posted by ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
revdorothyl at 11:14am on 07/02/2008 under favorite sf reading
revdorothyl at 11:14am on 07/02/2008 under favorite sf readingI just got back from 75-minute meeting on the reorganization of structure and priorities of my publishing house (by "my" I mean the publishing house that employs me), where we were all told to go out into the world (or at least the parts of it reachable without using scarce travel money!) and build information networks of "Idea Leaders".
Since LJ is my pre-existing network of some of the smartest, most creative, and most up-to-date-on-current-and-future-trends people that I know, let me ask you all to be my Idea Leaders on the item that's at the top of my bosses' current wishlist for new acquisitions: a new fiction series for young adults.
I have to confess that the last YA fiction series I read was Diane Duane's "So You Want to Be a Wizard" books, and I've yet to catch up with the most recent four or five books in that series (I keep buying them, but haven't read anything since A Wizard Abroad). I feel this is the sort of thing I ought to be able to offer valuable input on, given my reading tastes, but just at the moment I'm coming up empty.
So, let me ask anyone who has an opinion or bit of information or a recommendation to offer:
1) Have you (or your kids, perhaps?) read any good Young Adult fiction (preferably books that were part of a series) in your lifetime? If so, please tell me the titles and/or authors, and what made those books GOOD, from your perspective.
2) If you read YA fiction or keep in close contact with those who do, what would you LIKE to read in the future? What sorts of themes, genres, issues would you find appealing? Or what kinds of themes, genres, content, etc., are you hungry for?
3) Do you know anyone who's writing in the YA age-range and not already committed to a publisher? Or, do you know someone who's been meaning to branch out into the YA market? Would you recommend taking a closer look at their work?
I don't ask for much, do I?
I should perhaps explain that this is NOT what I'm being paid to do at the publishing house, ostensibly (my job mostly boils down to keeping authors more or less on time with their manuscripts and in a reasonably good mood) -- but I actually like the people I work with, and I'd really like to help them out with information sources that they, perhaps, couldn't easily access for themselves. It would also be nice to be able to give a deserving author a 'leg up' in getting published, even though the chances of a pay raise or any other recognition for me personally are in the slim-to-none range.
Any helpful hints or recommendations from friends, or friends-of-friends-of-friends, or people you just happened to encounter in a chatroom or con-suite, would be much appreciated.
Since LJ is my pre-existing network of some of the smartest, most creative, and most up-to-date-on-current-and-future-trends people that I know, let me ask you all to be my Idea Leaders on the item that's at the top of my bosses' current wishlist for new acquisitions: a new fiction series for young adults.
I have to confess that the last YA fiction series I read was Diane Duane's "So You Want to Be a Wizard" books, and I've yet to catch up with the most recent four or five books in that series (I keep buying them, but haven't read anything since A Wizard Abroad). I feel this is the sort of thing I ought to be able to offer valuable input on, given my reading tastes, but just at the moment I'm coming up empty.
So, let me ask anyone who has an opinion or bit of information or a recommendation to offer:
1) Have you (or your kids, perhaps?) read any good Young Adult fiction (preferably books that were part of a series) in your lifetime? If so, please tell me the titles and/or authors, and what made those books GOOD, from your perspective.
2) If you read YA fiction or keep in close contact with those who do, what would you LIKE to read in the future? What sorts of themes, genres, issues would you find appealing? Or what kinds of themes, genres, content, etc., are you hungry for?
3) Do you know anyone who's writing in the YA age-range and not already committed to a publisher? Or, do you know someone who's been meaning to branch out into the YA market? Would you recommend taking a closer look at their work?
I don't ask for much, do I?
I should perhaps explain that this is NOT what I'm being paid to do at the publishing house, ostensibly (my job mostly boils down to keeping authors more or less on time with their manuscripts and in a reasonably good mood) -- but I actually like the people I work with, and I'd really like to help them out with information sources that they, perhaps, couldn't easily access for themselves. It would also be nice to be able to give a deserving author a 'leg up' in getting published, even though the chances of a pay raise or any other recognition for me personally are in the slim-to-none range.
Any helpful hints or recommendations from friends, or friends-of-friends-of-friends, or people you just happened to encounter in a chatroom or con-suite, would be much appreciated.
(no subject)
1. My current favorite series (my son loves it too) is the "Lightning Thief" series by Rick Riordan. Structurally it's somewhat similar to the Harry Potter series, but the tone and the main character are so original that I was on book three before I noticed that. The main character is a boy with ADHD and dyslexia who's been kicked out of six different schools by the time he's eleven. But he turns out to be . . . the son of a Greek god! There are quests, encounters with mythical beings, etc. One thing that's particularly satisfying is that the main character screws up on a regular basis, but generally comes out on top anyway.
My son, who's 11, is currently engrossed in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" series. I haven't read that, but my husband read it as an older teen and loved it too. My son's other favorite series is Andy Griffiths' "The Day My Butt Went Psycho" series, which I haven't read but which appears to be a combination of wild action-fantasy and disgusting fart and poop puns carefully calculated to appeal to preteen boys.
