Emily Waisanen As writers, we write because we have a story we want to share. We write because we are inspired by something we see or hear. We write because we like to write. But – don’t we also write because we want young people to read it and enjoy it? Have we ever stopped and asked ourselves, “What do teens want to read?”
As a middle school English teacher, I spend my days trying to find the perfect match between student and book in order to cultivate an interest and love of reading (and appreciation for well-written young adult literature.) Middle school students are the most difficult and strongly opinionated readers, so this can be a difficult challenge to accomplish. Once I am able to find a genre or an author that a student likes reading, I have them hooked. But while young adult literature is exploding in popularity, I still have trouble finding enough books to recommend to my students. There is clearly a niche market for these readers, someone just needs to write the books. But, what exactly are students looking for when choosing something to read?
I interviewed students from ages 11-14 to learn more about what young adults want to read and the results were clear and consistent:
- Young adult readers want to be hooked from the beginning. Writers should jump right into the action of the story to grab the reader’s attention right away. If it’s not interesting within the first couple of pages, they will quit reading (even if the story is great and the plot develops over time.)
- Young adult readers like books that are fast paced. Again, slow moving plots will lose the reader’s interest. Having a cliff hanger at the end of every chapter keeps readers wanting more.
- Young adult readers want the main characters to be relatable, which means that most books should focus on real life teen issues – school, friends, relationships, and family. Controversial or sensitive topics are also preferred among young adult readers because they are compelling. They can also serve as a talking point for teachers and parents to discuss life choices and consequences.
- Young adult readers want to read books that balance between humor and drama. The pendulum should swing back and forth between making the reader laugh out loud and then gasp in surprise or cry out of sadness. This swing of emotions within a book should mirror the swing of emotions of a young adult reader.
While this is just a short list of ideas, perhaps it could provide a springboard for us as we practice and refine our craft. There are young adult readers out there, eager and waiting for another good book to read. Will you be the one to write it?
