Popular Paperbacks announces 2003 picks

Contact: Nichole Gilbert

312-280-4387

For Immediate Release

February 3, 2003

Popular Paperbacks announces 2003 picks

The Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Committee, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2003 selections at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, January 25 - 29 in Philadelphia. This year's committee produced four lists of selected titles: Lock it, Lick it, Click it: Diaries, Letters and Email; Flights of Fantasy: Beyond Harry and Frodo; This Small World: a Glimpse of Many Cultures; and I've Got a Secret.

Lock it, Lick it, Click it: Diaries, Letters and Email are 25 stories told in the epistolary fashion. They cover a wide range of experiences, from historical to contemporary, including both the realistic and fantastic. Gail A. Richmond chaired this committee.
Flights of Fantasy: Beyond Harry and Frodo is a great selection of 25 fantasy titles, including classics and some unexpected surprises. Chair Emily Dagg said, "This list does not attempt to represent every significant author…this a mere smattering of our favorites."
This Small World: a Glimpse of Many Cultures are tales of teens from across the globe. Designed to give readers perspective, the 22 books on this list take place in countries from Afganistan to Siberia. Chair Bill Stack remarked, "By showing amazing variety, the list is touching on the similarities we all share."
I've Got a Secret is a list created to bring out the curiosity of readers. Who isn't curious about the secrets of others, or doesn't have a secret or two of their own? Though dark topics abound in these 25 books, readers will be captivated and inspired by the strength shown in the characters they meet on this list. When asked for a quote, Chair Tricia Suellentrop whispered, "I'd love to comment…but it's a secret."

"I feel confident that teens will find these lists have much to offer, whether they are seeking a temporary escape or new ways to connect to the world around them," Committee Chair Dawn Rutherford said.

The members of the 2002-2003 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults committee are: Dawn M. Rutherford, chair, young adult librarian, King County Library System, Seattle; Emily Dagg, teen library coordinator/senior young adult librarian, Denver Public Library; Rhonda Roth Glazier, Emporia (Kan.) State University, William Allen White Library; Jonathan Hunt, teacher, Golden View Elementary School, San Ramon, Calif.; Sally Leahey, reference/young adult services librarian, McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Maine; Gay Ann Loesch, National Board Certified teacher-librarian, Independence High School, Charlotte, N.C.; Andrea R. Milano, youth librarian, Multnomah County Library, Hollywood Branch Library, Portland, Ore.; Michael G. Pawuk, teen librarian, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn (Ohio) Branch; Tom K. Reynolds, adult/teen librarian, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Edmonds (Wash.) Branch; Gail A. Richmond, library media teacher, Scripps Ranch High School Library, San Diego; Lynn M. Rutan, Macatawa Bay School, Holland, Mich.; Amelia J. Shelley, Laramie County Library System, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Bill Stack, assistant young adult coordinator, Queens Borough Public Library, New York City; Tricia Suellentrop, young adult librarian, Johnson County Library, Overland Park, Kan.; Lisa Oldoski, administrative assistant, Puyallup Public Library, Puyallup, Wash.

A draft of the 2002 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults is available
online. An annotated list is available on the YALSA Member's Only Web site. For more information, contact the YALSA office by phone at 800-545-2433 x 4390 or e-mail,
yalsa@ala.org.