years of YALSA--and Reading for B Abbas, June, Kay Bishop, and George the Fun of It!, Sum07:6–7 D’Elia @ your library campaign, Fa06:4–6 BAKER AND TAYLOR Youth and the Internet, Win07:44–49 AUDIOBOOKS SCHOLARSHIP GRANT ADULTS, BOOKS FOR Audiobooks that Tickle the Funny Christine Beaver and Dana Hutchins Top Ten Adult Authors for Teens, Bone, Sum07:34–35 (News), Spr07:54 Spr07:6 Reading with Your Ears: Preconference BANNED BOOKS. See AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEENS Workshop at ALA’s Annual INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM Street Lit: Flying Off Teen Fiction Conference, Win07:21–23 BARNES, ANGELA Bookshelves in Philadelphia Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults Spectrum Scholars Celebrate Ten Public Libraries, Fa06:16–23 (2007), Spr07:37–38 Ye a rs , Sum07:13–15 Agosto, Denise E. See Morris, Vanessa J. AUTHORS BEAVER, CHRISTINE ALA CONFERENCES The Naked Truth: An Interview with Baker and Taylor Scholarship Grant Surveys: What Members Want, Alyssa Brugman, Win07:11– (News), Spr07:54 Sum07:8–9 13 Benedetti, Angelina and Cindy Dobrez ALA SPECTRUM SCHOLARSHIPS The Power of Words: An Interview Gene Luen Yang Wins 2007 Printz Spectrum Scholars Celebrate Ten with Brian James, Sum07:16– Award, Spr07:22–23 Ye a rs , Sum07:13–15 18 BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS ALESSIO, AMY A Real Princess: An Interview with (2007), Spr07:26–28 Excellence Recognized: Award Meg Cabot, Fa06:10–13 BIBLIOTHERAPY Winners Speak, Win07:4–5, Top Ten Adult Authors for Teens, A Closer Look at Bibliotherapy, 8 Spr07:6 Fa06:24–27 ALEX AWARDS (2007), Spr07:33 Authors, Guidelines for, Fa06:41, Bishop, Kay. See Abbas, June Alexander, Linda B. and Sarah D. Miselis Win07:49, Spr07:38, Sum07:40 Bodart, Joni Richards Barriers to GLBTQ Collection AWARDS Books that Help, Books that Heal: Development and Strategies Best of the Best (From the editor), Dealing with Controversy in for Overcoming Them, Spr07: Spr07:2 YA Literature, Fa06:31–34 Spr07:43–49 Excellence Recognized: Award Bolan, Kimberly, Meg Canada, and Rob Allen, Christine M. Winners Speak, Win07:4–5, Cullin Are We Selecting Or Are We 8 Web, Library, and Teen Services 2.0, Censoring?, Spr07:5 Teen Tech Week Video Contest Win07:40–43 Anderson, Tara and Brian Sturm Winners (News), Sum07:55 BOOK GROUPS. See also ONLINE Cyberbullying: From Playground to YALSA and ALSC Announce Odyssey DISCUSSION LISTS; YALSA Computer, Win07:24–27 Award for Best Audiobook YA Galley Committee ANDERTON, HOLLY (News), Fa06:50 FAQs Answered by the YA Galley Frances Henne/VOYA Research Grant Committee, Fa06:39–41 (News), Spr07:54

