From the Editor

Sarah Flowers

Teen Read Week will be celebrated October 16–22 this year, and the theme is “Picture It @ Your Library.” Teen Read Week is always about teens reading for the fun of it, and this year’s theme lends itself to some really fun ideas for programs and displays. Movies are an obvious tie-in. You could have a film festival, do a display pairing books with movies, have a book and movie discussion, or have the teens make their own movies or book trailers. See Jesse Vieau’s article in the Winter issue of YALS for tips on how teens can make their own short films. In this issue, Mark Flowers gives us some examples of when the movie is better than the book it’s based on, and how to promote watching movies as a way of gaining better insight into the books they adapt.

Art is another obvious tie-in to the Picture It theme. A partnership with a local museum can be the basis of a great art-related program, whether it is on art appreciation, art-related careers, or a hands-on workshop. See Julia Riley’s article in this issue for some suggestions for a display of books relating to art and artists. Graphic novel displays or workshops are surefire hits and a great tie-in to the theme. In this issue, Francisca Goldsmith shares some of the diverse possibilities of using graphic novels with teens and, as an added bonus, suggests some titles for picturing it with your ears—audio books that create strong mental images in the listener. Paige Battle has some great ideas of ways to celebrate Teen Read Week in your school.

Barbara Klipper shares an experience of using a teen read-in as a library fundraiser, Karen Keys talks to three of this year’s Alex Awardwinning authors, MaureenHartman talks about the library’s role in serving teens outside of school hours, Jamie Naidoo and Francisco Vargas give us some really practical tips on serving Latino teens and tweens, Linda Braun updates us on the current state of e-books and libraries, and Heather Blicher and Stephanie Bedell describe a unique summer activity for teens in the library. And, finally, we have two articles that focus on sexuality in young adult literature.

I hope you enjoy this issue of YALS, which is my last as editor-in-chief. I’m not going away completely, though, since for the next year I will be appearing in each issue as the author of the “From the President” column. Editing YALS for the past two years has been a truly gratifying experience. I’ve gotten to know a lot of YALSA members—if only virtually—and learned a lot about what is going on nationwide in the world of teen services. The authors and reviewers who have contributed articles have been professional, responsive, and enthusiastic, and I’m grateful to them—YALS simply couldn’t happen without member participation. Special thanks go to Stevie Kuenn, YALSA’s web services manager, who has given me more help, guidance, and good advice than I can say. I’m very pleased to announce that the new editor-in-chief of YALS will be MeganHonig. I’ll letMegan introduce herself to you in the Fall issue, and I am looking forward to watching what she does with the journal in the coming years, including helping to create a real online presence for YALS. You can contact Megan with ideas for articles at yalseditor@gmail.com.