Yes, Virginia, Teens Do Read

YA authors face an inherent challenge that few others do - reaching their readers.


See, the writer of a children's book has parents purchasing for the reader. Adult readers are willingly led to new books by their desire to read, reviews or simply their thirst for fresh literary adventures. Plus, they have their own cheese to buy books.


Readers age 12 and up are a different creature. They're newly independent - so having mom or dad pick out a book is a no-no. While there is no limit to what's available out there for them, I'm not convinced reviews or even advertising really draws them in.

I'd bet my salary that many teens pick up a book because of the cover and purchase based on cover copy and a quick skim - reviews be damned.

There's also that little hitch, they typically need to have mom and dad along with them for a purchase.

On top of that there's the increase in homework and required reading that sometimes turns them off from reading for pleasure all together.

All that in mind, I'm so over the laments of - teens don't read. If I had a dollar for every time I heard it I'd be well-off, if not rolling in dough. A hobby of mine is proving the notion wrong, because I have this whole 'being right makes me happy' thing going on.

And last night, the teen participants at my Rosedale library visit didn't disappoint. Shout out to the members of God's Reading Stars Foundation for stopping in.

As usual, the librarian and I went through the obligatory conversation about our uncertainty of who, if anyone, would show up. After all, this wasn't just a typical "How I became a writer" presentation. I was offering a writing workshop for teens.

Everyone knows, teens don't read, much less want to show up in the middle of their summer, at 7 p.m. and have to WRITE something. What are we, nuts?

Crazy like foxes, apparently. Because nine - yes NINE young readers showed up. And not just wandered in because the Lib made an announcement, but they had all come out to the branch specificially for my workshop.

What?!

Who were these exotic creatures who would forsake chatting online, texting their buds and watching re-runs of Baldwin Hills to come hear some oldish chick talk about books?

Note my sarcasm.

The reality is - teens read! Some of them read a lot. Even if they have a crap load of required reading to get through, avid teen readers read whenever they can get their hands on a book.

So let's stop assuming teens don't read. Let's not give teens the impression that since "they don't read" it's okay to prioritize every other activity and entertainment outlet over books. Let's stop prematurely lamenting the death of literature's importance.

I have no idea if teens read less than they did 5, 10 or 30 years ago. Probably. But we've lost a lot of "traditional" ways since the industrial revolution - ya know? Regardless of any "decline" in the number of overall readers, there are teens who read and teens who don't.

Hmm...sort of like adult readers.

My focus, selfishly, are on teens who read - by choice, not force. I applaud the authors who write books for reluctant readers, because converting non-readers into readers is a win-win for the author and the reader. But my personal focus has always been to create work for young people who already know that the best escape is sinking yourself into a good book.

The young ladies who showed up for last night's event are the exact type of readers I write for. They were excited to talk books. They didn't groan when I made it clear they would be trying their hand at several writing exercises. And no one went deer-in-the-headlights on me when I asked them to read their paragraph aloud.

It was the most fun I'd had at a visit since my stop at the Cockeysville branch during Teen Read Week, where more than 15 teens showed up to talk books and writing. Okay and maybe the snacks didn't hurt to draw them in. But I digress!

Point is, there's a large population of teen readers out there. Every time we vocalize this belief that teens don't read, we undermine those who not only love to read, but manage to enjoy a lot of other hobbies and activities in addition.

Choosing to read doesn't doom you to a life of being solely a book worm. You can be a reader and still be outdoorsy, athletic, a social butterfly or whatever.

The teen reader is not extinct. Nor are they alien pod people. They're ordinary teens who love a good tale and they're among us. Here's to 'em, they're my favorite kind of folk!