The SLJ reviewer apparently missed the indices in the back of the book. If the genres seem “constrictive” the extensive theme index should make up for that. As for the scope, my stated focus was Young Adult literature that’s relatively recent, not genre classics or adult books. Teens are reading books published as Young Adult titles, at least in the libraries I frequent. Sure they also read adult books, especially older teens, but, while I included an especially popular adult book, adult books were not my focus. While I didn’t include a graphic novel in the book guide section, I did give suggestions for using them. At least thirteen of 50 books I wrote about have minority characters. Considering what’s being published, I don’t think this is an under-representation. It’s too bad Halsall was so focused on what isn’t there (or meant to be) and not on what is, including a variety of books (poetry, historical fiction, biography, fantasy, science fiction, philosophy, drama, and lots of contemporary YA fiction) with a diverse group of characters and a variety of issues relevant to teens.
Rating: 4 / 5