Not just vampires and wizards.....

I'm not a very philosophical person. I don't usually sit around wondering why I like what I like or do what I do. (Unless you're talking spiritually, but that is another post.) (We don't have time right now!) BUT, tonight I'm going to my Young Adult Literature Book Club. It has been about a year and a half since I retired as a young adult librarian. And, while it is true I have definitely been reading more adult lit, that lure of YA is still really strong! I was trying to think of any adult book that I have read that I have felt sad for finishing. I can think of lots of YA books that made me wish for more to read. As a matter of fact, we're suppose to talk tonight of our all-time favorite YA book. Just ONE!!

So why is that?

I taught middle school. USUALLY the plots weren't terrible intricate. Maybe that is why I liked them. They fit my intellect. But that doesn't account for UGLIES or it's sequels.

Not a lot of people died. The world wasn't threatened. Except for in THE MISSING PERSONS LEAGUE or Z IS FOR ZACHARIAH.

No major issues. Wait. Not so. (OUT OF CONTROL, THE WAVE, SWALLOWING STONES, THE PINBALLS....)


OK. I like spunky characters. I do know that. Slim in EARTHSHINE. The girl in BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE and the mouse in TALES OF DESPEREAUX. (NOT the movie. I don't even really know how that movie could bear that title.) And all of the characters in HOLES. (Movie for that is acceptable. Very.)

I like wonderful writing. You can't read the first paragraph of INCREDIBLE JOURNEY without knowing that the book was going to be lyrical. INKHEART was like that, too. (NOT the movie!) (And, even though I've read Harry Potter and enjoyed the series, we are NOT talking great literature here.)

I also really liked books that made me think differently about something. EARTHSHINE, again. UGLIES, too.

It is time to go. I am taking my all time favorite book (WHAT IS IT CLASS????) WRINKLE IN TIME. I read it in 1963. The year it won the Newbery award. I'm sure it doesn't scare kids the way it did me all of those years ago, burrowed under my covers with a flash light until 2am because I couldn't put it down.

I'm also throwing in a vote for WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS (yes, the dogs die, but go read it and don't judge that book by the movie, either) and WORDS BY HEART. Not widely known despite the fact it was on the Texas Lone Star list. (Books for middle school kids.) It is an amazing story of faith.

I'm sure all reading this (hi, family members!) will rush right out and read all of these mentioned titles. I may come back and add a few more after our meeting. But, had to post about this other love of my life. All YA lit is NOT about vampires and wizards, despite all of the movie trailers you see.