Book Buffet
LIS 618: Materials for Young Adults
Welcome to the Required Reading List (or the Book Buffet) for LIS 618, Materials for Adolescents. You will be reading a total of 20 titles from 20 different categories in addition to your course textbook and short articles. You'll find information about the list and the literature log below. Each category from the list is linked as a page in the left-hand menu. Browse, pick, and happy reading! Note: Book summaries are copied from Amazon or the publisher's site. Updated for Spring 2025 (as of 12/28/24)
Important Notes about the List
If you are unable to procure a title from the list in a category or you have already read everything listed, you may propose an alternative title by submitting a request to me through the form embedded at the bottom of this page.
Do not include any books in your literature logs that you read prior to taking 618 this semester, or that you have read for LIS 617. One exception to this is The Glass Girl for our whole class book discussion.
Do not read more than one title by the same author for your 618 literature logs this semester. Our goal is to read as widely as possible!
At least ONE book you read from this list should be in AUDIOBOOK format and ONE book you read should be GRAPHIC LITERATURE (graphic novel). You should indicate which title you read in these formats on your literature log and your reflection should remark on the experience of reading in that format. Of course, you can choose to read more in these formats if you wish. Please make this easy for me to figure out – consider using headphones or speech bubble symbols or noting it early in your lit log entry.
Most of these titles do NOT have specific due dates. However, a few do because they are part of an assignment or group discussion. If there IS a specific due date, it is listed by the category. For example, your realistic fiction choice is due on 1/22, because you will be participating in a group discussion forum about your choice during the following week (1/22-1/28).
Content Warning: Our classroom provides an open space for the critical and civil exchange of ideas. Some readings and other content in this course will include topics that some students may find offensive and/or traumatizing. I ask all students to help to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and sensitivity. I will NOT be providing content warnings for individual books for the class. If you have experienced a trauma and are concerned about the potential for triggers, I encourage you to read reviews of the books to determine if they are appropriate for you as an individual. I also encourage you to determine if content is triggering or if it is merely uncomfortable.
New Titles for the Semester
Any book with this symbol is a title that is new to the list for the summer and fall semesters.
Creating Your Literature Log
Literature Logs (I & II)
Your literature log is submitted twice in the semester. The first ten titles are halfway through the semester & the final ten are due at the end. The format is up to you - Smore, PPTX, PDF, Google Site, or others.
Each log entry for should include the following information:
Author, Title, and Copyright (does not have to be in APA format)
Required category this title fulfills
Your reaction to the title (several sentences). And at least one to two sentences that include how you might use this with teens.