Reality Rules!
-- School Library Journal, 10/7/2008
Reality Rules!: A Guide to Teen Nonfiction Reading Interests (Libraries Unlimited, 2008).
The landscape of a young adult nonfiction collection today differs immeasurably from that of 20 years ago. As Elizabeth Fraser observes in her introduction to Reality Rules! (Libraries Unlimited, 2008), the material for this audience has experienced unprecedented growth both in quality and quantity. New series, imprints, formats, and adaptations along with more attention to topics that matter to teens have resulted in shelves filled with superior choices on topics ranging from autobiography, adventure, and the arts to manga, math, and mythology.
Each of the 10 chapters in Fraser’s guide offers a definition and introduction to the subject or genre under consideration (and it subfields), followed by lists of first-rate, appealing titles, all concisely and descriptively annotated. Core titles and award winners are noted, along with good choices for book groups/clubs, reluctant readers, and volumes of particular interest to young men. Each selection is assigned a recommended age level, and most of the titles listed bear publication dates after 2000.
Two particularly noteworthy features are the “Consider Starting with…” and “Fiction Read-Alikes” lists at the end of each chapter. The first highlights those titles listed in the chapter that will be the most accessible to students and have already generated lots of enthusiasm with teens. “Fiction Read-Alikes” offers a half dozen or so additional options for students interested in the featured topic.
Whether your students are history buffs, sports enthusiasts, scientists-in-the-making, fashionistas, or poets, you’re sure to find new titles to interest them in this wide-ranging collection.
