October presents middle-grade book enthusiasts with quite a few reasons to be excited. In addition to fall colors, cool breezes, and creative costumes, October gives us TeenTober, Read Aloud to a Child Week, and the announcement of National Book Award finalists.
It’s TeenTober!
TeenTober is a month-long observance being celebrated in libraries nationwide. It was created by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). According to YALSA, the goal is “to celebrate teens, promote year-round teen services and the innovative ways teen services helps teens learn new skills, and fuel their passions in and outside the library.”
What can you do to celebrate TeenTober? Well, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has some ideas for you. If you’re a librarian, teacher, or parent of middle and high school students, encourage them to do the following:
- Join a book discussion group at their school or public library.
- Read biographies of their favorite musicians, comedians, politicians, or sports figures.
- Read books about a hobby that interests them.
- Read books that approach a subject through humor.
- Read what they want to read, just for the fun of it.
Read Aloud to a Child Week is October 20-26.
This event is sponsored by Read to Them, an organization whose goal is to encourage adults to read aloud to children. While this is a year-round goal, the organization has designated the last week in October each year as Read Aloud to a Child Week.
This annual observance has been going on for 20 years, and according to Read to Them, it’s “a stress-free way for everyone to engage with the literacy community.” The organization’s website offers lots of resources, including a wealth of suggested titles for all ages, from preschoolers to middle schoolers.
Read Aloud to a Child Week raises awareness about the importance of reading to children, and it’s a great way to start a good habit that can lead to a lifetime of literacy. It’s also a good way to prepare for Children’s Book Week, which is just around the corner, November 4-10.
National Book Award Finalists Have Been Announced.
The National Book Foundation has announced the five finalists for the National Book Award in each of its five categories. Established in 1950, the mission of this annual recognition is to “celebrate the best literature published in the United States, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in our culture.”
The five categories are Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. Finalists each receive $1,000 and a bronze medal. The winners, announced in November, will receive $10,000, a bronze medal, and a statue.
Drum roll, please. Here are the Finalists for Young People’s Literature:
Violet Duncan, Buffalo Dreamer
Nancy Paulsen Books / Penguin Random House
Josh Galarza, The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky
Henry Holt and Company (BYR) / Macmillan Publishers
Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being
Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins Publishers
Shifa Saltagi Safadi, Kareem Between
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers / Penguin Random House
Angela Shanté, The Unboxing of a Black Girl
Page Street Publishing
Congratulations to each finalist! We have just enough time to read these books and introduce them to young readers before the winner is announced on November 19.
Along with the fall colors, cool breezes, and creative costumes of October, we hope you are able to celebrate books with some young readers. Encourage a teen to use the library, read aloud to a child, and check out some award-worthy literature for young people. The season is fleeting – let’s spend it reading!
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