By: Sarah Wilsman, Collection Development Specialist

Confession: I read a lot of YA Lit. A lot of it.

I love teen fiction because it is honest even when the narrators are unreliable. I love diving into the diverse teen world and taking journeys of identity. I love that it is emotional and complicated and life lessons are learned the hard way. I love teen fiction because it is engaging and immediate and filled with internal monologues and astute observations of families, friend groups, schools, communities and the world at large.

Teen Read Week 2018 is Oct. 7 – 13th

Teen Read Week™ is a national literacy initiative created by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). It began in 1998 and is held annually in October. Its purpose is to encourage teens to be regular readers. This year’s theme is It’s Written in the Stars: READ.

Educators can use this theme to encourage teens to think and read outside of the box, as well as to seek out fantasy, science fiction and other out-of- this-world reads.

My own title suggestions for this theme include Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy a science fiction novel about a young Russian physicist who tries to save the earth from a collision with an asteroid, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert which is a fantasy series debut about a teen who gets drawn into a dark fairy tale world written by her reclusive grandmother and soon to be released The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James a sci fi teen romance between the only survivor of a failed space mission and someone who is travelling to her from earth.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #TRW18

Here is a list of nominees for YALSA Teen’s Top Ten Nominations 2018, and a post about titles that two YA bloggers think are contenders for the Printz Award this year.