Still Worth Reading

Given the current level of energy and enthusiasm for young adult literature, now is a good time to pause and look beyond current bestsellers to older, lesser-known titles: that is, young adult novels from the past that never grabbed the popular culture spotlight but are still worth reading. Tune in to hear about coming-of-age stories in a variety of styles and forms, from epistolary novel to punk rock fairy tale. Together they remind us that the process of figuring out who you are is always some combination of beautiful and painful, no matter what the time period.

After listening to this episode, be sure to print out this list of recommended titles to take to the library or book seller.

Books featured in this episode:

• Wish You Were Here by Barbara Shoup (Hyperion, 1994)
• Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas (Simon & Schuster, 1996)
• Letters from the Inside by John Marsden (Houghton Mifflin, 1994)
• A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin (Puffin, 1997)
• Sex Education by Jenny Davis (Orchard Books, 1988)
• Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger (Simon & Schuster, 1999)
• From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson (Scholastic, 1995)
• The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier (Delacorte, 2001)
• Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block (HarperCollins, 1989)