The focus of Teen Read Week is on encouraging teens to regularly read books just for fun so that recreational reading becomes a habit. For example, in 2011, teens were invited to Picture It! @ your library®, and were encouraged to read a variety of materials, including graphic novels, movies, books about photography and more.
According to the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), "Many families have learned to make do with less as a result of the economy and have flocked to the library. Teen Read Week™ is a great time to make sure teens and their families know about all the free services the library can offer them and to reach out to teens who aren’t regular users and encourage them to come see what they can find here." (Source: Teen Read Week site) For more about what libraries have to offer, see my article Save Money at Your Public Library.
Parents are encouraged to celebrate Teen Read Week along with their teens, and YALSA offers the following suggestions: Make use of your public library; read together each night as a family; give books and magazine subscriptions as gifts; share your favorite books with your kids; make use of online resources, such as YALSA's Booklists and Book Awards page and participate in book groups offered at school or the library. (Source: Teen Read Week site) For more information, see my article Young Adult Books and YALSA.
