Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers selects 78 titles

Contact: Nichole Gilbert


312-280-4387

ngilbert@ala.org


For Immediate Release


February 3, 2003

Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers selects 78 titles

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has announced its 2003 annual recommended list of Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. The list was released during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, January 24-29.

Compiled by an 11-member committee, the 78 titles on the list were published late 2001 through 2002 and represent more than 35 different publisher imprints. Thirty of the titles are fiction and 48 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.

  • Cohn, Rachel. "Gingerbread." Simon & Schuster.
  • Fontaine, Smokey D. "E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX." Harper Entertainment/HarperCollins.
  • Fujishima, Kosuke. "Oh, My Goddess! Wrong Number." Dark Horse Comics.
  • Hart, Christopher. "Anime Mania: How to Draw Characters for Japanese Animation" Watson Gupthill Publications.
  • Hawk, Tony. "Between Boardslides and Burnout: My Notes From the Road." Regan Books/HarperCollins.
  • Horowitz, Anthony. "Point Blank: An Alex Rider Adventure." Penguin Putnam.
  • Korman, Gordon. "Son of the Mob." Hyperion.
  • McCafferty, Megan. "Sloppy Firsts." Crown Publishers/Random House.
  • McPhee, Phoebe. "Alphabetical Hookup List A-J." MTVBooks/Alloy/Pocket Books.
  • Von Ziegesar, Cecily. "Gossip Girl." Little Brown

Members of the YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers committee are: Melanie Rapp-Weiss, Chair, Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Public Library; Sallie H. Barringer, Walnut Hills (Ohio) High School; Linda W. Braun, LEO: Library & Educators Online (N.Y.); Lora L. Bruggeman, Downers Grove (Ill.) Public Library; Ty R. Burns, Cypress Springs (Texas) High School Library; Maureen Hartman, Minneapolis Public Library; Anna R. Healy, Skokie (Ill.) Public Library; Kimberley Hrivnak, F.O.R. STO-ROX Library (Pa.); Cathy Anne Lu, Los Angeles Public Library; Cheryl Karp Ward, Penney Alumni Library, East Hartford High School (Conn.); John Sexton, administrative assistant, Ashland Branch Library (Ore.); Gillian Engberg, consultant
Booklist, Chicago.

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.