The content of these journals range to having YA-based topics of columns, articles, booklists, and reviews, to letters, contests, and teen submissions. Much of the content expresses the distinct ideas, opinions, attitudes, knowledge, and actions of young adults and acts as a resource for their reflections, guidance, and in providing direction for YAs and interested professionals.

There is an enormous amount of information in these journals, which touch upon a wide range of subjects with high quality writing and provides resources, insight, tools, and more for information users. The knowledge found in VOYA can thus be used to support teens wisely and properly.

The journals include reviews for both YA fiction and YA non-fiction and also includes issues revolving around current YA themes and pertinent topics. Peer-reviewed articles and author interviews can also be found in each issue. Featured articles typically focus on the YA literature and controversies in the realm of YAs as well as insightful and interesting columns on YA materials and matters.

VOYA is dedicated to advocating for youth material and youth issues. The journal is published bimonthly by Scarecrow Press and is targeted to those who serve young adults (stated as ages 12 – 18). VOYA was founded by Dorothy M. Broderick and Mary K. Chelton in 1978 and has an online website that includes brief information on the issue’s contents. VOYA is a comprehensive journal that provides content and insight into the world of YA and YA materials that both serves as useful and extensive in information.

The colours are colourful and bold as well as eye catching and the text used is large and clear. I especially liked the ability to search and the variety of ways to find blog entries on the website. This allows for easier access to blogs that may have been missed otherwise.

Through browsing this website, I’ve learned that the YALSA blog has a lot of information that is both interesting and helpful in creating an awareness for interested young adults. There are so many different services and sources that young adults and librarians alike can learn about as well as information that can aid and guide in their endeavours. Dealing with stress? Talking about technology? Even in connecting with authors. What surprised me most about the YALSA blog was seeing the amount of authors that contribute to the blog, there is probably over a hundred! However, this is beneficial in the way that it expresses a variety of viewpoints, opinions, and knowledge of people with expertise in the field of YA.

Because of YALSA’s interesting ideas and multiple perspectives on YA topics, I will continue to monitor and check the website to see what is new and current in the YA world in order to stay up-to-date. The content on the site is updated regularly and has an achieves from January of 2006. For this reason, it is a very useful source to keep bookmarked for any future references to the happenings of the Young Adult realm of services, materials, events, and adventures.

Smith, K. M. (2006). The Power of Information: Creating a YA Nonfiction Collection. Young Adult ­­Library Services, 5, 28-30.

This article looks into the importance of developing a nonfiction collection for young adults and focuses on the different aspects that would be appropriate to include. It acts as a guide for librarians or library users to determine what is deemed popular, important, and necessary.
Recommended Readings:

Aronson, M. (2008). Being and Nothingness. School Library Journal, 10, 31-31.

This article focuses on the need for a nonfiction collection awareness among highschool students within a school environment. A poll of the average number of nonfiction titles most teens had read amounted to zero, so a need to provide students with a chance to read nonfiction is emphasized in this reading.

Chelton, M. K. (2006). Perspectives on Practice: Young Adult Collections are more than Just Young Adult Literature. Young Adult Library Services, 4(2), 10-11.

There is a growing prominence that Young Adult literature is considerably deeper and insightful than in the past. This article explains the importance of a nonfiction collection in YA materials and suggests ways in which to collect these materials through first-hand experience and through the likes and dislikes of actual teens.

Vent, C.T and Ray, J.A. (2007). There is more to reading than fiction! Enticing elementary students to read nonfiction books: More tips and tactics. Teacher Librarian, 34(4), 42-43.

This reading talks about the advantages of having a nonfiction collection for young adults and presents some challenges that prevent them from using the collection. It provides extra guidance in understanding the structure of nonfiction items and strategies to increase the interest of teens in nonfiction materials.

Wyatt, N. (2007). Exploring Nonfiction. Library Journal, 132(3), 32-35.

This article acts as a Reader’s Advisory tool to nonfiction materials for Young Adults. It focuses on the concepts that working with nonfiction can enrich teenager’s lives  by offering them more and considers four new concepts of nonfiction RA: narrative, appeal, subject, and type.

Shenton, A. K. (2004). Young People’s use of non-fiction books at home: Results of a research project. Journal of Librarianship and Information, 36 (2), 69-78.

This article draws on the findings of a wide-ranging qualitative research project conducted to investigate the nature of the volumes within home libraries that are consulted, the circumstances in which they are used, youngsters’ attitudes to the books they employ and the problems that they encounter when exploiting them.

For additional reading material on YA nonfiction materials, consult Indexed

Page, Katherine Hall. Club Meds. New York : Simon Pulse Publishing, c2006.

Teenreads.com has information on book reviews, reading lists, book clubs, new books, authors, series, and special features for a teen audience. This inclusive and wide scope of material is categorized efficiently by order of alphabet and is divided with fun and colourful tabs that are both clear and fresh for a teen perspective. There are links to up-and-coming events, interviews with authors, reader polls, personal teen opinions and blogs, as well as information on how to join the Facebook fan page! Teenreads.com is completely inclusive of all aspects in a teen reader’s interest and life.

