2004 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/quickpicks/2004quickpicksreluctant.cfm

Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers selects 79 titles

 

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has announced its 2004 annual recommended list of Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.  The list was released during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego, January 9-14.

Compiled by a 12-member committee, the 79 titles on the list were published late 2002 through 2003 and represent more than 41 different publisher imprints.  Thirty of the titles are fiction and forty-nine are non-fiction.

The Quick Picks committee seeks books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure.  The list is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read.  Teen input is a vital aspect in the final decision of the committee.  The visual appearance of a book and the standard considerations in the quality of content is equally important when selecting books for reluctant young readers.  The list is not intended for teenagers with reading disabilities, though some of the selected titles may be appropriate for those teens.

Ty Burns, Chair of this year’s committee said, “The Committee is really proud of the variety of titles and formats that are represented on this year’s list. We appreciate the publishers recognizing the need for valuable titles like these that attract reluctant YA readers.”

Members of the YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers committee are:   Ty R. Burns, Chair, Cypress Springs (Texas) High School; Sallie H. Barringer, Walnut Hills (Ohio) High School; Stacy Dillon, Librarian LREI, (N.Y.); Mary Ann Harlan, Arcata High School (Calif.); Maureen Hartman, Minneapolis Public Library; Kimberly Patton, Lawrence (Kans.); Karen M. Perry, Central Davidson Middle School (NC); Susan Raboy, Consultant Young Adult Services (N.Y.); Karyn N. Silverman, New York Public Library; Jennifer M. Stencel, Richfield Branch (Ohio) Library of ASCPL; Jamie Lynn Watson, Harford (MD)County Public Library; Ilene Cooper, consultant Booklist, Chicago; Administrative Assistant, Melanie A. Rapp-Weiss, Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Public Library.

An annotated list will appear in the March 15 issue of Booklist and on the YALSA Member’s Only Web Site.  For more information, contact the YALSA office by phone at 800-545-2433 x 4390 or email, yalsa@ala.org.