Last year I read him "The Amulet of Samarkand," Book 1 of the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. We enjoyed it but it took forever to read aloud, and we didn't get very far with book two. It's's an interesting series for a couple of reasons. It's told in alternating point of view, which I think is pretty unusual for children's/YA books, by two protagonists--a human and a demon. The human boy, Nathaniel, is for the most part quite unlikeable. And the demon, Bartimaeus, goes out of his way to seem evil, although there are hints that he's not quite as bad as he wants us to think he is. It was a challenging read, and I liked it a lot, though I wouldn't say I loved it. I'm planning to read book two to myself,, since I'm afraid my son's a little too old for the bedtime read-aloud now
Classic YA series that I loved include Lloyd Alexander's Taran series, Evangeline Walton's "Prince of Annwn" and its sequels (now in print at the "Mabinogion Tetralogy"), Elizabeth Enright's Melendy series (that may be a little below YA level, but I can still reread and enjoy them). And I've been really enjoying Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series, starting with "The Wee Free Men." I know I read series that were not fantasy or science fiction as a kid, but I can't think of any right now outside the Enright books.
2. For several years my son has been very clear that he only likes books that are (a) very funny, (b) have a lot of action, and (c) have a fantasy or magic element. I don't know how much humor there is in the Ender books, so that requirement may be decreasing, but I know humor is still a big draw for him. He has no patience with books that are slow starting--he wants to get right into the action. I tried to read him "The Hobbit," for example, which begins with an extended description of the Baggins hole, and he didn't last past the first few paragraphs. That was probably two years ago, but I'm not sure he'd like it much better now.
For myself, I like pretty much the same thing. I'm a lot more patient than my son is with a slow start, and interesting characters in believable and compelling interactions are probably a little more important to me. But beyond that, what I like best is a book with a little humor, a little action, and a little fantasy.
3. Yes, check in with
Does that help? Let me know if you have any more questions!
(no subject)
And I'm going to check out
(no subject)
Also in the SciFi/Fantasy vein, I very much enjoyed the first Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy, and I'm looking forward to further books. He marries the best of DWJ with crisp, clever, contemporary dialogue a la the Whedonverse.
Garth Nix's Abhorsen Trilogy is fantastic for Young Adults. He's much more embedded in the world he's created and therefore there's much more emphasis on magic and fantasy than is the case in DWJ's books, but again, emotinally, character-driven books, despite the very high stakes of the characters' actions. He's also proven himself in writing for younger children in the Keys to the Kingdom series.
Jenny Valentine's "Finding Violet Park," isn't precisely SciFi, and it put me in mind (in a very favorable way) of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. I have her (Jenny Valentine's) second book (I've no idea if it's a series, so I may be off topic), and I'm looking very much forward to it.
This is off-topic because of the "in my life time" criterion, but I positively love Jean Webster's epistolary duo Daddy Long-Legs and Dear Enemy. I would love to see an episotlary series with illustrations or other pastiche in that vein.
(no subject)
What a neat idea! Thank you for taking the time to do this!
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
There is talk of a YA FSF con:
http://community.livejournal.com/ya_fsf_con/
(no subject)
(no subject)
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelia_Funke</a>'s books are hugely successful, supposedly smart and gripping, at least as good as Harry Potter--she has two series: - The Inkworld Series - The Ghosthunters Series Not series-authors, but in case you want to branch out to European authors: If you can get Christine Nöstlinger in translation, try; she's amazing--Austrian writer both funny and insightful, with language that perfectly reflects the worlds she is writing about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_N%C3%B6stlinger I was incredibly fond of Rosemary Sutcliff, too, full of compelling history and touching characters, although the books are for the low end of the YA spectrum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Sutcliff Michael Ende is probably the most fantastically imaginative author on this list; you'll know The Neverending Story, but Momo is also amazing, and his work tends to be emotionally compelling yet intellectually layered. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ende Erich Kästner again skews at once too young and too old; his works are universal to the core but would, in a US context, better be explored in history lessons, I think. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_K%C3%A4stner_%28author%29
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
Some generalities:
I loved series, where I could follow the same characters [more or less] in a great number of books. Baby-Sitter's Club, Boxcar Children, Sweet Valley High, etc. I don't think those books are all that current *now*, but that's just a theme that I really like when I read, even now. I enjoy really getting into a character's world for more than just a few hundred pages.
I also really enjoyed the Lurlene McDaniel books - even though they'd usually make me sad by the time they were over. [so many of the characters in those books died!] Of course, I really learned a lot from those books, too, looking back, which I think was fabulous. They each focus on one [or more] serious health condition and a person or group of people who has said condition. [which ... explains the common occurrence of death] I'm actually now preparing to be a pharmacist [graduating in a few months!], and books like that, that are fun to read while also teaching you thinks without my really realizing, are fabulous.
I don't know if that helped at all. Hopefully? Regardless, good luck! :D
(no subject)
I recall wanting to follow the same characters, as well, and I think that's an important point (becoming familiar with a world, not just a character, and being able to enter that world again and again, in multiple volumes).
