YAL - gotto love it!

To be a successful young adult literature book themes must be strong, & drama must include adolescent yet human issues of loss, identity, love, freindship, values etc. Many of the YAL books I've recently read have been excellent! Real page turners and really enjoyable after a heady day of reading news, professional books/journals and work. So dive in - here are 2 to get you started.



Raspberry House Blues by Linda Holman- 16 y.o. Poppy in search of her birth mother in Winnepeg, Canada. Despite turning up at her adopted father's house unexpectedly, he and his new wife welcome her warmly. They are slopppy but happy hippies and their lifestyle is a challenge - Poppy suffers much angst. Most importantly she learns about herself. Surprisingly absorbing w/ colorful characters!

Search of the Moon King's Daughter by Linda Holeman is incredible - you think your life is hard?! But be prepared for a tearful happy ending as young Emma searches for her brother - sold as a chimmey sweep - in London circa 1836. This book is an accurate historic portrayal of industrial life, poverty and people surviving in a brutal class based community. Since this is the one year annivesery of Katrina, I am reminded of how failure to provide for those in need has been an unfortuante human characteristic - probably forever.

Linda Holeman has a web page with news of all her books with reading guides etc.