Any lifelong reader has that one book from their teenage or young adult years that has never left them. Young Adult stories help us understand growing up while exposing us to new perspectives.
Young Adult authors are still writing compelling and important stories for younger readers across genres, and plenty of adults are reaching for these tales as well.
For this week, here are some stories that stick with you, no matter how old you are or when you first read them.
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Adam Thalenfeld, Trion Industries President
Book: "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda"
Author: Becky Albertalli
This is a book that came out when I was already graduated from college, but it tells the story about Simon, who is a closeted gay student in high school, and how even with all the love and support from friends and family, he goes through such a difficult time coming out to everyone.
I experienced that as well growing up gay in my hometown. Even though I also had love and support, it's still a struggle. It's a great story for pretty much anyone. It doesn't really matter if you're gay, if you're straight, if you're a parent, or if you're a child — it tells a great story.
Laura Keller, Plymouth Public Library Director
Book: "Saving Francesca"
Author: Melina Marchetta
This is my favorite book on Earth. I read it when I was in eighth grade, and have read it so many times over the last 20-plus years.
The book is about the title character, Francesca Spinelli, her brother, Luca, and her parents, Mia and Robert. The book really, really delves into male-female relationships, family dynamics and friend-group dynamics. I have related to it so many different times in so many different ways over the last two-plus decades.
In the book, we really see how Francesca and her family are affected when her mother is stricken with acute depression. I think it would be really good for moms who find themselves "doing it all." I also highly recommend it for teenagers who maybe tend to hesitate to talk to anyone who has different interests or different personalities than they do, because in the book, Francesca forms an unlikely alliance with two girls who are quite different from her. So I think it's really important to show that openness towards connecting with different people.
Sarah Scinto, WVIA Morning Edition Host
Book: "The Giver"
Author: Lois Lowry
I once called "The Giver" by Lois Lowry my favorite book of all time, and I think that still holds true. I’ve reread this so many times, but even if I haven’t picked it up in years, there are certain images and passages of this story that will never leave my mind.
“The Giver” is a dystopian tale of a society that has erased any difference between the people. They cannot see colors, their roles in society are assigned to them by elders and only one person is able to remember the events of history before the "Sameness." That is, until the elders name 12-year-old Jonas the next Receiver of Memory. He starts to learn from the Giver, who passes all of society’s memory on to him.
It’s a beautifully told, impactful story that reminds us to hold onto our history and learn from the memory of our society.
That’s all for this week’s Bookmarks!
Catch the next episode on April 26. We'll be talking about your favorite audiobooks.
Want to tell everyone about a book you loved? Email sarahscinto@wvia.org with Bookmarks in the subject line.
