I love this so much!! So many parts I could highlight but this especially: "Kids are aware of everything that’s going on around them, she said, and it's a disservice not to offer them hope and love. But kids' stories also need to tell the truth. “And the truth is that it’s really difficult to be here,” she said. “It is a huge gift to be here. It’s beautiful here.”
I am currently on book 5 in The Vanderbeeker series with my 9 year old daughter. There was a death in book 4 and I don’t know, even if you haven’t lost someone close to you, you be able to understand the feeling of loss because of how well she wrote it. For kids and adults alike. I had to stop reading because I couldn’t see the words on the page or continue without crying. My daughter patted my arm and said she could finish the chapter for me. I recommend the series by Karina Glaser.
Ahhh! This happened to me while reading Charlotte's Web with my daughter. She was like, it's okay mom... and me next to her just tears streaming down my face!
What a delight to read your essay today in the midst of all the madness. My own love of YA novels are what led me to become an English/Reading teacher (many many years ago). Thank you for your thoughtful insights, and I loved seeing my all-time favorite YA books from Grace Lin on your shortlist. Such treasures!! 😍
How wonderful Tamara. I was just talking about the power of our reading teachers and the role they have in shaping our reading for our whole lives. Thanks for the work you do!
I love YA novels, my kid is mostly reading middle grade fiction right now at 8 yo. The wonderful graphic novel Ghost Book by Remy Lai was an incredible portrayal of grief.
I read Holes for the first time a couple months ago and reread Then Again Maybe I Won’t and Just as Long as We’re Together by Judy Blume this year. YA novels that stand out to me from the last few years are I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston, Sunrise Nights by Brittany Cavallaro, and Fangirl and Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I also reread a few Animorphs books when my mom pulled them out for my oldest and they held up.
Your post, Allison, and this whole comments thread, is restoring my faith in humanity rn—if we can imagine things, then they can possibly happen, which gives me hope.
My 10yo and I LOVED reading the The Witchlings by Claribel Ortega (and subsequent installments). After growing up with Harry Potter (boarding school, destiny, British-centric magic) I found her world of magic refreshing, and the three main characters are so wonderful to watch learn and grow across the series. The parallels to the world today are undeniable and there are no easy solutions - but it's so rewarding all the same. We definitely stayed up late many a night reading aloud together - " just ONE more chapter..." 😂
We are truly living in a golden age of good YA novels! In my years of classroom teaching, the newest ones to hit home with kids were mostly realistic fiction: “The Hate U Give,” “The Poet X,” “Ghost.” But I’ve also had transcendent experiences with kids while reading classics like “The Giver” (which my 7th graders read together on Zoom during the pandemic). Dystopia hits because it provides that balance of both truth and hope. It feels more realistic to kids sometimes than realism. It’s no wonder it remains a favorite genre with this rising generation, year after year.
I love this so much!! So many parts I could highlight but this especially: "Kids are aware of everything that’s going on around them, she said, and it's a disservice not to offer them hope and love. But kids' stories also need to tell the truth. “And the truth is that it’s really difficult to be here,” she said. “It is a huge gift to be here. It’s beautiful here.”
Tears!!
Kate DiCamillo is one of the greatest writers and thinkers about children and the inner lives. Loved this too!
Agree! I need to read more of her books, I haven’t kept up with all of them, I last read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
I am currently on book 5 in The Vanderbeeker series with my 9 year old daughter. There was a death in book 4 and I don’t know, even if you haven’t lost someone close to you, you be able to understand the feeling of loss because of how well she wrote it. For kids and adults alike. I had to stop reading because I couldn’t see the words on the page or continue without crying. My daughter patted my arm and said she could finish the chapter for me. I recommend the series by Karina Glaser.
Ahhh! This happened to me while reading Charlotte's Web with my daughter. She was like, it's okay mom... and me next to her just tears streaming down my face!
Oh 100% a classic that still loves me so deeply
Oh Charlotte’s Web, absolutely.
Oh I love this! Thank you for this story and for sharing this recommendation!
What a delight to read your essay today in the midst of all the madness. My own love of YA novels are what led me to become an English/Reading teacher (many many years ago). Thank you for your thoughtful insights, and I loved seeing my all-time favorite YA books from Grace Lin on your shortlist. Such treasures!! 😍
How wonderful Tamara. I was just talking about the power of our reading teachers and the role they have in shaping our reading for our whole lives. Thanks for the work you do!
I love YA novels, my kid is mostly reading middle grade fiction right now at 8 yo. The wonderful graphic novel Ghost Book by Remy Lai was an incredible portrayal of grief.
I read Holes for the first time a couple months ago and reread Then Again Maybe I Won’t and Just as Long as We’re Together by Judy Blume this year. YA novels that stand out to me from the last few years are I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston, Sunrise Nights by Brittany Cavallaro, and Fangirl and Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I also reread a few Animorphs books when my mom pulled them out for my oldest and they held up.
Thanks for these great recommendations!
I bought “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” for my granddaughter, but my daughter and I loved it, too!”
Same!
I so much enjoyed reading about these YA books that can present current reality and also faith in the human spirit. Thank you.
So true — faith is such a big part of of these books!
Your post, Allison, and this whole comments thread, is restoring my faith in humanity rn—if we can imagine things, then they can possibly happen, which gives me hope.
Thank you hon!
As a school librarian, this post made me so happy. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is a book I highly recommend- a lovely, heartwarming fantasy.
My 10yo and I LOVED reading the The Witchlings by Claribel Ortega (and subsequent installments). After growing up with Harry Potter (boarding school, destiny, British-centric magic) I found her world of magic refreshing, and the three main characters are so wonderful to watch learn and grow across the series. The parallels to the world today are undeniable and there are no easy solutions - but it's so rewarding all the same. We definitely stayed up late many a night reading aloud together - " just ONE more chapter..." 😂
Thank you this recommendation! And those are such treasured words — “just one more chapter!”
These are the best memories ❤️
We are truly living in a golden age of good YA novels! In my years of classroom teaching, the newest ones to hit home with kids were mostly realistic fiction: “The Hate U Give,” “The Poet X,” “Ghost.” But I’ve also had transcendent experiences with kids while reading classics like “The Giver” (which my 7th graders read together on Zoom during the pandemic). Dystopia hits because it provides that balance of both truth and hope. It feels more realistic to kids sometimes than realism. It’s no wonder it remains a favorite genre with this rising generation, year after year.