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A Core Collection for Young Adults
By Patrick Jones, Patricia Taylor, and Kirsten Edwards

1-55570-458-1 . 2003 . 6 x 9 . 250 pp.
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See other titles in this series:
Teens @ The Library Series

For more than a decade, librarians have been following the recommendations of Patrick Jones, author of Connecting Young Adults and Libraries, to build collections for teens in school and public libraries. Now Jones teams up with English teacher Patricia Taylor and young adult librarian/speculative fiction expert Kirsten Edwards to deliver the definitive core collection. Focusing on titles YA teens would be most likely to own or check out frequently, these experts have selected and annotated over 1,000 titles, including adult and young adult fiction and nonfiction; biographies and personal narratives; graphic novels and illustrated works; underground classics; humor; science fiction/fantasy; Web sites; databases, and other electronic formats. Brief annotations provide insight and identify the primary audience for each book. Core collection entries include call numbers, full bibliographic information, and grade/audience level. Special features include handpicked favorites of YA librarians and authors, an extensive list of young adult “best” lists, and author and title indexes. An accompanying title-checker disk allows librarians to quickly compare catalog holdings to the core collection recommended by these experts.

Reviews

“Useful for public libraries and for junior and senior high school libraries.” Book News

"Very strongly recommended for school and community librarians." Library Bookwatch

"Essential...This resource is invaluable to a librarian working with teens." VOYA

"Contain[s] a motherload of useful information about young adult materials and preferences...A solid foundation from which to begin a new collection or to evaluate an existing one." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"The accompanying CD-ROM mak[es] this book even more useful as a collection development tool." Booklist

"For both novice and experienced librarians who want to build teen collections that actually circulate." School Library Journal

"This book reminds us of what the best in YA collection development is all about." ORANA

"This is an extremely valuable tool for young-adult school or public librarians. RECOMMENDED." Library Media Connection

"...so extensive and exhaustive, that one will spend months if not longer, accessing all that is here. A first purchase." Catholic Library World

"A must purchase." YAttitudes

“Strongly recommended for any librarian working with Young Adults. This manual is so extensive and exhaustive, that one will spend months if no longer, accessing all that is here. A first purchase.” Catholic Library World

“Invaluable for modern collection development and in meeting the wide reading needs of young adults.” Pennsylvania School Librarians Association 2004 Best Nonfiction for Young Adults Citation

“This title is deceptively rich in its contribution to serving clients in all libraries but especially our teenaged friends.” Teacher Librarian

“A lively and extremely useful guide for young adult collections in public and school libraries. It delivers well on its purpose of creating a list of books that teens with a wide variety of interests will enjoy….This is a must purchase for public and secondary school librarians.” YAttitudes

“Patrick Jones’ reputation as a young adult librarian lends this title credibility. But once young adult librarians open the book, they will recognize the strength of the title lies not only with the authors, but also the with the format used and the titles presented….This is an extremely valuable tool for the young adult school or public librarian.” Library Media Connection

“This book is comprehensive and easy to use, and considering the inclusion of a CD_ROM the price is reasonable. Librarians wishing to redesign their young adult collection or develop a teen reading book should purchase this book.” Public Libraries

CONTENTS

contents

Series Editor’s Foreword vii

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xvii

Introduction: A Brief History of the Core Collection xix

General Guidelines

Strategies and Structure xxv

Advice and Explanations xxv

How to Use the “Collection Checker” CD-ROM xxviii

A Final Note xxix

The Core Collection

1. Nonfiction 1

2. Fiction 93

3. Graphic Formats 293

Sources and Tips

1. Reference Points: Guide to 100+ “Best” Lists 325

2. How to Maintain a YA Core Collection: Top 10 Tips 335

3. My Core Bookshelf: Choices from Leading YA
Librarians and Authors 337

4. My Core Bookshelf: A Consensus 357

5. Selection Tips: Choosing from the Major YA Genres 359

Indexes

1. Author Index 365

2. Title Index 385

About the Authors 405

A Core Collection for Young Adults By Patrick Jones, Patricia Taylor, and Kirsten Edwards

Reviews

Table of Contents

A Core Collection for Young Adults
By Patrick Jones, Patricia Taylor, and Kirsten Edwards