Has Last weekend's Wall Street Journal harmed the Young Adult (YA) market? It sure had everyone talking about it. Stirring a new hash tag on twitter (a conversation tag) named #YAsaves! that was trending in the top ten tweets in the nation after the article. It made it to number two in the SF Bay area.
The article specifically pin pointed author Judy Blume, among others, and she tweeted #YAsaves! to the WSJ. YA author Holly Black organized many to join her in sending their tweets directly to the WSJ.
In order to stimulate an imagination don't we need to scare it, shock and challenge it? If it's force fed the mundane it will be a mundane imagination. Some of the content by some authors should be kept for older teens. A thirteen year old might not be ready for it, then again they might. How much do you really know about your child? Many kids tweeted in that YA stories had saved their lives. Coming of age stories, coming out stories, fantasy to escape bad school or home life. We need our books to escape into and teens are no different.
The article was harsh. Really throwing a negative spin on YA authors. It made it sound like the future of the genre was bleak and heading for danger Wil Robinson. I completely disagree. I think we have broken through barriers and are finally giving teens something that they can sink their teeth into. A real story not a watered down one. I remember the YA I grew up with. I read it in fourth and fifth grade and thought it was silly then. I moved on to adult books because there was nothing else.
I think that the young adults and adults that are reading YA books will continue to read them regardless of what WSJ has said. No one reads the WSJ anyways, right?? :)
The article specifically pin pointed author Judy Blume, among others, and she tweeted #YAsaves! to the WSJ. YA author Holly Black organized many to join her in sending their tweets directly to the WSJ.
In order to stimulate an imagination don't we need to scare it, shock and challenge it? If it's force fed the mundane it will be a mundane imagination. Some of the content by some authors should be kept for older teens. A thirteen year old might not be ready for it, then again they might. How much do you really know about your child? Many kids tweeted in that YA stories had saved their lives. Coming of age stories, coming out stories, fantasy to escape bad school or home life. We need our books to escape into and teens are no different.
The article was harsh. Really throwing a negative spin on YA authors. It made it sound like the future of the genre was bleak and heading for danger Wil Robinson. I completely disagree. I think we have broken through barriers and are finally giving teens something that they can sink their teeth into. A real story not a watered down one. I remember the YA I grew up with. I read it in fourth and fifth grade and thought it was silly then. I moved on to adult books because there was nothing else.
I think that the young adults and adults that are reading YA books will continue to read them regardless of what WSJ has said. No one reads the WSJ anyways, right?? :)
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