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 47

Index to Volume 5

BOOK REVIEWING C Cullin, Rob. See Bolan, Kimberly Teens and Reading: My Flamingnet Cummings, Edith, Tracey Firestone, and Perspective, Sum07:10–12 CABOT, MEG Dianne Monnier BOOK REVIEWS. See A Real Princess: An Interview with FAQs Answered by the YA Galley PROFESSIONAL Meg Cabot, Fa06:10–13 Committee, Fa06:39–41 RESOURCES Canada, Meg. See also Bolan, Kimberly BOOKS AND READING A New Mantra: An Interview D Early Adolescents’ Reading Habits, with Michael Stephens, Sum07:46–49 Sum07:19–20 DEBRASKI, SARAH CORNISH Booth, Heather Cassel, Seth H. Debraski Elected YALSA Vice Reader’s Advisory by Proxy: Teens and Reading: My Flamingnet President (News), Sum07:53 Connecting Teens and Books Perspective, Sum07:10–12 Dobrez, Cindy. See Benedetti, Angelina through Positive Interactions CENSORSHIP. See INTELLECTUAL Dwyer, Janet Ingraham. See Cofer, Sara with Parents and Caregivers, FREEDOM CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON Fa06:14–15 E BRAUN, LINDA COUNTY (Ohio) PUBLIC Linda Braun Selected as YALSA Blog LIBRARY EARLY ADOLESCENTS Manager (News), Fa06:50 Cosplay, Gaming, and Conventions: Early Adolescents’ Reading Habits, Braun, Linda The Amazing and Unexpected Sum07:46–49 Announcing Teen Tech Week, Places an Anime Club Can EDWARDS AWARD Win07:7–8 Lead Unsuspecting Librarians, Lois Lowry Receives 2007 Edwards Braun, Linda W. Win07:14–16 Award for Lifetime Reading--It’s Not Just about Books, Cofer, Sara, Janet Ingraham Dwyer, Achievement, Spr07:24, 32 Sum07:38–40 Suzanne Harold, Ann Pechacek, Exner, Nina Brehm-Heeger, Paula Karen Kolb Peterson, and Sara Basic Reader’s Advisory for Manga: A Real Princess: An Interview with Ryan Select Popular Titles and Meg Cabot, Fa06:10–13 Homework Help Is a Click Away, Similar Works, Spr07:13–21 Brehm-Heeger, Paula, Ann Conway, and Win07:17–20 COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT Carrie Vale F Cosplay, Gaming, and Conventions: Are We Selecting Or Are We The Amazing and Unexpected Censoring?, Spr07:5 Fink, Megan Places an Anime Club Can Barriers to GLBTQ Collection Teen Read Week Collaboration, Lead Unsuspecting Librarians, Development and Strategies Sum07:29–30 for Overcoming Them, Win07:14–16 Firestone, Tracey. See Cummings, Edith BROOKS-REESE, KAREN Spr07:43–49 Fitzgerald, Carol Frances Henne/VOYA Research Grant The Power of Information: Creating What I’ve Learned from Teens on (News), Spr07:54 a YA Nonfiction Collection, Teenreads.com, Fa06:37–38, BRUGMAN, ALYSSA Fa06:28–30 41 The Naked Truth: An Interview with Conkin, Barb Flowers, Sarah Alyssa Brugman, Win07:11– Defending Intellectual Freedom, Reading and Laughing (From the 13 Fa06:7–8 editor), Sum07:2 BULLYING CONTROVERSIAL BOOKS Surveys: What Members Want, Cyberbullying: From Playground to Books that Help, Books that Heal: Sum07:8–9 Computer, Win07:24–27 Dealing with Controversy in FRANCES HENNE/VOYA BWI COLLECTION YA Literature, Fa06:31–34 RESEARCH GRANT DEVELOPMENT GRANT Conway, Ann. See Brehm-Heeger, Paula Holly Anderton and Karen Brooks- Wuensch-Harden, Carrie (News), Cottman, Darren T. See Morris, Vanessa J. Reese (News), Spr07:54 Spr07:54 Creel, Stacy L. From the President (column), Fa06:2, 3, Early Adolescents’ Reading Habits, Win07:3, Spr07:3, Sum07:3 Sum07:46–49

