I’m not going to dissect the article. You can read it for yourself and form  your own opinion. I’m only going to take issue with one teeny, tiny part of the article. The writer claims, “the purpose of literature is to elevate. Not to entertain,” and I wholeheartedly disagree.

I think the purpose of literature is to entertain. Maybe it’s the purpose of some books to elevate, but a book that was written with the sole purpose of elevating sounds like a book I have a no desire to read. I don’t know about you, but when I’m trying to decide which book to read next, I’m not asking myself which one I think will do the most to elevate me. I’m thinking about which one I think I’ll enjoy the most. When, I read a work of fiction, I want to be entertained.

That’s why kids should read books – to be entertained. It’s teachers just like the one that wrote that Daily News article who turn kids off of reading. I’ve been a lifelong reader, but I haven’t always seen eye to eye with my reading and English teachers, who seemed determined to get me to ditch my books in favor of the ones they wanted me to read. I realize now, this wasn’t even a question of literary merit. I was reading books that were challenging and full of literary merit, but they just weren’t the books my teachers wanted me to read. I don’t mean this as a rant against teachers because I know there are lots of teacher out there who understand this. Those are the good teachers, thankfully, I had plenty of those.

I majored in English in college, which was probably a mistake. For one thing, career prospects for someone with a B.A. in English are pretty slim, for another majoring in English is enough to test the faith of any book lover. College English classes are, for the most part (there were a few exceptions, thank you Dr. H. Bruce Franklin) not about the enjoyment of books but about the dissection of books. Dissecting books is along the lines of reading elevating literature. It isn’t fun. If you are young and planning your college career and you like books and are considering majoring in English, I urge you to reconsider. Major in math or science or business instead. Well, maybe not business.

I used to work in the children’s department of a busy public library, this means that I got to help all those kids whose teachers had given them reading assignments that were designed to elevate or drive children’s librarians crazy or whatever. The kids who were regular readers and regular library users usually were able to find books no problem. It was the other kids, the struggling readers, who had more difficulty. Some kids are not fast readers, and being given assignment that requires them to read an entire book in 2 or 3 weeks can be frightening. These kids would gravitate to books like the Goosebumps series or graphic novels about superheroes, which often didn’t fit the requirements of the assignment. Time and again, when I helped these kids find books, one of the suggestions would be a book by Walter Dean Myers, because his books tend to be shorter in length and accessible and enjoyable. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying books. That’s the real purpose of books.

I am grateful to A. S. King for this blurb and am truly honored by her kind words. In case you aren’t familiar with her and her work, she is a super-talented YA author. Her debut The Dust of 100 Dogs blew me away. Then she came out with Please Ignore Vera Deitz last year, and I was not at all surprised when it was awarded a Printz Honor. I just finished her latest, Everybody Sees the Ants. It’s one of those books you will want to stay up all night reading. It’s a serious book, that has all these laugh out loud funny parts and a wonderful collection of quirky characters.

So, in case you can’t tell. This blurb really, really means a lot to me.

I’ll be joining fellow YA authors Charlotte Bennardo, Kristi Cook, Amy Holder, Kathy McCullough and Natalie Zaman for this event which runs from 1 to 3. Enjoy lunch with the authors, answer fun trivia questions, win prizes and get a jump start on your holiday shopping at this fun event.  The Clinton Bookshop is located at 12 E. Main Street in Clinton, NJ. They have asked folks who plan on attending to RSVP. You can give them a call at 908-735-8811.

YA-Palooza is just the start of this month’s fun. On Thursday, November 17 I’ll be joining a big group of fellow Elevensies debut authors at a big mega signing at Books of Wonder in New York City. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and is a great chance to meet some rising literary stars.

Next I’m off to Children’s Book World in Haverford, PA. I’ll be there Friday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m. for a library fundraiser event that will also include authors Charlotte Bennardo, Kristi Cook, Kathy McCullough and Natalie Zaman. Then I’ll be back there on Saturday, November 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. for a big party with the KidLit Authors Club.

First of all, I think the whole practice of trying to pigeonhole any large and ginormous thing, like say, the whole of YA literature is just utterly absurd. I mean if that’s the case, why not just try and pigeonhole the whole of adult literature or all literary classics?

Second of all not all of YA literature is of the wings and fangs variety. I feel the need to say this because even though I like wings and fangs books (aka paranormal books) I do get tired of having to justify the fact that my own novel does not have any vampires or fairies or fallen angels or anything of that sort. I will say that my book isn’t exactly bright and cheery, but that’s just one novel, and I don’t think all novels should be bright and cheery, or more importantly, that all novels should be alike.

Bad things happen to the characters in YA novels just as bad things happen to the characters in adult novels and the characters in movies. I remember once hearing someone complain about a movie because the family depicted in it was dysfunctional, and I thought to myself, but if it was about a healthy familye, it wouldn’t be any fun to watch. That said, some books have more serious bad things than others.

