Rose Brock - Young Adult Literature in Action

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For a lack of a better and less exaggerated way of describing it, getting to complete this project feels a bit like winning the lottery; championing young adult literature has been such at the heart of my professional work for so long that it seems in regard to YA lit, I've forever had a book in one hand and a pompon in the other trying to get the world excited about this category of books. I'm so grateful that there are many fans today. While I'm celebrating this accomplishment, I have to send out some cheers for the folks on my team who helped in a number of ways and for personally cheering me on:

For Blanche Woolls, library legend and editor extraordinaire, who gave me a chance to share my passion about young adult literature and for supporting me throughout the competition of this project.

For Rosemary Chance who set the stage by creating the first two fine editions of this textbook; I'm honored that your mighty torch was passed to me; thank you for hard work and dedication to young adult literature.

For Sylvia Vardell, who found yet another way to support me professionally and personally. I've lost count on all the ways she's made my life better, but I'll never lose sight of the knowledge that she remains my "cheer base"all the professional goodness that has come my way is in some way linked to Sylviashe has helped me "fly" over and over, and I'll never stop being grateful for it. It's a true honor to get to team with her in the Literature in Action of ferings.

For Emma Bailey, who has been a fountain of knowledge and such a calming force; thank you for always answering my questions.

For Tuan Nguyen for his willingness to share his vast knowledge of all things comic, graphic novel, and manga related. You are a hero among men.

For answering my call for help and being such amazing role models for others in the library profession, I remain indebted to these "librarians in action": Jill Bellomy, Dr. Stephanie Burgis, Renee Dyer, Dana Hutchins, Jaime LeRoy, Angie Mahalik, Alicia Montgomery, and Lisa Morris Wilkey.

For stepping up and sharing the reasons they dedicate their writing focus to creating for teens, I'd like to thank Atia Abawi, Arvin Ahmadi, Becky Albertalli, Adi Alsaid, Karen Blumenthal, Julie Buxbaum, Ally Carter, Roshani Chokshi, Zoraida Crdova, Dhonielle Clayton, Kenneth C. Davis, Christina Diaz Gonzelez, Elizabeth Eulberg, Candace Fleming, Eric Gansworth, Kate Hart, Jennifer H. Holm, Nicole Johnson, Nina LaCour, Stacey Lee, David Levithan, E. Lockhart, Alex London, Jennifer Mathieu, Julie Murphy, Jandy Nelson, Daniel Jose Older, Elizabeth Partridge, Stephanie Perkins, Cindy Pon, Jason Reynolds, Caroline Richmond, Veronica Roth, Ruta Sepetys, Neal Shusterman, Jennifer E. Smith, Sonya Sones, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Scott Westerfeld, Kiersten White, David Yoon, Nicola Yoon, and Jeff Zentner.

And though I'm so lucky that my personal pep squad of friends that cheer me on is sizable, for a lifetime of the very best kind of friendship, Nancy Fritz Vance.

For being the very best cheerleaders in support of all I do, my husband, Michael Brock, and my girls, Madeleine Brock and Olivia Brock. Love you so.

• Atia Abawi
• Arvin Ahmadi
• Becky Albertalli
• Adi Alsaid
• Karen Blumenthal
• Julie Buxbaum
• Ally Carter
• Roshani Chokshi
• Dhonielle Clayton
• Zoraida Crdova
• Kenneth C. Davis
• Elizabeth Eulberg
• Candace Fleming
• Eric Gansworth
• Christina Diaz Gonzelez
• Kate Hart
• Jennifer H. Holm
• Nicole Johnson
• Nina LaCour
• Stacey Lee
• David Levithan
• E. Lockhart
• Alex London
• Jennifer Mathieu
• Julie Murphy
• Jandy Nelson
• Daniel Jose Older
• Elizabeth Partridge
• Stephanie Perkins
• Cindy Pon
• Jason Reynolds
• Caroline Richmond
• Veronica Roth
• Ruta Sepetys
• Steve Sheinkin
• Neal Shusterman
• Jennifer E. Smith
• Sonya Sones
• Nic Stone
• Angie Thomas
• Scott Westerfeld
• Kiersten White
• David Yoon
• Nicola Yoon
• Jeff Zentner

As an adolescent in the 1980s, the story of my identity as a reader can be described as hodge-podge, and it featured the best and worst the decade had to offer in regard to book choices. My family moved to the United States when I was in elementary school, and due to some language barriers, I struggled with reading. I finally became smitten with books toward the end of elementary school after meeting my then fictional best friend at my school's libraryshe was a titian-haired vixen with a power blue roaster and a tight team of mystery solving friends, and I wanted to be just like her. I can honestly say that Nancy Drew turned me into a reader, and from that point on, books mattered to me. After repeatedly working my way through Nancy's adventures, I moved my reading needle significantly by consuming an equal measure of very adult novels that had been made for TV movies ( The Thorn Birds and Lace ), but around the same time, I also discovered S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders and Judy Blume's body of work for older readers. From those years, I can remember rereading Tiger Eyes over and over (something about that heartbreaking YA novel wouldn't let me go, and it satisfied my need to work through Davey's grief with her), but it was Blume's Forever that had the most profound effect. Given to me by my mother as an accidental twelfth birthday gift, this novel was nothing like Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing ; Forever explored teen sexuality and first experiences so honestly that I remember these things: first, I reread it a number of times not just because of the candid way it approached an intimate physical and emotional relationship between two teenagers, but it also answered so many questions I had that felt I had no place asking the grownups in my life. Long before knowing I'd spend part of my career serving as a teen librarian, I enthusiastically shared Blume's novel with my girlfriends as I knew they'd also be equally appreciative of this honest portrayal of sexuality and first experiences. The rest of my teen years left me obsessed with the 1980s iconic book series, Sweet Valley High , and in the lives of the Wakefield twins, I realized I longed to escape my pedantic teen life stuck in Oklahoma and run away to the seemingly glamorous high school scene in fictional Sweet Valley, California.