Book requests...

[sildil]

Since I will be starting my new job as Learning Resources Manager (Librarian!) at a local High School in a couple of weeks, I am slowly building up a list of 'must have' books for the school library.



It's very well stocked already but I HAVE A BUDGET! I will be able to fill in some gaps which will be very nice indeed especially in terms of graphic novels and possibly even some manga. When I asked the retiring librarian (who was actually VERY good and 'up to date' in fact, mostly) about graphic novels she said 'oh you mean 'manga'? We had one of those once but it went missing.'

Now, one of the things I think that DOES encourage reluctant teens to read, especially lads, ARE graphic novels and comics. One of the first on my wish list will be 'Neverwhere' by Neil Gaiman, simply because the story is so damn good, and as always with his writing, so literate. I am not so sure of the Sandman series, because although they are my personal utter and complete favourites, they ARE very graphic in parts and I need to tread carefully with regard to which books I do have on the shelves, since the youngest kids are 13.

Personally I think that kids can read anything they can get their hands on and don't agree with any form of censorship of literature, but to have something failry sexually explicit in visual terms on the school library shelves would be a definite no-no.

I may well go through my own Sandman library again (oh the pain I will suffer!) and pick out a couple from the series that could go on the shelves as then it's up to the kids to go and find the others once they are interested. '1602' is also a brilliant book of his which I will probably get.

Anyway, bearing the above restrictions in mind, I am asking all of you for any particular recommendations of manga, graphic novels and books for teens or young adults that are definite 'must haves'.

Thank you!!!

Comments

[ilye-elf.livejournal.com]

It's not really graphic novels that I'm suggesting here, but I think a lot of Gneil and Pterry stuff is good at getting kids to read. Obviously I'm going to rec Good Omens, but Stardust could be a good one too, because the film is coming out in a month or two and I know that often encourages kids to read the original book.

Brian Jaques' Redwall series could be worth a look, as well as Robin Jarvis (The Deptford Mice trilogy is most popular, though my absolute favourite was always The Alchymist's Cat). Another book that really struck home and I will always remember was Wasted by Marya Hornbacher, although some of it is pretty grim in places. There are a couple of books about that are written for teenagers almost to shock them, like Wasted does about eating disorders and I remember Melvin Burgess' Junk (heroin) and Doing It (sex) did when I was about 12, and although you could almost call them educational, they're attractive because the subjects are taboo at 13, and yet here are books written about these subjects for people your age!

Also, I don't know how your library is set out, but at our school we had a section that was reserved just for the older kids with the books specially stamped, so you could maybe get some of the more adult things in there whilst still keeping them out of the way of the 13-year-olds. I know obviously if they want to get their hands on it then they will, but there are ways to maybe help prevent it, too.

[sildil]

Those are excellent recommendations and I have stuck them in my file, thanks! The special section is a good idea and I'll see if they have anything like that. They do have some fairly adult books, but I need to read a few and see what IS acceptable.

Stardust will be a very good idea if there is a film coming out, as you say it always triggers an interest in reading the books and then a search for whatever else the author has written. Cheers! x

[camile-sinensis.livejournal.com]

Having spent the morning doing battle with The Daughter's Pile Of Stuff, here are some of the literary masterpieces I found loitering with intent in a typical teenage midden:

Various Darren Shan books (the conceit being that "Darren Shan" is the author as well as the main character, ho ho)
Sabriel by Garth Nix (one of a trilogy)
Jango by William Nicholson (ditto)
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (omg, this is the infamous Harry Potter Fanfic Plagiarist! Maybe not such a good recommendation!)
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding (gets The Daughter's seal of approval, this one)
The Heartstone Odyssey by Aryan Kumar
Various Shonen Jump graphic novel (Bleach, etc)
The Paranoid's Pocket Guide to Mental Disorders You Can Just Feel Coming On by Dennis DiClaudio (right...)
Assorted Jacqueline Wilson books
Assorted Laurell K Hamilton books
The usual Harry Potter Suspects

Haven't read any of them myself, but they seem to be popular among the ..er.. more morose cross-section of teenagdom ;-)

When I first went to High School, they had the LOTR trilogy in the school library, but I wasn't allowed to read it because it was for "seniors" only. WTF? I promptly bullied my parents into bullying the librarian at the local public library to let me join the adult section so I could take it out from there. Why LOTR was considered an "adult" book is beyond me. There is absolutely zero sex in it, and you can either read it and understand it or you can't!

[sildil]

Oooh excellent, that's a fantastic list! I'm making a note of all these and then when I start work I'll check them through. And if we've got them I'll read them...*coughs* Well...I DO need to ensure quality of course....