Thousands of teens celebrate reading during Teen Read Week 2006, “Get Active! @ your library”

Contact: Nichole Gilbert

YALSA

312-280-4387

ngilbert@ala.org

For Immediate Release

November 28, 2006

Thousands of teens celebrate reading

during Teen Read Week^TM 2006, “Get Active! @ your library”

CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has successfully completed its 9th annual Teen Read Week, “Get Active! @ your library.” Thousands of school and public libraries and bookstores celebrated the week October 15 – 21, 2006, by hosting an array of events that focused on the resources libraries have to help teens lead active lives and find books on sports, fitness, volunteerism, activism, college preparation and career direction. Programs also gave teens an opportunity to “read for the fun of it.”

Libraries nationwide encouraged teens to nurture both mind and body, holding up as examples such stand-out reading enthusiasts as event co-chairs Kevin Hartman, goalkeeper for the major league Galaxy soccer team in Los Angeles, and Chicago Fire midfielder Chris Armas. Olympic skater and avid reader Kimmie Meissner served as this year’s National Teen Chair.

Again this year’s Teen Read Week^TM offered an opportunity for teens to speak up! Teens voted on their favorite book for Teens’ Top Ten. Over 5,000 votes were cast, and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” by J.K. Rowling took the number one spot. To view all 10, please visit www.ala.org/teenstopten. Teens also voted on the theme of Teen Read Week^TM 2007, which will be held October 14 – 20. The winning theme is LOL @ your library.

This is the first year that Teen Read Week has been extended beyond October. Librarians who registered for the new YALSA/WWE WrestleMania Reading Challenge during Teen Read Week will be encouraging teens to participate in the contest now through January. The contest challenges teens in grades 9-12 to read a book a week between Teen Read Week and January 16, 2007.

Teen Read Week^TM is a national literacy initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults. It began in 1998 and has been celebrated the third week in October each year ever since.

Teen Read Week’s nonprofit supporting organizations include: American Association of School Administrators, American Booksellers Association, Cable in the Classroom, KIDSNET, Kids Care, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Council of Teachers of English, SmartGirl.org, National Education Association, National School Board Association, PBS, Speak Up Press, International Reading Association, TeenInk and The N/Noggin.

Promotional Partners of Teen Read Week are Harcourt; Listening Library; Orca Book Publishers; Scholastic, Inc.; Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing; Teenreads.com; and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. For information and ideas about Teen Read Week and about teen reading click on www.ala.org/teenread.

YALSA, the fastest growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is the world leader in evaluating, selecting and recommending books, audiobooks and DVDs for teens via its annual selected lists, three literary awards, web site and publications. Recommended reading, listening and viewing for teens can be found on YALSA’s Web site at www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists.