Target: YA or not YA?

[Clay and Jan Cole <rccole@TEXHOMA.NET>]

How can you tell if a book is a YA book?  We're losing our sixth grade to a
new middle school in January and I'm sorting through books to send.  Our
sixth grade teacher is very definite about books that should be sixth and
above only and I'm finding that I don't agree with many of her choices.  She
sees many books as having "mature themes" that I don't think are above the
children developmentally.

I also have this problem when purchasing.  I thought taking YA Lit would be
helpful in selecting books, but I ended up more confused.  I tend to stick
to books where the protagonist is approximately the age of the children, but
again, that is only a guide and isn't always indicative of content.  We're
an AR school and reading level also muddies the water.

Do you have this problem?  Does anyone have advice for me?

Jan Cole
Horace Mann Elementary
Duncan, OK
rccole@texhoma.net

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