48 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007

Index to Volume 5

G HOT SPOTS Jones, Jami L. Awards, Spr07 A Closer Look at Bibliotherapy, GAMING Humor/Teen Read Week, Sum07 Fa06:24–27 All Thumbs Isn’t a Bad Thing: Video Reader’s Advisory, Fa06 JONES, PATRICK Game Programs @ your Teens and Technology, Win07 Excellence Recognized: Award library, Win07:31–33 HOWERTON, ERIN DOWNEY Winners Speak, Win07:4–5, Cosplay, Gaming, and Conventions: New YAttitudes Editor Named 8 The Amazing and Unexpected (News), Sum07:53 Places an Anime Club Can Howerton, Erin Downey K Lead Unsuspecting Librarians, Just Open the Door: Banned Books Win07:14–16 (and a Librarian!) in the KUNZEL, BONNIE Gaming in Libraries 2.0, Sum07:27 Classroom, Spr07:9–12 Excellence Recognized: Award Out of the Basement: The Social Side Hughes-Hassell, Sandra. See Morris, Winners Speak, Win07:4–5, of Gaming, Win07:34–38 Vanessa J. 8 GAY LITERATURE HUMOR Barriers to GLBTQ Collection Audiobooks that Tickle the Funny L Development and Strategies Bone, Sum07:34–35 for Overcoming Them, Got Laughs? Programs @ your library, LESBIAN LITERATURE Spr07:43–49 Sum07:43–45 Barriers to GLBTQ Collection GOLDSMITH, FRANCISCA Looking for the Comic in Graphic Development and Strategies Resolution for Francisa Goldsmith Novels? Try These Humorous for Overcoming Them, (News), Fa06:51–52 Reads for Teens!, Sum07: Spr07:43–49 Goldsmith, Francisca 36–37 LIBRARIANS AND LIBRARIANSHIP Audiobooks that Tickle the Funny Teen Read Week Collaboration, A New Mantra: An Interview Bone, Sum07:34–35 Sum07:29–30 with Michael Stephens, GRAPHIC NOVELS. See also ANIME; HUTCHINS, DANA Sum07:19–20 MANGA Baker and Taylor Scholarship Grant LIBRARY 2.0 Great Graphic Novels for Teens (News), Spr07:54 Web, Library, and Teen Services 2.0, (2007), Spr07:40–42 Win07:40–43 Looking for the Comic in Graphic I LIBRARY WEB SITES. See also WEB Novels? Try These Humorous SITES Reads for Teens!, Sum07:36– INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM Building Teen Communities Online: 37 Are We Selecting Or Are We Listen, Listen, and Listen, GREAT BOOK GIVEAWAY Censoring?, Spr07:5 Sum07:21–26 New Orleans Public Library (News), Books that Help, Books that Heal: Homework Help Is a Click Away, Spr07:54 Dealing with Controversy in Win07:17–20 GREAT GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR YA Literature, Fa06:31–34 LOWRY, LOIS TEENS (2007), Spr07:40–42 Defending Intellectual Freedom, Lois Lowry Receives 2007 Edwards Fa06:7–8 Award for Lifetime H Just Open the Door: Banned Books Achievement, Spr07:24, 32 (and a Librarian!) in the Lupa, Robyn Harold, Suzanne. See Cofer, Sara Classroom, Spr07:9–12 LOL on Screen, Sum07:41–42 Hastler, Mary From the President, Sum07:3 Lois Lowry Receives 2007 Edwards INTERNET M Award for Lifetime Youth and the Internet, Win07:44–49 Achievement, Spr07:24, 32 MACK, CANDICE Helmrich, Erin V. J Spectrum Scholars Celebrate Ten YALSA 101--Be There!, Spr07:4 Ye a rs , Sum07:13–15 HOMEWORK HELP JAMES, BRIAN Makens, Katherine Homework Help Is a Click Away, The Power of Words: An Interview Gaming in Libraries 2.0, Sum07:27 Win07:17–20 with Brian James, Sum07: 16–18

