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What Teens Are Really Reading: A librarian’s informal survey uncovers the hottest YA fiction

By Karen McCoy

January 1, 2012

slj1201w_FT_YAReads(Original Import)

In this Article

Realistic fiction and fantasy. Steampunk and dystopias. Paranormal and coming-of-age. Everyone knows they’re hot sellers in the world of young adult fiction. But with so many YA titles flooding the market, how’s a librarian to keep up?

Sure, anyone can buy books based on reviews or by browsing best-seller lists on Barnes & Noble or Amazon, but how can we be sure that what we’ve selected represents general reading trends or will stand the test of time? To see which YA titles, series, and genres have staying power, I turned to public and school librarians for help.

Targeting four online discussion groups—LM_NET for school librarians; GSAFD for librarians interested in fiction; PUBYAC for children’s librarians; and PUBLIB for public librarians—I conducted three different surveys: one for public librarians serving teens and children, a second for school librarians, and a third for both groups. My goal? To uncover the top 20 classic and up-and-coming YA titles that would guide librarians looking to beef up their collections.

My interest wasn’t solely in the top books being checked out but also in what librarians were recommending. I knew such information would be useful to a new librarian who was unsure about which teen titles were most likely to circulate—and would maybe even offer collection development ideas to those more seasoned in the field.

Both public and school librarians were forthcoming about their favorites—and, naturally, the majority of them said that their suggestions depended on patrons’ interests, ages, individual preferences, and geographic locations. Popular recommendations included novels in verse (Glimpse [S & S, 2010]) by Carol Lynch Williams and I Heart You, You Haunt Me [S & S, 2008] by Lisa Schroeder), supernatural novels (“The Blue Bloods” [Hyperion] series by Melissa de la Cruz), realistic fiction (Along for the Ride [Viking, 2009] by Sarah Dessen and The Fault in Our Stars [Dutton, 2012] by John Green), as well as coming-of-age novels like Wendy Mass’s 11 Birthdays (Scholastic, 2010). And although each of the online discussion groups suggested fantasy/adventure books, public librarians tended to do so more often than their school counterparts, and included older titles, such as Eoin Colfer’s “Artemis Fowl” (Hyperion) series and the “Fablehaven” (S & S) series by Brandon Mull. Media specialists, on the other hand, were more likely to suggest urban fiction, such as Lost and Found (Scholastic, 2007) from Anne E. Shraff’s “Bluford” series and novels written in diary format, like Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” (Abrams) series.

No doubt, graphic novels and manga titles such as J. Michael Straczynski’s “Thor” (Marvel) and Scott Mitchell Rosenberg’s Cowboys and Aliens (HarperCollins, 2011), are flying off the shelves, as are books that were or are being made into movies, like Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008) and Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” (Hyperion) series.

But the latest trend seems to be hybrids, or the blurring of the lines between genres. This was particularly surprising, since books like Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens (Scholastic, 2011) don’t always have mainstream appeal. Such a shift may breed genres that fall into more than one category, such as dystopian/science fiction and supernatural/fantasy. One school librarian from Billerica, MA, also mentioned student interest in the “alternate” delivery of books, such as graphic novels, novels in verse, and transmedia such as the “39 Clues” (Scholastic) series, in which outside materials supplement the text. Obviously, the merging of formats will become more commonplace with the growing popularity of ebooks.

Another emerging trend is character-driven novels, such as Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall (HarperCollins, 2010), which a few public librarians recommended. Joyce Wagner, a librarian at Poplar Creek Public Library in Streamwood, IL, also says urban lit, or street lit, remains important for all cultures, at least in her library.

What’s on the way out—or appears to be losing steam? Some librarians noticed waning interest in vampire books like L. J. Smith’s “The Vampire Diaries” (HarperTeen), with some even reporting that Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” saga (Little, Brown) was starting to feel old. The sense is they’re being replaced by books about supernatural beings, particularly zombies and angels, and, of course, there’s been a huge shift to steampunk and dystopias. “I am seeing much more focus on dystopian literature; there are lots of books coming out focusing on the future, which isn’t always bright,” says a teen librarian near Gloversville, NY. Another YA librarian from New Jersey reports a slowing down in chick-lit, like Cecily von Ziegesar’s “Gossip Girl” and Lisi Harrison’s “Clique” (both Little, Brown) series.

