Young Adult Books (YA)

What is Young Adult Literature?

Young Adult Literature (YA) is fiction targeting readers between the ages of 12 to 18, 7th grade and up. Common themes for YA include issues students may face such as, friendships, dating, family problems, violence, belonging, etc.

Why are there concerns over YA?

Parents have concerns because some YA books discuss mature topics and may contain strong language. CAMS teaches students to self censor their reading by discussing with guardians what is acceptable for their family.

How will a child know if a book is YA?

At Calera Middle School, we label YA books with a yellow and pink sticker on the spine of the book. Students may also check suggested sites (located at the bottom of the page) to determine if the book is suited for them.

What if a child checks out a YA book and changes their mind?

If a student checks out ANY book and decides it's not for them; simply return the book, no questions asked.

Examples of YA Literature:

  • The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

  • The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

  • Variant by Robison Wells

Book Reviews

Editorial reviews are used to determine if a book is considered YA. Reviews sometimes differ based on the opinion of the reviewing organization. Common book review sources that we use are School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and more. To find these reviews, parents can use these common book retailer sites (not every book will have reviews listed):

Barnes and Noble – (www.barnesandnoble.com) – search for book title and click on Editorial Reviews.

Amazon – (www.amazon.com) – search for book title and click on Editorial Reviews.

Alabama Virtual Library – (www.avl.lib.al.us) – click on View All Resources, select EBSCOhost Search, click Limit Your Results: Publication: School Library Journal (or Kirkus, etc.), search the title of the book for which you are seeking a review.

Common Sense Media – (www.commonsensemedia.org) – This site does not provide Editorial Reviews, but provides parent and student reviews of the titles.

Kirkus - (https://www.kirkusreviews.com) - Search for the book title or look under the "Book Reviews" tab.