This website is an extremely useful source for teens as it helps to introduce them to a variety of material and can even acquaint them with things that they may not even have known existed. For librarians, Teenreads.com can play a big role in helping to build the connection between a library patron and their love of young adult material. This site would also be an excellent tool for librarians to contribute toward their YA materials programming as it has an extensive amount of information dealing with all things teen related. Furthermore, because Teenreads.com takes into consideration the opinions and perspectives of real teens, the value of the information given can be reflected accurately within libraries, meaning that librarians can understand their young patrons more considerably.

Teenreads.com is a comprehensive website that devotes entirely to teen readers and reading and hence, would be a great asset to all fans of teen material and librarians alike.

This story is tender and heartbreaking, in the most simplest and genuine way. It’s a touching tale about friendship, regrets, and letting go as Thompson explores these emotional states through fun and whimsical illustrations without many words. These images hold heartbreaking weight and shift between thoughts and experiences of side characters as well, developing subplots that are equally as genuine and filled with layers of emotional tenderness.

The book has many moving aspects, including its poem tone-like qualities that help to give it a beautiful and sad undertone, equivalent to that of your first crush. There is most definitely a delicate beauty that is achieved through this graphic novel. Whether it is Chunky’s small and timid sadness amidst his overwhelming voyage or Dandel’s graceful acceptance of their parting, the heartbreak and emptiness that is inevitably felt is both genuine and unforgettable.

Highly Recommended

[Thompson, Craig. Good-bye Chunky Rice. Georgia: Top Shelf Productions, 2003.]

In the city of McMinnville, Oregon, fine coupons up to $10 were given away when teens signed up for the Teen Summer Reading Program. The promotion was to not let fines stop them from reading and by participating in a positive reading experience, they would be able to reduce their fines.

Recently, the Toronto Public Library has implemented a pilot project and have introduced a “Forgive & Forget Coupon,” allowing teens to save up to $20 on their fines. For a limited time, teens aged 13-17 could use the coupon (that they can retrieve from a staff member, online, or through the library flyer) to return overdue books and pay old fines at the library. This is a great program as it attempts to draw youth back into the library and help reduce the barriers that can discourage teen reading. It also helps to encourage teens to come back into the library and serves newcomers and low-income neighbourhoods better. In the past, TPL has had similar programs in which young adults would read for one hour to receive a $1 coupon toward their fines. With this new Teen Fine Forgiveness program, teens fill out a small form that asks when their last time was at the library and what they are interested in doing at the library before fines up to $20 are taken off their account.

What an awesome way to promote library use for teens. Now, if only they made one for general students or adults!

This book takes a different approach towards young adult materials and integrates the thoughts and feelings of several teenage girls through words, pictures, photo montages, poems, blogs and thoughts. Secrets are exposed and stories are told from everyone’s perspective. Who is right and who is wrong? After reading through the stories, you too will think that everyone plays a part in making the mistakes that are all apart of growing up.

Through the power and stories of the “It” girls, readers get a deeper understanding of feelings and thoughts that they may already be familiar with. These fictional stories take the reader through a teenager’s journey into secrets, gossip, the triumphs, and the tribulations of high school life. The “It” girls can be rude, vicious, and horrible, but this candid look into the secret world of popularity, love, hate, and friendship sends strong messages for teen girls who will read it.

Highly Recommended

[Lane, Dakota. The Secret Life of It Girls. New York: Ginee Seo Books, 2007.]

Although written for a diverse range of audience and not specific to YA, there are a number of teens and young adults who find Frank Warren’s work compelling and inspirational. One of the previous postsecret books, My Secret: A postsecret book, was a best seller that consisted of anonymous postcards that were created by teens and college students from across the country.

“Each card bears an intimate and powerful secret—at turns inspirational, shocking, hilarious, and poetic—that is told through original illustrations, photographs, collages, and other creative means.” – Frank Warren

These secrets were topics that included obsessions with anorexia, the problems of homeschooling, and the inner feelings of friendship, rivalry, and bullying.

Frank Warren’s newest addition, Postsecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God includes a collection of artistic collages that detail the hidden thoughts and essential life questions that both teens and others can relate to.

Teen Vogue is one of many teenage girl magazines that depict fresh and healthy models that live carefree lifestyles. The girls that are on the glossy pages of the magazine tend to fall into the categories of being trendy, skinny, flawless, and radiant in appearance, which is not a full representation of all female youths. They do, however, try to target a full range of girls in their content, which can be seen in one of the self-help articles for the August 2009 issue – Lessons in dressing for your body shape, whether you’re tall and thin, athletic, petite, or curvy.

Teen Vogue magazine also covers all the issues and topics that most teenage girls would want to know. These include typical teen issues like dieting, budgeting, dealing with friends and competition or rivalry, as well as succeeding towards your goals and dreams.

The focus and cover girl of this particular month’s issue was celebrity Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger on Harry Potter. Teen Vogue chooses to depict teenage girls who are driven, overachievers, and have made something of themselves in their teenage years. The voice of the article is very positive and inspiring to teenage readers who are looking to explore and find themselves as well. Featuring famous teenage girls who are going through the same issues as teenage readers can help them relate and can be a cause of inspiration to girls everywhere.

Teen Vogue is a comprehensive magazine for teenage girls because of its content and perspective. It really takes into consideration the life of a teenage girl and promotes positivity in the way it helps teen readers feel good about themselves. This awareness is created through various tips and self-help issues, and includes a variety of teen perspectives that focus on the important values of teen life.

Like most magazines, it also has the monthly horoscopes that predict the future with your friends, your success, and the boy of your dreams.