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 49

Index to Volume 5

MANGA MYSPACE PELED, JOANNA Basic Reader’s Advisory for Manga: Social Networking Sites: Why Teens Sagebrush Award (News), Spr07:54 Select Popular Titles and Need Places Like MySpace, Pereira, Nicole Similar Works, Spr07:13–21 Win07:28–30 Got Laughs? Programs @ your library, MARTINEZ, ALBERTO Sum07:43–45 Spectrum Scholars Celebrate Ten N Peterson, Karen Kolb. See Cofer, Sara Ye a rs , Sum07:13–15 PHILADELPHIA, FREE LIBRARY OF McCafferty, Dominique Neiburger, Eli and Matt Gullett Street Lit: Flying Off Teen Fiction The Naked Truth: An Interview with Out of the Basement: The Social Side Bookshelves in Philadelphia Alyssa Brugman, Win07:11– of Gaming, Win07:34–38 Public Libraries, Fa06:16–23 13 Nelson, Judy Pierce, Jennifer Burek The Power of Words: An Interview From the President, Fa06:2, Win07:3, The Borderland Age and Borderline with Brian James, Sum07:16– Spr07:3, Sum07:3 Books: The Early Practice of 18 NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY Reader’s Advisory for Youth, McLean, C. D. Great Book Giveaway (News), Fa06:42–47 Building Teen Communities Online: Spr07:54 POPULAR PAPERBACKS FOR Listen, Listen, and Listen, NON-BOOK READING YOUNG ADULTS (2007), Sum07:21–26 Reading--It’s Not Just about Books, Spr07:29–32 Reading with Your Ears: Preconference Sum07:38–40 PRINTZ AWARD Workshop at ALA’s Annual NONFICTION Gene Luen Yang Wins 2007 Printz Conference, Win07:21–23 The Power of Information: Creating Award, Spr07:22–23 McMillen, Donna a YA Nonfiction Collection, PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES, Behind the Scenes for YALSA: The Fa06:28–30 Fa06:48–49, Spr07:50–51, Schneider Family Book Award Sum07:51–52 Committee, Spr07:7–8 O Bolan, K. and R. Cullin. Technology MIZE, JESSICA Made Simple, Spr07:50 Resolution for Jessica Mize (News), ODYSSEY AWARD Brown, J. and M. Rizzo. Building Fa06:52 Yalsa and ALSC Announce Odyssey Character through Community Mize, Jessica Award for Best Audiobook Service, Sum07:51–52 Teens’ Recommendations for Reluctant (News), Fa06:50 Campbell, P. Robert Cormier, Fa06:49 Readers, Fa06:9 ONLINE DISCUSSION LISTS Grimes, S. Reading Is Our Business, Monnier, Diane. See also Cummings, Edith Teen Book Discussions Go Online, Fa06:49 Monnier, Diane and Diane P. Tuccillo Fa06:35–36 Harris, F. J. I Found It on the Internet, Get Out the Vote for Teens’ Top Ten, What I’ve Learned from Teens on Fa06:48 Sum07:31–32 Teenreads.com, Fa06:37–38, Haven, K. and M. Ducey. A Crash Morris, Vanessa J., Sandra Hughes- 41 Course in Storytelling, Hassell, Denise E. Agosto, and Ott, Valerie A. Sum07:52 Darren T. Cottman Back to Basics (From the Editor), Heide, A. and L. Stillborne. The Street Lit: Flying Off Teen Fiction Fa06:2 Teacher’s Internet Companion, Bookshelves in Philadelphia Best of the Best (From the Editor), Fa06:49 Public Libraries, Fa06:16–23 Spr07:2 Honnold, R. The Teen Reader’s Advisor, MOVIES Staying Connected through 2.0 (From Spr07:51 LOL on Screen, Sum07:41–42 the Editor), Win07:2 Jurkowski, O. L. Technology and the MOWREY, DAVID School Library, Sum07:51 Resolution for David Mowery (News), P Kretzman, J. and S. Rans. The Engaged Fa06:52 Library, Spr07:50 MULTNOMAH COUNTY (Ore.) Pechacek, Ann. See also Cofer, Sara Levine, J. Gaming and Libraries, LIBRARY I Can’t Live without My ... Teens’ Top Sum07:51 Homework Help Is a Click Away, Ten High-Tech Gadgets and National Writing Project. Writing for a Win07:17–20 Web Sites, Win07:9, 16 Change, Sum07:52

