Dana's Rec Room: 25 Young Adult chapter books/series

Recommended titles from children's-book expert Dana Gaskin Wenig

May 19, 2022

Introduction: A Transitional Period

As a parent and former bookseller, I’m aware of a transitional period when young people may not want their parents to know what they’re reading, and some parents don’t want to know what the young adults in their lives are reading. This is a time when older children or young adults can comprehend more and more of what they read, and content becomes an issue, either for the young person, or the parents.

With this in mind, perhaps a useful approach is this: invite your young adult child to read to you from whatever book they choose. That way they can skip the parts that might upset you, the way you’ve done that for them all these years.

The truth is, reading is not just about entertainment and learning, it’s about freedom. Teens often want to read content (books that address depression, suicide, sex, drugs, divorce, illness, family and community violence, etc.) that their parents are not ready for them to read. It’s normal for parents to try to protect their kids. Some parents think kids will read about these things and take them as a road map. I think it’s much more likely that when content is over the young reader’s head, they will either won’t absorb it until they are ready, or they will ask questions about the content. Great.

If a reader of any age wants to read on a certain topic, no one will be able to stop them. The question is, don’t you want to be there for them while they read what they need to read. Shouldn’t we be there for each other? Wherever you stand on this issue, please consider approaching the read aloud topic with young adults with sensitivity and the intention to learn something from them. Have fun!

— Dana