The article also mentions the fact that YA books have bad words. Well, some do and some don’t. I happen to have written one that does. I will say that the book is written for teenagers. If I was writing a book for a younger audience, there wouldn’t be any bad words. My assumption is that between the people around them, the movies they watch and the music they listen to, most teenagers will not be shocked by any of the language my characters use. That certainly was not the intention of using it. The article also mentions the fact that books don’t contain warning labels or ratings like movies and video games. That’s not entirely true. Many YA books have a recommended age range on it. My own book indicates it is suitable for readers 12 and up. Of course, just like a movie rating that’s only a vague guideline.

I will stress again that not all YA fiction is dark and full of bad stuff, and that some of it is sweet and fun. To prove this point, here are just a few titles that are undoubtedly fun books, are YA and not full of bad ugly stuff. They’re current and available at your local bookstore, but apparently the book shopper mentioned in the Wall Street Journal article missed them:

Amy Holder’s book is a fun YA read that does not fit in with those sweeping generalizations.

In case the candy-coated cover, and the word “sweetest” in the title doesn’t give it away. The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski is a great YA read that is neither dark nor disturbing.

The Pretty Tough books are a whole series of books that don’t fit the dark and disturbing stereotype, and as an added bonus the characters Keri Mikulksi has created for the series also defy the female athlete stereotype.

Another series (a bestselling one, at that) that doesn’t fit the dark and disturbing bill, but is instead entertaining and intensely hilarious is Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicolson books. I find it hard to believe that the Barnes & Noble mentioned in the Wall Street Journal article didn’t have any of these popular books on their shelves.

I could be here all day pointing out YA books that are not dark and disturbing, but the point is that there are lots and lots of them out there.

Are there also an equal amount of dark and disturbing books? Do books about blood-sucking vampires and dystopian futures get a lot of buzz? Yes, of course they do, and the reason is that these books sell well, presumably because readers enjoy reading them.

Sure, most of these author copies are already earmarked for various giveaways, and will not be in my possession for very long, but it’s still nice to see, and of course if you want to try to win one of the books from this box, there are a few different opportunities on my giveaways page.

I also want to tip you off to another giveaway, where you can win a copy of Popular. This one is being hosted by Apocalypsie, Jill Hathaway. In case you were wondering the Apocalypsies are a group of debut children’s and young adult authors whose first books will be out in 2012. Jill’s debut novel Slide is due out in Winter 2012. Stop by Jill’s blog to meet another debut author and to get a chance at winning a copy of Popular.

Thank you to Amy Fellner Dominy, Cari of Cari’s Book Blog, Caroline Kimberley and Rachel, Dawn Metcalf, Emily Borchers, Gae Polisner, Kari Olson at a Good Addiction, Kathy McCullough, Megan Bostic, Natalie Zaman, Rebecca and Nolan, Samantha Gale, Sara Bennett Wealer and Stephen and Sarah Parrish. You guys are awesome!

And now I present the official Popular trailer:

Most of the reading I’ve done this week has been off of a computer screen, and it’s been stuff that I’ve written as well as the revision notes on what I’ve written, none of which really lends itself to a book review.

The only books I made it through were Jeff Vandermeer’s wonderful guide for authors, Booklife: Strategies and Survival Tips for the 21st -Century Writer which was filled with all sorts of helpful advice and wonderfully strange graphic novel called Percy Gloom by Cathy Malkasian.

I began and was quickly sucked into Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, which has provided some much needed escape from things.

Booklife: Strategies and Survival Tips for the 21st -Century Writer

I’ve read some books with marketing tips before, but they either seemed too dated or not something that would help much with my own journey as a writer, but Jeff Vandermeer (it’s always nice to reading a writing tips book by an author I actually know) has succeeded in writing a book filled with relevant advice. The section covering the writing life in general was less helpful perhaps, but did give me a you are not alone sort of feeling. I love the fact that in order to get writing done he would have his wife hide the phone and the internet router in the morning before she left for work. Anyway, for anyone who is at the stage in their writing journey where they are starting to think about book marketing do yourself a favor and get your hands on a copy of Booklife.

Percy Gloom

This graphic novel by Cathy Malkasian was both bizarre and beautiful. The title character is a strange, little man who goes off to follow his dream of being a cautionary writer, but then gets sidetracked by a few different adventures along the way. It’s all set in a world that is a bit off from our own world and has the feel of a modern, though very weird, fairy tale. It was a quick one-sitting sort of read.

What’s next?

I hesitate to commit myself to anything because I’m not sure what my reading week will hold. I do plan on being on the road a bit so will probably get through an audio book or two in the next week, and, of course, I am expecting to finish up Hush, Hush soon.

What about you, what have you been reading?

I’ve been doing more writing than reading this week, and only managed to get through one “real” book and one audio book. I finished the awesome Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde and listened to the moving Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr.