50 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007

Index to Volume 5

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. From the President (column), Fa06:3 SELECTED VIDEOS AND DVDs Critical Thinking, Sum07:52 Reader’s Advisory by Proxy: FOR YOUNG ADULTS (2007), Pfeil, A. B. Going Places with Youth, Connecting Teens and Books Spr07:39 Fa06:48 through Positive Interactions Smith, Karen M. Reynolds, T. K. Teen Reading with Parents and Caregivers, The Power of Information: Creating Connections, Fa06:48 Fa06:14–15 a YA Nonfiction Collection, Teen Health & Wellness, Spr07:50–51 Street Lit: Flying Off Teen Fiction Fa06:28–30 TeenLibWiki, Spr07:51 Bookshelves in Philadelphia SOCIAL NETWORKING York, S. Tips and Other Bright Ideas Public Libraries, Fa06:16–23 Building Teen Communities Online: for Secondary School Libraries, Teens’ Recommendations for Reluctant Listen, Listen, and Listen, Fa06:49 Readers, Fa06:9 Sum07:21–26 PROGRAMS READING LOGS Cyberbullying: From Playground to All Thumbs Isn’t a Bad Thing: Video Reading--It’s Not Just about Books, Computer, Win07:24–27 Game Programs @ your Sum07:38–40 Out of the Basement: The Social Side library, Win07:31–33 RELUCTANT READERS of Gaming, Win07:34–38 Cosplay, Gaming, and Conventions: Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult From the President, Win07:3 The Amazing and Unexpected Readers (2007), Spr07:34–36 Social Networking Sites: Why Teens Places an Anime Club Can Teens’ Recommendations for Reluctant Need Places Like MySpace, Lead Unsuspecting Librarians, Readers, Fa06:9 Win07:28–30 Win07:14–16 Rettberg, Cathy YALSA Releases Guide to Social Got Laughs? Programs @ your library, Teen Book Discussions Go Online, Networking Software for Sum07:43–45 Fa06:35–36 Teens (News), Sum07:55 LOL on Screen, Sum07:41–42 Rutherford, Dawn STEPHENS, MICHAEL PUBLIC LIBRARIES Looking for the Comic in Graphic A New Mantra: An Interview Street Lit: Flying Off Teen Fiction Novels? Try These Humorous with Michael Stephens, Bookshelves in Philadelphia Reads for Teens!, Sum07:36– Sum07:19–20 Public Libraries, Fa06:16–23 37 Sturm, Brian. See Anderson, Tara and PUBLIC RELATIONS/PROMOTION Ryan, Sara. See Cofer, Sara Brian Sturm YALSA’s Advocacy Task Force, Sutherland, Kerry Fa06:4–6 S Excellence Recognized: Award Winners Speak, Win07:4–5, Q SAGEBRUSH AWARD 8 Joanna Peled (News), Spr07:54 QUICK PICKS FOR RELUCTANT SAINT PAUL (Minn.) PUBLIC T YOUNG ADULT READERS LIBRARY (2007), Spr07:34–36 Homework Help Is a Click Away, TECHNOLOGY Win07:17–20 Cyberbullying: From Playground to R Saxton, Beth Computer, Win07:24–27 All Thumbs Isn’t a Bad Thing: Video I Can’t Live without My ... Teens’ Top Rapacki, Sean Game Programs @ your Ten High-Tech Gadgets and Social Networking Sites: Why Teens library, Win07:31–33 Web Sites, Win07:9, 16 Need Places Like MySpace, SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK A New Mantra: An Interview Win07:28–30 AWARD with Michael Stephens, Top Ten Adult Authors for Teens, Behind the Scenes for YALSA: The Sum07:19–20 Spr07:6 Schneider Family Book Award Staying Connected through 2.0, READERS ADVISORY, Fa06 Committee, Spr07:7–8 Win07:2 Back to Basics (From the Editor), SCHOOL LIBRARIES TEEN READ WEEK Fa06:2 Are We Selecting Or Are We Teen Read Week 2006 (News), The Borderland Age and Borderline Censoring?, Spr07:5 Win07:51 Books: The Early Practice of SELECTED AUDIOBOOKS FOR Teen Read Week Collaboration, Reader’s Advisory for Youth, YOUNG ADULTS (2007), Sum07:29–30 Fa06:42–47 Spr07:37–38

