Teens and Reading
Teens often get a bad rap. People accuse them of being lazy and loud. Many people, including many people who work in libraries, cringe when a group of teens walk in because they're afraid the teens will cause trouble. However, teens are not so scary. In fact, they are reading now more than ever. And they are not just reading lighter fare like Sweet Valley High. I have spoken to some teens who share my love for The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. A Holocaust novel narrated by death can certainly not be called "light reading." The National Book Award winner for youth, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by MT Anderson takes place during the Revolutionary War and is written in such language. And teens are reading and loving it! I've read it, enjoyed it, and acknowledge it is a challenging but worthwhile read. So, next time you see a group of teens walk in, don't cringe. Think up a way to approach them, and show them a good book.