YALSA names 2012 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

DALLAS —The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2012 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (PPYA). The list, drawn from 219 official nominations, is presented annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The complete list of 99 titles, including annotations, can be found at www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/poppaper.

This year’s PPYA committee produced four lists of titles arranged by the following topics:

• Adventure Seekers: Discover Your Destiny; Accept the Challenge; Tights and Cape Not Required.
• Forbidden Romance: Oh so wrong, but oh so right.
• Get Your Geek On: Talk nerdy to me.
• Sticks and Stones: From cyberbullying to cold shoulders, it all hurts.

The committee also selected the following titles as its Top Ten list:

• Black, Holly and Cecil Castellucci (eds.) "Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd." Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2010.
• Carroll, Michael. "Super Human." Speak. 2010.
• Falkner, Brian. "Brain Jack." Ember. 2011.
• Giles, Gail. "Shattering Glass." Simon Pulse. 2003.
• Harbison, Paige. "Here Lies Bridget." Harlequin Teen. 2011
• Lindner, April. "Jane." Poppy. 2011
• Loux,Matthew. "Sidescrollers." Oni Press. 2006.
• Moore, Perry. "Hero." Hyperion. 2009.
• Tsang, Evonne. "My Boyfriend is a Monster 1: I Love You to Pieces." Lerner/Graphic Universe. 2011.
• Waldorf, Heather. "Tripping." Red Deer Press. 2009.

“Librarians are always looking for ways to reach teens, and this year's lists will give them more ways to do that.” said Valerie Davis, committee chair. “In a time when bullying is such a serious threat, we have tried to provide resources to librarians who address this issue. We also provide lists of other topics important to teens. So whether you are looking to embrace your inner geek, find romance or set off on an adventure, we have something for you.”

Members of the Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Committee are: Valerie Davis, chair, Campbell County Public Library, Newport, Ky.; Amber Creger, Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library; Franklin Escobedo, Oceanside (Calif.) Public Library; Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, Cypress Hill Branch; Sarah B. Hill, Paris (Ill.) Cooperative High School; Jennifer H. Korn, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; Ellen Loughran, Pratt Institute, New York; Kelly C. Metzger, Dedham (Mass.) Middle School; Elizabeth Schneider, Monrovia (Calif.) Public Library; Shanna Smith, Mesa County Public Library District, Grand Junction, Colo.; Mari.S. Smith, Cicero, Ill.; Sandy Sumner, Morehead (Ky.) State University; Kate Toebbe, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; Sarah Townsend, Norfolk (Va.) Public Library; and Melanie Wachsmann, Lone Star College-CyFair Branch, Cypress, Texas.

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.