Fall 2007 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 51

Index to Volume 5

Teen Read Week Wiki (News), Welch, Rolly YALSA Board of Directors Sum07:55 YALSA’s Advocacy Task Force, Major Motions [2006 Annual TEEN TECH WEEK Fa06:4–6 Conference] (News), Fa06:51 Announcing Teen Tech Week, WONG, MICHELLE Major Motions [2007 Midwinter Win07:7–8 Spectrum Scholars Celebrate Ten Conference] (News), Teen Tech Week Video Contest Ye a rs , Sum07:13–15 Spr07:52–53 Winners (News), Sum07:55 WORLD BOOK--ALA GOAL AWARD YALSA Committees TEENREADS.COM YALSA Wins World Book--ALA Goal From the President, Spr07:3 What I’ve Learned from Teens on Award (News), Sum07:54 YALSA Fiftieth Anniversary Teenreads.com, Fa06:37–38, WORTHINGTON (Ohio) LIBRARIES Fifty Years of YALSA--and Reading for 41 Homework Help Is a Click Away, the Fun of It!, Sum07:6–7 TEENS’ TOP TEN LIST Win07:17–20 YALSA Intellectual Freedom Committee FAQs Answered by the YA Galley WUENSCH-HARDEN, CARRIE Defending Intellectual Freedom, Committee, Fa06:39–41 BWI Collection Development Grant Fa06:7–8 Get Out the Vote for Teens’ Top Ten, (News), Spr07:54 YALSA Publications Sum07:31–32 New YAattitudes Editor Named Tuccillo, Diane P. See Monnier, Diane Y (News), Sum07:53 YALSA Schneider Family Book Award V YALSA Committee 2007 Election Results (News), Behind the Scenes for YALSA: The Vale, Carrie. See Brehm-Heeger, Paula Sum07:53 Schneider Family Book Award VIDEOS 2007 YALSA Election Candidates Committee, Spr07:7–8 Selected Videos And DVDs for Young (News), Win07:51 YALSA Student Interest Group Adults, Spr07:39 Resolution for YALSA Fiftieth YALSA Announced New Interest Teen Tech Week Video Contest Anniversary (News), Group for Students (News), Winners (News), Sum07:55 Spr07:53–54 Fa06:50–51 Surveys: What Members Want, YALSA Update: Association News, W Sum07:8–9 Fa06:50–52, Win07:50–51, YALSA 101--Be There!, Spr07:4 Spr07:52, Sum07:53–55 WEB 2.0 YALSA Expands Use of Online YALSA YA Galley Committee Web, Library, and Teen Services 2.0, Resources (News), Win07:51 FAQs Answered by the YA Galley Win07:40–43 YALSA Wins World Book--ALA Goal Committee, Fa06:39–41 WEB SITES. See also LIBRARY WEB Award (News), Sum07:54 Get Out the Vote for Teens’ Top Ten, SITES YALSA Blog Sum07:31–32 I Can’t Live without My ... Teens’ Top Linda Braun Selected as YALSA Blog YANG, GENE LUEN Ten High-Tech Gadgets and Manager (News), Fa06:50 Gene Luen Yang Wins 2007 Printz Web Sites, Win07:9, 16 Award, Spr07:22–23

52 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2007 BAI_YALSA_1007 10/12/07 10:52 AM Page 1

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