More than 5,000 U.S. libraries celebrate Teen Read Week™
Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
YALSA Communications Specialist
312-280-2428
NEWS
For Immediate Release
October 21, 2008
Teens choose 2009 theme, favorite books
CHICAGO — Thousands of school and public libraries throughout the country joined the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), in celebrating Teen Read Week 2008, Oct. 12–18, encouraging teens to read for the fun of it. More than 5,000 libraries embraced the 2008 theme, Books with Bite @ your library®, by hosting an array of events and programs that encouraged teens to read books about vampires, cooking and bytes—anything with an edge to it.
Teen Read Week 2008 also offered teens opportunities to directly participate. Over the summer, YALSA members and Teen Read Week registrants received a free poster featuring Josh Hutcherson, 2008 Teen Read Week spokesperson, encouraging teens to read and vote in the Teens’ Top Ten. Teens cast more than 8,000 votes for their favorite books in the Teens’ Top Ten, with Stephenie Meyer’s “Eclipse” taking the top spot. To view all 10, please visit
www.ala.org/teenstopten. Teens also voted on the theme of Teen Read Week 2009, which will be held Oct. 18–24. The winning theme is Read Beyond Reality @ your library.
Librarians are now encouraged to enter the AdLit.org/YALSA Best Teen Read Week Celebration Contest. The best celebrations will win an author visit, courtesy of Teen Read Week Corporate Sponsor Mirrorstone, or a prize pack from YALSA and AdLit.org. Details on how to enter are available at
www.ala.org/teenread. Entries are due Nov. 7.
Many participating libraries will also extend the message of Teen Read Week beyond October with the fourth WrestleMania Reading Challenge. More than 1,800 libraries registered for the challenge, which encourages teens and tweens in grades 5–12 to read one item a week from Teen Read Week through early January. Teen and tween participants can win a trip to WrestleMania XXV in Houston and $2,000 for their sponsoring libraries.
Mirrorstone, a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, is the 2008 Corporate Sponsor of Teen Read Week for the second year in a row. Promotional Partners include ALA Graphics, Evanced Solutions, Galaxy Press, Hachette Book Group USA/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Listening Library/Random House, Scholastic,
School Library Journal and Zest Books. Nonprofit supporting organizations include AdLit.org, American Association of School Administrators, American Booksellers Association, Cable in the Classroom, International Reading Association, Kidsnet, Kids Care, The N/Noggin, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Education Association, National School Boards Association, SmartGirl.org, Speak Up Press, Swept Away TV/The Rock Star Stories, and TeenInk.
Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults. The purpose of the event is to increase the number of teens who are regular readers and library users. It began in 1998 and is celebrated the third week in October. For more information, visit the Teen Read Week Web site at www.ala.org/teenread.
For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videosand 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.
