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Friday, April 13, 2012

Final Week of YA: A Question of Quality

     What does that big Golden "P" thing stand for anyway? I'll give you a hint: it's not "parsnip." Keep reading for more hints...*dum-du-dum-dum-DUM*
     Today ends our mini-series on why YA (Young Adult) novels are worth reading! If you missed any of the previous three posts on this important topic, you can check them out by scrolling down the main page of my blog.
     It's not..."Pampers."
     Okay. "Quality" is the word of the day, here on Sweets &Beets. I've heard a rumor claiming that since YA fiction is easier to write, rejected authors (casualties of the "big leagues," a.k.a Adult Fiction) or newbies become YA authors. Which would make the quality of the genre...non-existent.
     It's not..."Peeta Mellark."
     We can debunk this myth is by noticing all the awards available for teen books. The website for the Young Adult Library Services Association sports a great list of these awards.
     It stands for..."Printz Award"! My favorite of the book awards is the Michael L. Printz Award. Yes, that's what the lovely golden seal is for. I love this award mostly because one of my newest favorite books very nearly won this year (The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, which I will be reviewing here next week!). These judges have good taste! The Printz Award "annually honors the best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit, each year" (ala.org).
     And we can't forget the Newberry Medal, of course. This one is for Children's books, but it has been awarded to several of my favorite YA novels, including The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, and A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle.
     If you want to know more about literary awards, check out YALSA's website through the link I provided.
     Every professionally published author has worked through blood, sweat and tears (often literally) to tear these books from their souls and bare them to us on paper. Ernest Hemmingway put it this way: "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a type writer and bleed." Authors are no sissies, no matter the genre.
    


                                               Christy Dares You #3
     Run to the closest library, book shop, or computer. Pick a book labeled "Young Adult" (or YA). Make sure it looks interesting. Maybe look for the Printz Award seal. Then read it. If you have trouble finding one you like, just ask. I'm always happy to give book recommendations!

     Happy reading!



                                                                  Works Cited
"The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature", American Library Association, March 15, 2007.
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/printz (Accessed April 12, 2012)
Document ID: aca25793-55fb-ac44-456c-73450a57467d

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