Which authors had the most staying power? When it came to series, those by Riordan, Cassandra Clare, and L. J. Smith topped the list, while individual titles by John Green and Ellen Hopkins stood out most. Both titles and series with enduring popularity tended to transcend gender and cultural barriers. “[In my libraries] a group of black, Hispanic, and Indian kids will come together and recommend books,” adds Wagner, the librarian from Illinois, explaining that Simone Elkeles and Sarah Dessen were popular with all cultures. In fact, some respondents said that as long as books met readers’ needs, genre didn’t matter as much. “Well-written YA fiction will still generally appeal to readers,” said a school librarian from Billings, MT. “If I’m thinking ‘ugh’ when I read a book, I find that my teen readers generally are of the same opinion.” At the same time, librarians need to recognize that just because certain genres don’t circulate often—such as science fiction or chick lit—they still have a place, particularly in schools, where media specialists must ensure that collections are well-balanced to fit the curriculum.

The good news is that many YA books appeal to both sexes. In fact, outside of paranormal romance, the popularity of series, such as “Chaos Walking” (Candlewick) by Patrick Ness, transcend gender lines and appeal to males and females alike, says a school librarian from Newbury Park, CA. And for those librarians looking for titles with “high boy appeal,” there’s plenty to choose from, including J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” (Scholastic) series and Jonathan Maberry’s cowboy zombie novel, Dust and Decay (S & S, 2011). Although Neal Shusterman’s Everlost from his “The Skinjacker Trilogy” (S & S) didn’t make it into the top 20, a few librarians mentioned it, as well as Green’s Printz Award-winning Looking for Alaska (Dutton, 2005), as examples that are likely to catch the interest of reluctant readers.

Unfortunately, the survey had some limitations. For example, it was difficult to chart demographic trends because some of those surveyed didn’t identify themselves or their libraries. The third phase, however, did include whether respondents were located in urban, suburban, or rural areas. Although many adult authors like James Patterson, Kathy Reichs, and Adriana Trigiani have crossed over into YA lit, I only included their YA titles and omitted all children’s and adult books.

It’s difficult to predict the next shift in YA and middle grade books. A school librarian from Thomasville, GA, said, “I think it is different every year. One year one series or genre will be extraordinarily popular and the next no one touches it.” Based on my experience, when a book surges in popularity, like Harry Potter, Twilight, or The Hunger Games, similarly themed books typically follow. What surprised me, though, was how Harry Potter has managed to still hold strong so many years after its publication (though the movies probably help) and that more public librarians didn’t mention Diary of a Wimpy Kid as often as their school librarian counterparts did—or that the “Among the Hidden” (S & S) series by Margaret Peterson Haddix wasn’t recommended more often (though it is older). Some public librarians also kept titles, like Patterson’s “Maximum Ride” (Little, Brown) series, in their collections because of their high circulation—even though they felt those books didn’t belong. This explained why recommended titles and popular books didn’t always overlap; public librarians have to ensure their collections cover mass appeal.

On this page is a list of the top 20 titles and series based on my informal survey of almost 100 public and school librarians from July to December 2011.

In the future, I’d like to survey the editors at publishing houses to see if their results differ. Sometimes, acquisitions made by institutions such as libraries differ from individual purchases made in bookstores and online. Still, a few librarians mentioned seeing more debut authors. “Publishers are truly finding the best new voices in YA fiction out there,” a school librarian from El Paso, TX, said. And that’s good news for our students.

THE TOP 20 LISTS

These series and titles (listed in order of popularity) are flying off the shelves

Reader Comments (13)

When the title stated that you were going to talk about what teens were really reading I thought you meant that you would talk to teens.

Posted by Carla Ehrenreich on January 20, 2012 04:13:31PM

I love conglomerative lists like this. If only there were more for the middle school crowd. :(

Posted by Lisa C on January 20, 2012 05:51:53PM

Great lists, Karen! These are the same titles the teens are asking for at my library. And you've given me a few new titles to order too. Thanks!

Posted by Alison B. on January 20, 2012 07:47:25PM

Is there a way to find out what teens are buying and not borrowing from the library? So many have Kindles and other reading devices now. Thanks for the list. I just ordered a few of these titles!! What are your thoughts on the Zombie themes in Jane Austen's classics such as Pride and Prejudice?

Posted by Jacquie on January 22, 2012 08:37:27AM

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