Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers is a book list created annually by the Young Adult Library Services Association. The list identifies fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels that may encourage teenagers who dislike reading to read.[1]
Researchers, educators, librarians, parents, and teenagers have used the list to identify books reluctant young adult readers may enjoy.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Criteria
When selecting books for the Quick Picks list, the judges consider:[1]
- Physical appearance (e.g., the cover, print style, format, and artwork/illustrations)
- Writing style
For fiction novels, judges consider whether the book has:[1]
- High interest "hook" in first 10 pages
- Well-defined characters
- Sufficient plot to sustain interest
- Plot lines developed through dialogue and action
- Familiar themes with emotional appeal for teenagers
- Believable treatment
- Single point of view
- Touches of humor when appropriate
- Chronological order
For informational books, judges consider the accuracy and objectivity of the book, as well as whether technical language is well-defined.[1]
Recipients
| Award Year | Author | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2016[9] | Victoria Aveyard | Red Queen |
| Holly Black and Cassandra Clare | The Iron Trial | |
| Fonda Lee | Zeroboxer | |
| Sam Maggs | The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks | |
| Julie Murphy | Dumplin' | |
| E. C. Myers | The Silence of Six | |
| Daniel José Older | Shadowshaper | |
| Kate Schatz | Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries Who Shaped Our History | |
| ND Stevenson | Nimona | |
| Nicola Yoon | Everything, Everything | |
| 2017[10] | Julie Buxbaum | Tell Me Three Things |
| Jeff Garvin | Symptoms of Being Human | |
| Nadia Abushanab Higgins | Feminism: Reinventing the F-Word | |
| E. K. Johnston | Exit, Pursued by a Bear | |
| Jeff Lemire | Plutona | |
| Amy Lukavics | Daughters Unto Devils | |
| Marieke Nijkamp | This Is Where It Ends | |
| Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely | All American Boys | |
| Meredith Russo | If I Was Your Girl | |
| Sarvenaz Tash | The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love | |
| 2018[11] | Alison Deering with Bob Lentz (Illus.) | Sandwiches!: More Than You've Ever Wanted to Know About Making and Eating America's Favorite Food |
| Keith Giffen with Howard Porter (Illus.) | Scooby Apocalypse | |
| Karen M. McManus | One of Us Is Lying | |
| Doreen Rappaport | 42 Is Not Just a Number: The Odyssey of Jackie Robinson, American Hero | |
| Jason Reynolds | Long Way Down | |
| Jason Reynolds | Miles Morales: Spider-Man | |
| Jason Reynolds | Patina | |
| Nic Stone | Dear Martin | |
| Angie Thomas | The Hate U Give | |
| Scott Westerfeld with Alex Puvilland (Illus.) | Spill Zone | |
| 2019[12] | Elizabeth Acevedo | The Poet X |
| Laurie Halse Anderson with Emily Carroll (Illus.) | Speak: The Graphic Novel | |
| Tommy Greenwald | Game Changer | |
| Jarrett Krosoczka | Hey Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction | |
| Gretchen McNeil | #MurderTrending | |
| Jason Reynolds | Track series (Sunny [vol. 3] and Lu [vol. 4]) | |
| Aisha Saeed | Amal Unbound | |
| Chana Stiefel | Animal Zombies!: And Other Blood-Sucking Beasts, Creepy Creatures, and Real-Life Monsters | |
| Courtney Summers | Sadie | |
| Jen Wang | The Prince and the Dressmaker | |
| 2020[13] | Ashley Elston | 10 Blind Dates |
| Eva Darrows | Belly Up | |
| Mindy McGinnis | Heroine | |
| Colleen AF Venable with Ellen T. Crenshaw (Illus.) | Kiss Number 8 | |
| Rainbow Rowell with Faith Erin Hicks (Artist) | Pumpkinheads | |
| Danielle Vega | The Haunted | |
| Kim Liggett | The Unfortunates | |
| Karen McManus | Two Can Keep a Secret | |
| Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan | UNpregnant | |
| Malala Yousafzai | We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories From Refugee Girls Around the World | |
| 2021[14] | Gretchen McNeil | #NoEscape |
| Mindy McGinnis | Be Not Far From Me | |
| Joseph Bruchac | Found | |
| Carl Deuker | Golden Arm | |
| Alice Oseman | Heartstopper Vol. 1 | |
| Jason Reynolds with Danica Novgorodoff (Illus.) | Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel | |
| Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam | Punching the Air | |
| Kat Leyh | Snapdragon | |
| Ben Oliver | The Loop | |
| Leah Johnson | You Should See Me in a Crown | |
| 2022[15] | B. B. Alston | Amari and the Night Brothers |
| Dusti Bowling | The Canyon's Edge | |
| Crystal Frasier with Val Wise (Art) | Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms | |
| Abby Howard | The Crossroads at Midnight | |
| Molly Knox Ostertag | The Girl from the Sea | |
| L. L. McKinney | Nubia: Real One | |
| Isaac Fitzsimons | The Passing Playbook | |
| Christian Allaire | The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures | |
| Lily Sparks | Teen Killers Club | |
| Sugar Rodgers | They Better Call Me Sugar: My Journey from the Hood to the Hardwood |
References
- ^ a b c d "Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2012-03-02. Archived from the original on 2021-10-31. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ Jones, Leigh Ann (May 2006). Do "Quick Picks" book covers appeal to middle school readers? The impact of covers on self-selection of fiction books in the middle school library setting (PhD dissertation). Texas Woman's University. hdl:11274/11177. ProQuest 3215110. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ Mundy, JaNae Jenkins (2000). Best books for young adults: An analysis of the structural, stylistic, and thematic characteristics of the 1998 Best Books for Young Adults and 1998 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (PhD dissertation). Texas Woman's University.
- ^ Roy, Loriene (April 2008). "Circle of Knowledge: Sap Boiling Moon Month or Iskigamizige-Giizis" (PDF). American Libraries. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-10-31. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ Carr, Carolyn Marie (2009). The portrayal of teenage sexuality in young adult literature (Graduate research paper). University of Northern Iowa. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ "Young Adult Literature". Children's Literature Association Quarterly. 23 (2): 109–110. 1998. doi:10.1353/chq.0.1250. ISSN 1553-1201.
- ^ Blasingame, James; Pace Nilsen, Alleen; Donelson, Ken (September 2004). "The 2003 Honor List: A Book for All Reasons". The English Journal. 94 (1): 88–94. doi:10.2307/4128854. JSTOR 4128854.
- ^ Broadway, Marsha (2016-08-09). "Children's Literary Awards and Recommended Lists on the Net". Children's Book and Media Review. 28 (2). Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ "2016 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2017-12-28. Archived from the original on 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ^ "2017 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2017-01-22. Archived from the original on 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ^ "2018 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2018-01-31. Archived from the original on 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ^ "2019 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2019-01-17. Archived from the original on 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ^ "2020 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2020-01-07. Archived from the original on 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ^ "2021 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2021-01-05. Archived from the original on 2021-10-31. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ Serbekian, Michael (2022-02-04). "YALSA names 2022 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 2022-02-04. Retrieved 2022-02-05.