Social Issues in YA Novels

[Ashley Stang]

I'm interested to find out how school librarians promote social awareness and such issues through the fiction they place in their libraries.

The reason I bring this up is that I've recently promoted the book, Jerk, California, at my library as YA fiction that deals with the issue of Tourette's Syndrome. After promoting it, I discovered that a member of my school community also has Tourette's.

I have met the author personally and would like to recommend this title to school librarians. You can check it out on his website, www.jonathanfriesen.com. He also is a member on our ning since he is interested in learning how to promote his book and this issue in school libraries. I encourage everyone to check it out.

If anyone has comments on issues that they promote in their schools, please let me know!!

[susan mowery]

Thanks, this looks good!

[Teresa Harper]

Thanks for the link and book title. I recently added some nonfiction about autism to my collection. My high school has a student with autism that the students have known since elementary school. The books are flying off the shelves by both students and staff. I wish I had the titles to share, I will post them at a later date.

[Colleen Williams]

Jay Ashers' new novel: TH1RTEEN R3ASONS is about rumors and bullying adding up to destroy a reputation, resulting in suicide. See the related website with an interactive map at http://www.thirteenreasonswhy.com/.

I added a widget calling to "delete cyberbullying" below a brief review of Asher's book on our school media center's wiki.
(Under our resource archive, there are links covering "teen life" - that includes local and national hot lines and links to additional factual information.)

A count down widget to the number of days until the Twilight movie is also on our recently added review page:
http://ahsmedia.barrow.wikispaces.net/READ

About to add a reaction to "Genius Squad" by Catherine Jinks which includes minor characters with genetic and medical conditions; characters that help move the plot along. I will probably create a "Thinking Map" comparing the character's reactions to the conditions (since I recently had training and want to use the skills.) http://www.thinkingmaps.com.

An additional thought for the author: promotions for books with "guy appeal" are in demand.

[Spencer Korson]

I was fortunate enough to write a review on Jerk, California for Library Media Connection. I agree, it is a good novel.

In my library, I find that the social issue books are hot topics. How I promote them is via book discussions. I am allowed to address the English classes as they come in for their fiction books. I hold them up and usually only need to say what topic they cover. If I have read them, I book talk them.

I am contemplating genre tags. I know that this is "old school" for many libraries; however, I read a great discussion recently and think that I will bring them back. This topic will definitely be covered, either as Teen Issues, or Social Issues...

[Debra W. Waugh]

I've been thinking a lot about the need for genre identification also, but I think that instead of putting tags on the books, I will find a way to add a genre field to each book's catalog record, and then set up frequently updated displays on various genres. I do aspire to your technique of selling books through discussion and book talks. I communicate much better in print though than I do when I try to speak (for a variety of reasons).

You might be interested in some thoughts on nonfiction genres that I posted recently on my blog. My blog is on edublogs, and you can get to that specific post here.

[Debra W. Waugh]

I have purchased some books recently that address issues of autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Some are fiction; others are narrative nonfiction. Born on a Blue Day is an excellent autobiographical narrative of an autistic savant. I'm drawing a blank on other titles right now.

I do think that it is important to purchase books like this, and even more important that they address the illness/handicap/condition as a single element within a well-developed plot with interesting characters and situations.