(no subject)
As a high school librarian, especially as my main niche within the library structure places me as someone running the book talks, book clubs, and other special promotions of different books and authors, I have an interest in both what's good in YA and what's popular. There's quite a wide range there.
What I look for in quality YA:
*Characters kids can identify with - a strong individual voice, but with problems and human issues that kids relate to in their own lives. This can be literal and realistic, or more and more commonly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer-like in its use of metaphor to reflect life.
*Sharply drawn action, humor, suspense -- these three things are very important in pulling in the much-discussed reluctant male reader. If looking for 'what do you want in YA in the future', I venture that many, many teen librarians would say 'books that we can get boys to try'.
*Choices and their accompanying consequences as an important element. This isn't a requirement, but a lot of the best YA allows younger readers to see the choices they make as important and empowering, while still addressing the issue of consequences to those choices.
*Willingness to take risks. A lot of fine YA books are 'problem' books -- both in terms of presenting problems teens actually care about, and about looking closely at very touchy subjects. Those subjects are often the ones their audience cares most about.
*Big stakes. Harry Potter saves the world; so does Ender Wiggin. Even in cases where the stakes are more personal, as in any given excellent novel by Sarah Dessen or Alex Flinn, for example, the stakes are big for the heroes, a touch larger-than-life. Often, it's an element that makes a big difference in attracting the teen reader.
I second the suggestion of Rick Riordan's 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians'/The Lightning Thief series - it's fast, funny, appeals to boys and girls, is mythologically well-researched and well-read, and features a hero with flaws and blind spots that you cheer for all the same. Meg Cabot is popular for a reason; The Princess Diaries has the chick-lit niche with a healthy dose of humor, and her Mediator series is popular with almost everyone, boys too, with the supernatural elements that are very hot right now. I absolutely love Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief/Attolia series and recommend it wherever I can; it is cleverly written, full of intrigue, romantic in a way that girls love but in such a way that most male readers don't get turned off. Ellen Hopkins's Crank and Glass are virtually never on the shelves - it's a very realistic look at the impact of drugs. The aforementioned Darren Shan and Stephenie Meyer series are also very, very popular.
I absolutely want to see more books that I can get boys to read as well as girls; while girl-oriented chick-lit-lite is very popular, there's a big interest in courting the reluctant male reader, and a lot of the best books you will find will break through with boys as well as girls. I also think there's an increasing audience for epic fantasy, not just the urban-modern fantasy that's popular -- a huge number of our kids are still reading Tolkien, Eddings's The Belgariad, et cetera, and I think some of Harry Potter's appeal is that it bridges the gap between modernity and the epic feel. I also think there could stand to be more realistic non-fantasy series that don't fall into the 'Sex and the City-lite' mold.
I know a few authors working in YA, but alas, either they are already represented, or I'm not certain they're quite ready for prime time, as it were. Still, I have a few connections here and there, and maybe one person I know --
And edited to add: How could I have forgotten to recommend Scott Westerfeld, from the awesome So Yesterday to his fascinating Uglies series? Westerfeld is a must-read if you're looking for a good model for a hot-new-YA-series; even his supernatural and sci-fi stuff is very real.
(no subject)
I especially appreciate your 'wish list' of things you'd like to see, as well as your recommendations for what's out there and working right now.
I'm also here via <lj user=soundingsea>.
A couple of quick recommendations:
The Runaways. An excellent graphic novel series in convenient half-book size, created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona. The series features a group of teenagers who discover their parents are supervillains and subsequently become superheroes.
Blankets, by Craig Thompson. One of the most beautiful graphic novels I've read, wonderfully illustrated in simple, flowing lines, it tells the story of a teenaged boy finding love, God, and in the process himself. That barely describes it. It's not about religion so much as spirituality and actualization and change. It'd probably be more appropriate for slightly older (15 and up) readers.
I have non-comic book suggestions too. Be back.
Re: I'm also here via <lj user=soundingsea>.
Anything by Robert Cormier- "Rag and Bone Shop" is good....
There are many books-not all about teen angst-or horrible mental illness situations or insipid girl stuff- you have to do some research and ask what is out there...http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
momzo
Re: I'm also here via <lj user="soundingsea">.
Re: I'm also here via <lj user=soundingsea>.
(no subject)
I know a writer who is close to sending her YA book out into the world, and I would recommend her work without hesitation. If you would like more information about her, send me an email.
(no subject)
revdorothyl@gmail.com
(no subject)
(no subject)
I can't promise anything at this point, because my boss-of-bosses hasn't yet told me what the timeline is for our hoped-for YA fiction series (whether we're looking to plug a hole in our current slate of releases, or planning ahead for late 2009-2010 and beyond), but I'd be thrilled to pass along any proposals or outlines or sample chapters you might have to those who carry more clout than myself.
Thank you for responding to my "S.O.S." for YA authors!
(no subject)
(no subject)
Ah, synergy.