[LM_NET] Target: High School reading level

[Sharon Slaney <sslaney@LAKELAND272.ORG>]

This is probably aimed at experienced high school librarians who may
have noticed this trend over the years.  Publishers seem to be labeling
titles as young adult that used to be considered middle school level.
The young adult label now seems to apply more to grades 7 through 9.
My young adult titles just sit on the shelf; either they include
characters aged 10 through 13 or the plot is so juvenile it fails to
attract my 15 to 18 year olds.  Public libraries purchase young adult
titles, put them in their "Teen" Section and then wonder why teenagers
aren't attracted to that area.  Books by popular adult authors such as
Nicholas Sparks, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Dean Koontz, Robert Jordan,
etc. just fly off our shelves.  In addition to classic and award winning
literary novels, our English Dept. allows students to read popular
fiction for credit, but not young adult fiction, as they consider it,
overall, to be too juvenile.  When I use a software program, such as
Titlewave, to search for fiction, I usually have to narrow the search to
Adult Level - but then my choices are limited because book jobbers seem
to stock mostly young adult fiction.  I stopped having Book Fairs,
because the major Book Fair vendor provides only young adult fiction -
but it won't sell.  Our students complain that they read those titles in
grade school.  We use the Accelerated Reader program, which also allows
us to create our own tests, so I read the adult fiction that I purchase
and create our own tests.  Have other high school librarians noticed
that the young adult label is more applicable to the middle school?
About what per cent of fiction titles that you purchase are labeled
'young adult' as compared to 'adult'?  Can you suggest a good selection
tool for fiction for ages 15 through 18 - that won't list just young
adult titles?  In my 30 some years of being a librarian, it seems like
what I am seeing is the 15 through 18 year olds have moved to a higher,
more mature reading level but the publishing world is still trying to
push the Gary Paulsen, Lois Lowry, Caroline Cooney books off as 'young
adult'.  What about the young adult Level - has it also become a
problematic label for you?  

 

Sharon Slaney, Librarian

Timberlake H.S. Library

5973 W. Hwy 54 P.O. Box 909

Spirit Lake, Idaho 83869

(208) 623-6303

 


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