Celebrate Teen Read Week™ and get out the vote!
Stephanie Kuenn
YALSA Communications Specialist
312-280-2128
skuenn@ala.org
NEWS
For Immediate Release
October 7, 2008
Teens to choose 2009 theme, Teens’ Top Ten
CHICAGO ¾ The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), invites all teens to get out the vote for Teen Read Week™, Oct. 12–18. Teens can vote for their favorite books in the annual Teens’ Top Ten poll at
www.ala.org/teenstopten or visit
www.ala.org/teenread to vote for next year’s Teen Read Week theme.
Teens’ Top Ten, an initiative of YALSA’s Young Adult (YA) Galley project, is a “teen choice” list—the only reading list with titles nominated and voted on by teens. Voting takes place through Oct. 18 at
www.ala.org/teenstopten. Twenty-six titles from this year and last made the list, which can be viewed at
www.ala.org/teenstopten. The final 2008 Teens’ Top Ten list will be announced Oct. 20.
Teens can also participate by voting for the 2009 theme at the Teen Read Week Web site,
www.ala.org/teenread. The 2008 options are: Seek the Unknown @ your library®, Read Beyond Reality @ your library or Unbelievable Reads @ your library.
Sarah Cornish Debraski, YALSA president, notes that teen participation is crucial to Teen Read Week’s success—and there’s one important way teens can make an impact this week: “Teens can read! They can visit the library and find a book, magazine or audiobook that appeals to their interests or ask the librarian for suggestions,” she said. “And, remember the Teen Read Week celebration doesn’t stop after October. Teens can also participate in the WrestleMania Reading Challenge, sponsored by YALSA with support from World Wrestling Entertainment. A trip to Wrestlemania 25 in Houston in April is on the line!”
For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audio books for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to
www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail,
yalsa@ala.org.
