Young Adult Literature and Media

During the summer, I was able to enroll in a class about young adult literature and media. As a grad student whose focus is foster care, I knew understanding literature and media for young adults would be very beneficial. For our final reflection, we were asked to write about three topics from the course we would like to learn more about and resources where we can learn more.

1) One of the topics I wish to learn more about is how to get young adults interested in learning to read. I know I will encounter many young adults who do not know how to start to enjoy reading, and I would like to provide them with some books to choose from. From the American Library Association, I found a website that lists some quick reads for reluctant students. I plan on keeping this website in my back pocket to suggest readings for young adults. 

American Library Association. (March 2012). Quick picks for reluctant young adult readers.

Young Adult Library Services Association. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://www.ala.org/yalsa/quick-picks-reluctant-young-adult-readersLinks to an external site.

2) I am also interested in learning more about challenged books and how to address parents who challenge books. As I was looking up this topic, I discovered the Virginia Library Association has "Book Resumes" which are resources for people to use to address book challenges. 

Virginia Library Association. (n.d.). Intellectual freedom book resumes. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://www.vla.org/intellectual-freedom-book-resumesLinks to an external site.

3) I very much enjoy reading, and most of the time I just scroll through Kindle Unlimited to find my next book or purchase the $5 book at the Barnes & Noble Starbucks shop. Doing this however, I have realized that I am not reading a very diverse or inclusive library. I need to be more intentional about seeking more diverse books, and knowing how to be able to recommend more diverse books. While looking for resources to do just that, I discovered Scholastic. I remember growing up going to Scholastic Book Fairs, but never realized they could be a resource for books. They have a section for choosing Diverse Young Adult Books! 

Scholastic Editors. (September 2023). Diverse young adult book list. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/teaching-tools/book-lists/resources/diverse-young-adult-book-list.htmlLinks to an external site.