22 / 64
Young Adult Fiction
15
THE AMERICAN CLUB
JUL / AUG 2016
LIBRARY
Greetings from The Library Committee!
We are very excited about the future relocation of the Library to the renovated and beautifully redone third floor
space. As preparations for the move get underway, we thought it would be helpful to share with the membership
some information about the Library and how the Committee selects and maintains the collection of titles.
Spotlight on…YOUNG ADULT titles.
An informal poll asking, “What is a Young Adult title?” would surely
yield a wide array of responses. In fact, the Young Adult (YA) branch
of the American Library Association only vaguely defines a Young
Adult reader as someone between the ages of 12 and 18 – talk
about a wide array! 12-year-olds are certainly at a different maturity
level than 18-year-olds.
It can be very gratifying to see that your tween or teen has the reading
ability to conquer titles of great length and difficult vocabulary.
However, these skills do not necessarily mean that your child is ready
to tackle all of the topics in the YA section. Books on the YA shelves
are varied! Titles in the section may touch upon sexuality, drug or
alcohol abuse, family struggles, depression and identity. Some of
these titles help emerging adults explore and experiment in a safe
way, through reading, just as generations of readers have done
before them (see Notable Books below). As your child matures as a
reader, we would urge parents of younger readers to check the flap-
copy of the titles your child would like to borrow. Publishers will sum
up the key topics on the inside cover or back jacket. Please be sure
you feel the content is appropriate for your reader. Just as you would
be mindful of what your child sees at the movie theater, you will want
to be aware of what he or she is choosing from the Library.
The American Club Library contains a dynamic and exciting collection
of books, magazines, audiobooks, and videos for children, young
adults and adults. Many resources are utilized to determine if a
book is a good fit for the Library collection. The American Library
Association, The International Literacy Association, American and
International bestseller lists, word-of-mouth, Member requests and
Committee reads are just some of the ways titles are sourced. We
are always interested to hear from the membership on what might be
missing or what is new in any particular genre. As interests change
and to best utilize the space, the collection is constantly being edited
and titles that no longer serve The Club community are weeded out.
The Library collection is an ever-changing assortment. Stop by and
check out some of the new titles for young adults including:
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Topic:
Death of a former best friend; grieving; highs and lows of a
middle-schooler; detailed information about jellyfish
Age:
Grades 4 to 7
• A 2015 National Book Award Finalist
• A New York Times Bestseller
• An Amazon Editor's Best Book of 2015
• A Booklist Top Ten First Novels of 2015
• A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2015
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Topic:
Historical fiction; WWII refugees; tragic sinking of the
Wilhelm Gustloff
Age:
Grades 7 & up
• A New York Times Bestseller
Golden Son (Book 2 of The Red Rising Trilogy) by Pierce
Brown
Topic:
Sci-Fi & Fantasy; Action & Adventure; Dystopian fiction
Age:
Grades 7 & up
• A New York Times Bestseller
• A Booklist Best Book of the Year (2015)
• A National Public Radio Best Book of the Year (2015)
• A BuzzFeed Best Book of the Year (2015)
• An Amazon Best Book of the Month, January 2015
Notable YA Fiction through the Years
1950’s Catcher in the Rye; Chronicles of Narnia
1960’s To Kill a Mockingbird; The Outsiders
1970’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret;
Go Ask Alice; The Chocolate War
1980’s The House on Mango Street; Scary Stories to
Tell in the Dark
1990’s The Giver; Harry Potter; Holes;
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
2000’s Harry Potter; Twilight; Hunger Games
We look forward to seeing you at the new Library space!