Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers selects 91 titles
Contact: Nichole Gilbert
YALSA
312-280-4387
ngilbert@ala.org
For Immediate Release
January 30, 2006
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers selects 91 titles
CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), has announced its 2006 annual recommended list of Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. The list was released during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio, January 20-24.
Compiled by an 11-member committee, the 91 titles on the list were published late 2004 through 2005 and represent over 30 different publishers. Forty-six of the titles are non-fiction and 45 are 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. The list is not intended for teenagers with reading disabilities, though some of the selected titles may be appropriate for those teens. Teen input is a vital aspect in the final decision of the committee. Committee members spend countless hours reading, selecting books to nominate, and working one-on-one with reluctant readers to gauge their interest in the books.
Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers include:
50 Cent. “From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside, Queens
.” MTV/Pocket Books, 2005. 0-7434-8644-7.
Arakawa, Hiromu. “Fullmetal Alchemist” series, Volume 1. Viz, 2005. 1-59116-920-8.
Volume 2
. Viz, 2005. 1-59116-923-2.Volume 3. Viz, 2005. 1-59116-925-9.
Volume 4. Viz, 2005. 1-59116-929-1.
Benton, Jim. “It's Happy Bunny: Life. Get One.” Scholastic, 2005. 0-439-69346-2.
De la Pena, Matt. “Ball Don't Lie.” Delacorte, 2005. 0-385-73232-5.
Meyer, Stephenie. “Twilight.” Little Brown, 2005. 0-316-16017-2.
Oh, Minya. “Bling Bling: Hip Hop's Crown Jewels.” Wenner Books, 2005. 1-932958-02-9
Perel, David. “Bat Boy Lives! The Weekly World News Guide to politics, culture, celebrities, alien abductions, and the mutant freaks that shape our world.” Sterling, 2005. 1-4027-2823-9.
Shan, Darren. “Lord Loss.” Little, Brown, 2005. 0-316-11499-5.
Volponi, Paul. “Black and White.” Penguin Viking, 2005. 0-670-06006-2.
Whyman, Matt. “Boy Kills Man.” Harper Tempest, 2005. 0-06-074664-5
Members of the YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers committee are: Jamie Watson, chair, Harford County (Md.) Public Library; Sarah Couri, New York Public Library; Stacy L. Creel-Chavez, University of North Texas; Katherine H. Fitch, Rachel Carson Middle School (Va.); Susan Y. Geye, Crowley Independent School District (Texas); MaryAnn Harlan, Arcata High School (Calif.); Sara Catherine Howard, Sam Houston State University (Texas); Teri S. Lesesne, Sam Houston State University (Texas); Hillias Jackson Martin, New York Public Library; Kimberly A. Patton, Lawrence (Kan.) Public Library; Rollie Welch, Cleveland (Ohio) Public Library; Jennifer Mattson, consultant
Booklist , Chicago; Administrative Assistant Ty Burns, Cypress Springs High School (Texas).
An annotated list will appear in the March 1 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.
