Has anyone else noticed the incredible push toward publishing books geared toward 12+? A number of major fiction authors have crossed over into teen writing (e.g. John Grisham, James Patterson). Does anyone know why this is happening?
I can only assume that the big bucks earned from the likes of Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games is having an affect. I wonder if teens are actually reading more, or do they latch onto the “book of the year” and then quit reading until the next smash hit comes out? Are more teen books being written in the hopes that teenagers will cross over from Twilight and read other similar authors like PC Cast, Richelle Mead, etc? Or is there a genuine desire, on behalf of the publishers, to see teens reading more?
From the perspective of our stores, whatever the publishers are doing right now… it’s working. We sell a lot of teen books. Until recently, we had a hard time keeping a good selection of used teen books in stock. Once more and more authors starting pointing their writing pen toward young adults, our selection grew… and so did our young readers. We were able to entice them with a wider array, allowing us to make more suggestions, hence making more sales.
One thing is still nearly impossible to source: books for teen boys. Why is this so hard? Primarily, teen boys don’t read, so it doesn’t give publishers much motivation. I’ve thrown my arms up in anger a few times, saying “Why isn’t there more than Harry Potter and Anthony Horowitz for teenage boys to read!” I often had to direct them toward a lower reading level like Nimmo, Lemony Snicket, or Matt Christopher. The other option is go to a higher reading level with books like Forgotten Realms and DragonLance (for fantasy lovers) or Tom Clancy (for action lovers). Most of the adult options seem to be too mature, yet teenage boys want action-packed, fast-moving, short-chapter sort of books. Honestly, I’m please just realizing that a 15-year-old boy is visiting my store to buy books rather than to simply follow his girlfriend around.
I’ve read two teen novels recently: Come August, Come Freedom by Gigi Amateau and The Turning by Francine Prose. The Amateau was great; the Prose was terrible. I wonder if that’s how all teen literature is nowadays… either a solid, well-written story like The Hunger Games or poorly-written escapism like Twilight. Will teens benefit with better literature from good authors, or will they get a bunch of hastily-written nonsense? I had expected better from the Francine Prose I read… yet it was a disappointment from this experienced author. Then, Gigi Amateau, a new author, writes a great work that I’d recommend for classroom reading. So, maybe some fresh blood into the teen book world will be a good thing? Maybe great authors are being pushed by publishers to write teen novels? I already notice a great number of crossover readers (adults reading teen books). If better and better teen books get printed, maybe that trend will grow even more. Plus, teen books have lower retail prices! Why not grab a good-looking teen book over the adult fiction bestseller? With the way James Patterson has been so disappointing lately, maybe you’ll come out better with a teen pick anyway!
I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts about teen literature… do you think it’s on a positive slope? Is it bringing more teen readers into your stores? Is the current trend of the occasional-major-hit+motion-picture a good thing for the book industry?
Shane Gottwals
Gottwals Franchising Inc.
www.gottwalsbooks.com
www.walls-of-books.com
1-888-94-BOOKS
I don’t own a B&M so I can’t address the issues regarding sales and such but I do enjoy an occasional venture into reading teen books. Even that is tempered quite a bit by my tastes and also I am pretty cheap. I don’t buy new books. I really prefer novels from the first quarter of the 1900’s along with history books of the expansionism of the U.S.. As well as Christian Religion such as The Journal of George Fox and such.
One of the things I like about books for the younger crowd is I can read and not have to think. Beatrix Potter tales (Peter Rabbit and such) as well as A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh) I always find enjoyable but they are a bit younger than the age you are speaking of. Ernest Seton-Thompson (one of the founders of the Boy Scouts) is one author for boys that I think should be promoted to the kids of today. His stories of animals (Wild Animals I Have Known) I found to be quite enjoyable and I’m sure most boys of today would too. Howard Pyle is another name that comes to mind. As far as older stories go I know there are lots out there. I’d skip recommending the Hardy Boys as the tales are told in a way that would have most youngsters saying, “Can’t these dummies see the obvious clues?”, as they read the stories.
So many classics for boys and so little time…
I’ve always felt that the authors of teen books are more free to be more imaginative. Their audiences are more open-minded when it comes to sitting down with a book and getting lost in a story. I also feel this is why a lot of adults are being drawn to YA – it’s fantastic in the fantasy sense without being all about swords and dragons (well, some of it!). It captures our imaginations, and gives us something to think about, without being over ambitious, pompous or stuffy. And best yet, because it is written for a younger audience it is usually easily digestible and without too much description. I just think it’s more accessible on so many levels, and that is why it’s gaining popularity.