Teens are reading, too
Kids have a lot of money to spend, we all know that. And adults assume they're spending their bucks on video games, iPods, computer software, cell phones and fast food.
Some are, some aren't.
According to an interesting piece in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, we are in "one of the most fertile periods in the history of young adult literature." Teen book sales are booming, the article says, "up by a quarter between 1999 and 2005."
As someone in the word business, that's welcome news because getting people to read - including young people - is one of the missions of this newspaper. Why else would we have two Buffalo News book clubs - one for adults and one for younger readers (through our Wednesday NeXt section).
The Seattle article points to the quality of writing as one of the reasons teens are reading more, and the quality of the books chosen by the NeXt Book Club is impressive. If your kids haven't read some of the NeXt selections, put them on the list for your next visit to a local book store or library. Here are some that have been chosen over the years:
"The Giver" by Lois Lowry; "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminister Boy" by Gary Schmidt; "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White; "The Witches," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" both by Roald Dahl; "The Star of Kazan" by Eva Ibbotson; "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen; "The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963" by Christopher Paul Curtis and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis.
Literature doesn't get any better than that.
As Readership Editor, Susan LoTempio began The Buffalo News Book Club in October, 2003, and since then has worked with editors and reporters at The News to pick monthly book selections that Western New Yorkers will enjoy.
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