What Materials are Found in a Typical YA Collection?

Commonly, the YA materials collection would include:

• Graphic novels and comic books
   
• Magazines – general interest and specialized subjects
   
  Some popular magazine titles include:
   
  • Teen People
  • Gamepro
  • Seventeen
  • Transworld Skateboarding
  • Thrasher
  • Mad

  

• Fiction – popular and classic with a focus on paperbacks
   
  Common fiction genres are:
  • Historical fiction
  • Science fiction
  • Fantasy
  • Mystery
  • Suspense
  • Horror
  • Adventure
  • Coming of age
  • Problem novels
  • Sports
  • Humor
  • Romance

  Popular authors to get a collection started are: 

  Orson Scott Card, Caroline Cooney, Robert Cormier, Chris Crutcher, Peter Dickinson, Lois Duncan, M.E. Kerr, Annette Curtis Klause, Chris Lynch, Walter Dean Myers, Richard Peck, Philip Pullman, William Sleator, Gary Soto, Todd Strasser, Rob Thomas, and Cynthia Voight

   

• Poetry and short stories
   
• Non-fiction that is:
  • Browsable (quick to find and glean information)
  • Hi-Lo (high interest-low reading level materials that are perfect for reluctant or below-level readers)
  • Visual (DK style)

   

• Audio books, music CDs, videos and CD-ROMs

Additional materials in this collection could include career and college materials, “Guinness” books of world records, pro-con (debate oriented) non-fiction, monologues, or any other common subject of interest to your particular YA population.

Some things to consider:

• Appearance of the book (cover illustration) is very important
• Series are very popular; should be included and viewed first as a way to encourage reluctant readers into making reading a habit, and second, as a stepping stone into stand-alone fiction works
• Remember this is a fluid (constantly in state of change) collection

Click the arrow below to continue to the next page