For immediate release | January 27, 2012

YALSA names 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults

DALLAS — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2012 list of Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA). This year’s list of 112 books was drawn from 211 official nominations.

The books, recommended for ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens. The list comprises a wide range of genres and styles, including contemporary realistic fiction, fantasy, horror, historical fiction and novels in verse. The full list can be found at www.ala.org/yalsa/bfya.

The Best Fiction for Young Adults committee also created a Top Ten list of titles from the final list:

  • Carson, Rae. "The Girl of Fire and Thorns." HarperCollins Publishers/Greenwillow Books, 2011.
  • Cohen, Joshua C. "Leverage." Penguin Group USA/Dutton Juvenile, 2011.
  • King, A.S."Everybody Sees the Ants." Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011.
  • McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. "Under the Mesquite." Lee & Low Books, 2011.
  • Myracle, Lauren. "Shine." Abrams/Amulet Books, 2011.
  • Ness, Patrick. "A Monster Calls." Illus by Jim Kay. Candlewick Press, 2011.
  • Sepetys, Ruta. "Between Shades of Gray." Penguin Group/Philomel Books, 2011.
  • Stiefvater, Maggie. "The Scorpio Races." Scholastic Incorporated/Scholastic Press, 2011.
  • Taylor, Laini. "Daughter of Smoke and Bone." Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011.
  • Zarr, Sara. "How to Save a Life." Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011.

“The members of the Best Fiction for Young Adults committee worked countless hours, reading, discussing and finally selecting the 2012 list. Many members of the committee read more than 400 books over the past year, searching for the best titles for teens,”said Chair Patti Tjomsland. “The resulting list represents exceptional teen literature from a variety of genres that will appeal to teen readers.”

The members of the Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee are: Patti Tjomsland, chair, Mark Morris High School, Longview, Wash.; Jennifer Barnes, Malden (Mass.) Public Library; Carol A. Edwards, Denver Public Library; Debbie Fisher, Central Falls (R.I.) High School; Michael L. Fleming, Pacific Cascade Middle School Library, Issaquah, Wash.; Clio Hathaway, Hayward (Calif.) Public Library; Diana Tixier Herald, Genrefluent.com, Glade Park, Colo.; Janet Hilbun, University of North Texas Department of Library and Information Science, Denton; Alissa Lauzon, Haverhill (Mass.) Public Library; Shelly McNerney, Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park, Kan.; Stacey McCracken, W.F. West High School, Chehalis, Wash.; Shilo Pearson, Chicago Public Library; Judith E. Rodgers, Wayzata Central Middle School, Plymouth, Minn.; Ted Schelvan, Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground, Wash.; Gillian Engberg, Booklist consultant, Chicago; and Carol Steen, administrative assistant, Columbia Valley Gardens, Longview, Wash.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.

Related Links

Youth Media Awards

Best Fiction for Young Adults

Printz Award

Morris Award

YALSA Booklists and Awards

Contact:

Jaclyn Finneke

Marketing and Programs Manager

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

jfinneke@ala.org