Today begins Teen Read Week (through the October 23)! Teen Read Week is not very well-known, so let me explain what it is and what you as writers and readers can do. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) began Teen Read Week 1998, so you can see it is still very young. During Teen Read Week, more than 5,000 librarians and educators help to encourage teenagers to put down their iPods, laptops, cell phones, and video games—if just for one week—and read a book. Libraries across the states hold special programs and events supporting teen reading. This year’s theme is “Books with Beat.”
Why do we need Teen Read Week? It’s simple: studies have proven that children and teens who read do much better in testing as well as when they join the workforce. We want the best for our children of course, so it’s important to remember that books provide a fun and free way for children to be entertained. As with most people, books allow you to escape your anxieties and fears in life. They provide a way for teens to connect with other people who share the same interests. And for teens struggling with becoming who they are in a world as chaotic as ours, books let them know they aren’t alone and that there are other people in this huge world of ours who feel the same way they do.
What can you do to help? Obviously, encourage your teenage children, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, students—everyone!—to pick up a book just for fun. Not because they are required to read something for school, but because they want to. You can also purchase Teen Read Week products. Bookmarks, posters, and gifts may be purchased from ALA Graphics (the official product line) at www.alastore.ala.org. All proceeds will help support our library systems across the states!
I look forward to hearing how all of you celebrate Teen Read Week! Now, put down the computers, iPods, and cell phones, turn off the television, and go lose yourself in a good book!
Have a great week!
Laura
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