Shades of Grey

I’ll be honest, although I like the premise behind Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series, I had a hard time getting into those books, but when I read the premise behind Shades of Grey, I knew I had to give Fforde another try, and I am so glad I did. The novel is set in a dystopian future where everyone is obsessed with color and society is organized into a rigid hierarchy based upon one color’s reception. Our narrator Eddie Russett has strong red perception, but thanks to a bit of trouble he caused back home he’s been sent out to the sticks with the assignment to complete a chair census. He finds that the village of East Carmine is filled with dark secrets and curious characters, and gets himself mixed up in things a bit over his head. Really no description of this book can quite do it justice. A wonderfully original premise, colorful (sorry, I couldn’t resist!) characters and the sort of humor one would find in a Douglas Adams book makes this book a must read. The good news is that it is the first book in a planned trilogy. The bad news is I have to wait for the other two books to come out.

Story of a Girl

With audiobooks, a book’s reader can make or break a book. I appreciated the fact that Sara Zarr herself was the reader for Story of a Girl. It made this book about a teenage girl coming to terms with an event that occurred a few years ago, and which has come to define her both in her family and at school, all the more powerful. If you enjoy good young adult realistic fiction, this is one definitely worth checking out.

What’s next

Thanks to some library reserves coming in for me, my reading plans changed a bit this week. Right now I am reading the nonfiction book Booklife by Jeff VanderMeer, and am already by the wealth of information it contains for writers promoting themselves and their work in these modern times, and I’m only on chapter 2. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick also came in for me at the library this week. So, I’ll probably read that next, and then hopefully read Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin.

This week I finished up a mystery novel Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan; read a graphic novel, Squirrel Mother by Megan Kelso; finished listening to the audio of An Abundance of Katherines by John Green and read a modern allegory Carmen Dog by Carol Emshwiller.

Bad Things Happen

I can’t remember where I first read a review for this debut novel by Harry Dolan, but wherever it was I remember thinking that the book sounded good, and I added it to by to-read list. I’m glad I did. Main character David Loogan has a mysterious past, who in a roundabout way ends up working for the small mystery magazine Gray Streets. Soon though, things are happening around Loogan, that makes him think he has stumbled into a real live Gray Streets story, as first one then another person associated with the magazine gets murdered. As the body count mounts it’s hard to put down this mystery novel, as each chapter seems to end in a new cliffhanger and the mystery behind who the murderer is and who David Loogan really is continues to deepen.

Squirrel Mother

This short graphic novel by Megan Kelso is a series of short graphic short stories, some on the usual themes of growing up as well as less conventional things like the Alexander Hamilton. Kelso’s stories rely mainly on her own engaging artwork to move things along, words are only there to help flesh out the stories a bit. It’s a quick “read” that can easily be completed in one sitting.

An Abundance of Katherines

I am now convinced that John Green is a bona fide master of writing about the teenage boy. Once again he takes the story of a socially awkward, somewhat nerdy teenage boy dealing with life and girls and turns it into an engaging poignant tale. His characters always feel like real people to me, people I would love to have as my own friends and maybe that’s what makes his novels so enjoyable. Colin’s a former child prodigy trying to come to terms with the fact that he is now nothing but an adult of above average intelligence as well as trying to deal with the fact that the nineteenth girlfriend he had named Katherine has dumped him. He goes on a road trip and winds up in Gutshot, Tennessee, and in that unlikely place makes some discoveries about his own life.

Carmen Dog

This novel by Carol Emshwiller is hard to classify. Unexpectedly all the women of the world start turning into animals while at the same time female animals start turning into women. The story mainly follows Pooch the family pet as she becomes a woman, dreams of singing in the opera and finds herself in one bad situation after another. It’s an allegorical tale that has the feel of something that would be read in a feminist studies course in college. The concept could be played for laughs, but the story is mainly a serious one despite the absurdity of the premise.

What’s Next?

Right now I am reading Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde and listening to Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr. I’m hoping to read Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin.

This week I read the awesome Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I also read The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon. At the moment I’m reading the very hard to put down Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan and An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

Beautiful Creatures

This YA novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is described as Southern Gothic. Take everything you love about To Kill a Mockingbird stick the characters in a modern high school, then throw in some dark supernatural elements and you get a pretty good feel for Beautiful Creatures. It’s one of those books you just want to curl up on the couch with and lose yourself in its pages for a couple of hours. This book was recommended by several people, and I was not disappointed. If you haven’t yet done so, you need to read this book.

The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation

I remember when the original 9/11 Report came out being curious, but not curious enough to wade through the dense 600 and some pages of that book. Thankfully Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon came up with the brilliant idea of creating a much abridged graphic novel style adaptation of the report that presents all the essential points of the original report in a very accessible format. It’s still weighty stuff, and full of depressing information, not just the sad terrorist attacks that happened more than 8 years ago now, but the fact that it’s very likely our government hasn’t really learned from the mistakes that allowed the 9/11 attacks to occur. A report card at the end of the book asks the 9/11 commission to judge the country in how well they have followed through with the suggestions made by the commission, and it is pretty bleak.

What’s next

I’m nearly done with both of the books I am currently reading. After that it’s on to Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr and Squirrel Mother by Megan Kelso.

What about you? What books have been keeping you company this week?