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Summer Reading 2008: Click here for summer reading online!
gleasonteens.blogspot.com
Gleason's teen blog is moderated by our teen librarian and is
a place where teens can share thoughts and ideas
about books, activities and the teen advisory
board (TOGA).
Young
Adult and Junior High Fiction
for Teens and "Tweens"
The Gleason Public Library’s Young Adult/Junior High (JH) collection
contains a variety of materials for 10-14 year olds. Fiction genres
include contemporary realistic fiction, fantasy and science fiction,
short stories, historical fiction, and classics. There is also a
growing collection of anime and graphic novels, as well as a selection
of audiobooks. Settle into a
comfortable chair by the window and read away the afternoon.
Of all the sections of the Library collection, Junior High (JH)
fiction may be the least understood. The titles found there are
thematically more complex and written at a higher reading level
than juvenile fiction, yet they are different from adult fiction.
Many of the protagonists are exactly the age of the targeted reading
audience: ten- to fourteen-year- olds dealing with the adventures,
joys, mysteries, and crises of growing up, just as their readers
are.
Themes in this genre include the struggles of growing up, such
as the Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Alice series or the comedic
contemporary fiction of The Princess Diaries. Here also is the gritty,
unsparing writing of Robert Cormier and the exciting survival stories
of Gary Paulsen.
Historical fiction abounds here, thoroughly researched and well-written.
Karen Cushman’s resourceful characters, Matilda Bone and Lucy
Whipple, are unforgettable heroines who bring an historical period
to life, as do those of Avi and Christopher Paul Curtis. JH level
readers also like fantasy, and there are many to choose from, including
series by Tamora Pierce, Eoin Colfer, and Phillip Pullman. A selection
of classics are also shelved here- Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe
and Tom Sawyer, as well as our growing collection of graphic novels.
What’s new in JH fiction is the number of esteemed authors
who are now writing for this once-overlooked audience, among them
Isabel Allende, Joyce Carol Oates and Carl Hiaasen.
From journeys of self-discovery to holocaust stories, family dramas,
and wilderness adventures, JH fiction is full of solid writing,
good storytelling, and hidden literary gems for this very special
demographic.
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