Ted Hughes and Simon Armitage: How to get teenagers reading poetry
Secret Scribbler
Forget soppy nature poems; desire and lust and bitterness and guilt are the true province of poetry and that’s the way to get teenage boys reading it, argues teenager Secret Scribbler
Improving diversity and challenging prejudice is only ever a good thing, but is too much contemporary teen fiction drawing on the same political values and assumptions? Children’s books site member Scrupulous Semicolons finds things a bit too samey and wonders if that’s a problem
Reading should be about pleasure, not points or prizes
Eligor
Children’s books site member Eligor was outraged on receiving a letter from school announcing a reading programme based on points, rewards and competition. Not only is it unnecessary, it may actually be turning children off reading for fun
Children’s books site member Safah has just discovered the fantastically varied, powerful and engaging world of written and performance poetry. Here are four reasons why you should give it a chance
Highlights of the Hay festival as told by a reader
From people watcher to part of the show, you never know when you might become part of the programme yourself at Haydays, says a children’s books site member on their experience of the Hay literary festival so far
In many areas of life teenagers are moving online – so why do so many surveys show they still prefer print books over e-readers? Sometimes, argues teen site member confessionsofabooklover, innovation just can’t beat tradition
Teen opinion: Happy ever after? The highs and lows of book endings
Brought up on Enid Blyton, teen site member pinkbookworm experienced heartbreak on learning that not all books end happily ever after. But after more research they realised that every shock, twist and tragedy has its purpose – and we readers don’t always know what we actually want anyway…
Why the Shakespeare authorship question matters to teenagers
Scouting for books
The evidence that William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon wrote those plays is overwhelming, argues teen site member Scouting for books, and remembering as much is crucial to the way that Shakespeare is read - and taught - today
Why we're occupying the Carnegie library in London
Demi, teenage library volunteer
Among those occupying the library against cuts in Lambeth, south London, are many younger and teen readers. Here one of them explains why they are protesting and how important it is that community libraries like this one stay open
How can we stop the decline in kids reading for pleasure? Just give books a go
Ayesha
With TV, YouTube and social media, there’s a lot of competition for young people’s attention. Teen site member Ayesha urges you to put down your phones and spend 10 minutes a day just reading for fun
I have autism and the lack of authentic autistic voices in books angers me
Sara Barrett
Since being diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) in her late teens, Sara Barrett has found herself becoming angry at the portrayal of autistic characters in books – none more so than The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Here’s why
Books are dangerous for blurring the lines between fiction and reality
Dangerous books sometimes bring a story to life, sometimes bring life to a story, says teen site memberIntergalacticZen, but they’re dangerous for the way they make us feel. All the author does is pose one simple, terrifying question: What if?
YA fiction is about far more than political correctness
Daily Mail writer Sarah Foot suggests YA fiction is too dark, gloomy and issue-based for teenagers to handle. Not so, argues site member confessionsofabooklover - it is a vibrant, diverse and exciting community with something for everyone
How fantasy can inspire us to live in the real world
In a children’s literary universe dominated by dystopian governments and terminally ill patients, don’t be afraid to get lost in a completely different world (possibly with dragons) – here’s what you might learn!
Why are so many children's fantasy books adapted as films?
Fantasy is a genre that has dominated children’s literature over the years, with JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling and Suzanne Collins spearheading the way in the crossover realm of book to film adaptation. So why is cinema recreating their fantastical lands? And what does the future hold?