Girls' Life: YA Magazine Review

Girls' Life Magazine, November 2009. $3.99.

I chose this magazine to review since it was the only magazine I could ever remember reading as a (pre)teen - our elementary school library had a subscription to it. So looking at this magazine 10 years later, I expected it to be fairly wholesome, and Girls' Life didn't disappoint.

The target audience for this magazine is very clearly girls in their early teens; the advice column contains answers to questions such as how to know if a boy likes you, how to get better grades in English class, and what to do if you don't have any special talents. However, the advice column also broaches the topic of sexual abuse, gay and lesbian issues, and death in an accessible, but not preachy, manner. There is a secondary column of "Body Q&A" later in the magazine, wherein doctors answer the questions of teens about puberty and sex, as well as any other bodily concerns ("This is weird, but I have a ton of nose hairs!").

There is a several page spread of Girls' Life fashion, featuring girls ages 15 - 17. Several pages of hair and make-up tips, including how to fix your hair like Jessica Alba, follow the fashion spread. The celebrities featured are very teen specific: I didn't recognize many of them, including Kay Panabaker, who graces this month's cover, and is apparently one of the Disney Channel super-celebrities. The content is somewhat American-focused: one feature article interviews the daughter of a soldier deployed to Afghanistan, and is particularly patriotic.

Perhaps where Girls' Life gains its greatest appeal is in its romantic advice (some offered by real boys themselves!) and quizzes. In "Forgive or Forget?", Girls' Life contributors assess boyfriend problems using a "Ditch-o-meter" - for example, if, "he's really hush hush about your relationship", that merits a ditch-o-meter of 4 - "until this boy is ready to go public, keep your distance". Several quizzes are scattered throughout the issue, including friendship quizzes, and relationship quizzes.

Though obviously a commercial venture, Girls' Life has a rather pedagogical feel to it: it mostly consists of advice to girls about how to deal with boys, parents, school, stress, body image and eating habits. However, despite the pedagogy, the format of the magazine is much like any popular glossy women's magazine such as Vogue or Elle, which increases its teen appeal.

It's no surprise I found Girls' Life in my elementary school library. It was a useful part of the collection 10 years ago, and would remain so today: however, I doubt how popular a choice this magazine would be with those who are older than 14 or 15.

Teen Reading Survey

"In an industry without a lot of good news to report, the one consistent bright spot has been publishing for teens. While adult trade sales are expected to fall 4% this year, juvenile and young adult sales are expected to increase 5.1%, according to the PW/IPR Book Sales Index...Teenreads.com, the second site in what is now TheBookReportNetwork.com, provides an opportunity to investigate this teen readership."

- an overview of the Teenreads.com survey, over at Publisher's Weekly

Persepolis - Book Review

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood.  

Pantheon, 2003. 153 p.  $16.06.  978-0375422300.

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel narrates the childhood of the author as she grows up during the Iranian revolution. The story begins in 1980 when Marji, and her schoolmates are required to wear the veil to school. None of the girls understand why this is necessary, but as Marji develops and learns about the revolution and its issues, so too does the reader. Marji is highly literate, reading ideological and philosophical works, as well as works by revolutionaries, and reflects on what is happening around her: disappearances, executions, riots, and bombings. The political content is highly personalized in a way that makes this era understandable and accessible to teens; for example, Marji risks her freedom by publicly wearing makeup, and collecting contraband Michael Jackson cassettes.

Marji’s strong relationships with her family run throughout the book: her mother and grandmother provide positive female role models in a society where women are often marginalized, and her relationship with her beloved uncle provides the emotional climax of the novel. The emotional and political content may not make this title appropriate for all tweens, but mature tweens and teenagers will find it particularly moving and engaging.

Like Maus, Persepolis: Story of a Childhood is a must-have for any core graphic novel collection. Since the publication of Story of a Childhood, Satrapi has now published three subsequent volumes, and The Complete Persepolis is now available in a compendium format. Persepolis has also been made into an animated film (Columbia / Tri-Star), co-directed and written by Satrapi herself.

5Q 4P J S

Seminar 12: Adult Books for Teens

Both required readings are available online via Western Libraries: simply log on to the proxy server via Western Libraries' main page, and then paste the link into the URL bar.

