The fountain of Youth has been discovered! Okay … maybe I’m a little ahead of myself.
YOUNG ADULT LIT COMES OF AGE
Source: LA Times
It used to be that the only adults who read young adult literature were those who had a vested interest — teachers or librarians or parents who either needed or wanted to keep an eye on developing readers’ tastes.
But increasingly, adults are reading YA books with no ulterior motives. Attracted by well-written, fast-paced and engaging stories that span the gamut of genres and subjects, such readers have mainstreamed a niche long derided as just for kids.
Thanks to huge crossover hits like Stephenie Meyer’s bloodsucking “Twilight” saga, Suzanne Collins’ fight-to-the-death “The Hunger Games” trilogy, Rick Riordan’s “The Lightning Thief” and Markus Zusak’s Nazi-era “The Book Thief,” YA is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak publishing market. Where adult hardcover sales were down 17.8% for the first half of 2009 versus the same period in 2008, children’s/young adult hardcovers were up 30.7%.
“Even as the recession has dipped publishing in general, young adult has held strong,” said David Levithan, editorial director and vice president of Scholastic, publisher of “The Hunger Games,” as well as of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, the series largely credited with jump-starting this juggernaut of a trend.
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I have another confession to make (this is becoming my confessional!) – I have always read YA books. To me, the writers seem more willing to delve into the fun and the ridiculous, the tragic and the powerful. One of my absolutely favourite writers is Paul Jennings – who is a children and Young Adult writer – granted I don’t read him any more , but it was a very said day when I stopped.I love some ‘adult’ books too – but I have always thought that just because something is labelled YA – doesn’t mean it’s not suitable for all. Rose posted on the blog an article that kind of relates to this one too which can be read here – which I agree with too – they don’t write YA like they used to!
What do you think about YA books? Have you ever hid the fact you read them?
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