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There are more ways to find great books than ever before. And there are far more high-quality books for younger readers than ever before. Below are some suggestions for finding and vetting books for adolescent and young adult readers.
The Young Adult Library Services Association (a branch of the American Library Association) is an excellent resource for finding quality YAL. The site provides lists of award winning books for various age groups. Printz Award winners and runner-ups tend to be excellent texts.
The National Book Award is arguably the top honor for books by American authors. The awards have an entire category for Young People's Literature (with a yearly winner, runner up, and longlist of titles considered for the award).
The New York Times YAL Bestseller list is an excellent way to determine what texts--fiction and nonfiction--that adolescents, teachers, and parents are buying.
Spend time at your local library (online and, even better, in person). Public librarians know the latest news in middle grades and YAL texts and they are often voracious readers of those texts.
Similarly, a wealth of research shows that exposing young people to the wonder inherent in our public libraries is to help foster in them a greater appreciation for books and learning.
The New York Times YAL Bestseller list is an excellent way to determine what texts--fiction and nonfiction--that adolescents, teachers, and parents are buying.
Project Lit Community is a teacher-centered group that focuses on the books that our 6-12th grade students will like to read. It grew out of a high school ELA class project and has grown since.
The Horn Book Magazine has a long history of providing reviews of excellent books for children and adolescents. This resource differentiates book reviews for early childhood, early elementary, primary, middle school, and high school (with some subcategories therein). Some of their materials are free while others require a subscription (contact me for specific information).
Local booksellers are almost always a great resource for finding quality middle grades and YAL texts. The Bookmark (Neptune Beach, FL) has a great selection of books and their staff are very knowledgeable at helping customers find great books.
I strongly encourage readers to support their local, independent bookstores!!!
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