Required Reading:

Carter, Betty. (1997). Adult books for young adults. English Journal, 86(3), pp. 63 – 67. Available via JSTOR. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/i233803

Carter, Betty. (2003). Alex: The Why and the How. Booklist 99.15; pp. 1389. Available via ProQuest. Stable URL:
http://proquest.umi.com.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca:2048/pqdweb?did=337226071& sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=11263&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Suggested Reading:

Abrahamson, Richard F. (1998). Back to the Future with Adult Books for Teen Readers. Journal for Youth Services in Libraries, 11.4, pp. 378 – 387. Available at the GRC: IMS periodical Z 718.1.J68 1998.

Abrahamson surveys the reading habits of teens, with the conclusion that not astonishingly, many teen readers enjoy adult books. He uses insight from his high school English teaching career to discuss the findings in the literature.

Anderson, Sheila B. Adult Fiction. Serving Older Teens. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited; pp. 175 - 177. IMS stack Z718.5.S48 2004.

A very brief overview of which adult fiction may particularly appeal to older teens, accompanied by a list of resources for the teen librarian.

Awards for Adult Books for Teens:

American Library Association. Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA).

The BBYA awards include adult and young adult titles. This website includes lists of past winners, current nominees, and an overview of the awards process.

American Library Association. YALSA’s Alex Awards.

The ALA’s Alex Awards website includes lists of the past winners, current nominees, and an overview of the awards policies and procedures.

Book lists:

Bilz, Rachelle Lasky. (2007) Adult Books for Older Teens: Science Fiction. Teacher-Librarian, 35.2; pp. 49. Available online via Western Libraries.

One example of a monthly (2006 – present) feature in Teacher-Librarian, in which Rachelle Lasky Bilz recommends 4 or 5 adult titles, accompanied by a short description, that may appeal to teens. These lists are arranged thematically (e.g. science fiction, guns, circus), with additional “Must Read Author” lists (e.g. Jodi Picoult, Alice Hoffman) sporadically.

Booklist. (2008). Editor’s Choice: Adult Books for Young Adults.

Following from the year’s reviews, Booklist editor compiles a list of adult books that teens will enjoy.

Keane, N. J. (2006). Adult Fiction Titles for Young Adults; Adult Nonfiction Titles for Young Adults. The big book of teen reading lists: 100 great, ready-to- use book lists for educators, librarians, parents, and teens. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited; pp. 9 – 16. IMS stack Z718.5.S48 2004.

Several pages of adult titles that may be of interest to teens, presented in a “hand-out” format for easy distribution in libraries or schools. Each title is accompanied by a one or two sentence plot summary.

Mackey, Margaret. (2006). Adult Canadian Books for Strong Teenage Readers. School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta. Available online.

A compilation of yearly booklists from Resource Links, divided thematically. Very thorough; 105 pages.

Pearl, N. (2007). Moving Up. Book crush: For kids and teens : Recommended reading for every mood, moment, and interest. Seattle, WA: Sasquatch Books; pp. 229 – 230. IMS stack Z1037.P35 2007.

A short list of suggested adult titles that appeal to teens. This list is a good starting point for a librarian who may be unfamiliar with what types of adult materials teens may favour.

School Library Journal. Adult Books for High School Students

A monthly feature in SLJ, in which several adult titles are recommended for teens, complete with an extensive description of each title.

Classic books, redesigned for teens

Philadelphia design student's Masters thesis: Re-branding classic book covers for greater teen appeal.

[Link.]

Bitch magazine on Teenage Role Models and Sexuality

"Here's the thing: teenagers are sexual. They just are, despite the many powerful cultural messages which tell them not to be. And, for teenage girls, in particular, sexuality is a minefield, given that all the images they see of "sexual women" consist only and entirely of their sexuality, and the fact that the sexuality displayed by those women is generally dude-approved and performative. The role model of a woman who is multi-dimensional, accomplished in many different fields, totally accepting of her body, and fucking hot as hell because she knows she likes sex and is ready and willing and eager to have sex in the ways that are most fulfilling and least compromising for her... well, we don't have that yet."

- Are You There, God? It's Me, Miley: On Privacy, Teen Sexuality, and the Miley Cyrus Twitter, Bitch magazine

SPL Teen Blog

Just discovered that Seattle Public Library has a teen blog, Push to Talk, written by the teens on their Teen Advisory Committees. I've been following Shelf Talk, SPL's main blog, for quite a while and it's pretty awesome. I have high hopes for Push to Talk!