Help Kick off Teen Read Week in October

By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 9/12/2008

 Don’t forget to join libraries around the country in celebrating this year’s Teen Read Week from October 12-18.

The 2008 theme is "Books with Bite @ your library," and librarians will be promoting a variety of books—from vampire stories to cooking to technology—as a tool for getting young adults to read for the fun.

Teen Read Week, an annual literacy initiative by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), encourages teens to take time to "read for the fun of it."

Research shows that teens who read for fun — and not just for school activities — score significantly higher on reading tests, while those who don't lose critical reading skills important for academic and workplace success.

Since its inception in 1998, Teen Read Week has focused on the importance of teen recreational reading. Teen Read Week's hopes to encourage teens to select their own reading materials, and to help them get in the habit of reading regularly and often.