young adult literature

Writer and LGBTQ activist George M. Johnson sparked conversation — and controversy — with their 2020 memoir about growing up Black and queer. All Boys Aren't Blue has been banned in dozens of school libraries.

Their book is banned from dozens of districts, but has helped countless young readers

5:02am October 25, 2022

Writer and LGBTQ activist George M. Johnson spoke with Morning Edition about what's lost when books like their 2020 memoir All Boys Aren't Blue are banned from school libraries.

Lani Sarem poses with her novel Handbook for Mortals at the release party for the book in Chicago earlier this month.

Books
Arts

The Brief, Tumultuous Reign Of An Erstwhile Best-Seller

10:47pm August 25, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

For a while Thursday, Lani Sarem's debut, Handbook for Mortals, stood as the reigning best-seller in young adult literature. Within hours, it had been removed from the list entirely. What happened?

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Books
Arts

These Are The 2016 National Book Award Finalists

10:31am October 06, 2016

by Colin Dwyer

Colson Whitehead, Jacqueline Woodson and Rita Dove are just three of the authors on the shortlists for the National Book Awards. The 20 books still in contention for the prizes were unveiled Thursday.

Books
Arts

Colson Whitehead, John Lewis, Rita Dove Among National Book Award Nominees

10:15am September 15, 2016

by Colin Dwyer

And then there were 40: This week, the National Book Foundation revealed the writers who are still in contention for its literary prize. It capped the rollout Thursday with the fiction nominees.

Thinking Of Leaving Home? Here's A Bit Of Advice From Young Adult Authors

6:01am September 10, 2016

Starting that next chapter can be difficult in any young person's life. And YA writers know it well. Sandra Cisneros, Jacqueline Woodson, Tamora Pierce and Jason Reynolds offer some words of wisdom.

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Arts

How To Get Kids Hooked On Books? 'Use Poetry. It Is A Surefire Way'

7:06pm April 03, 2016

by NPR Staff

Newbery Medal-winning author Kwame Alexander's new effort is a novel about a 12-year-old boy named Nick, written in verse. He says poetry is one key to keeping kids invested in what they're reading.

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All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely.

Books

'All American Boys': A Young Adult Book About A Police Beating And A Hard Choice

9:45am November 25, 2015

by Karen Grigsby Bates

A new young adult book tells the story of a police beating from two perspectives: the black boy who was beaten, and a white boy who witnessed it.