I've been reading a lot of books
lately, many of them adult grade fantasy dealing with adult
situations. They're fun and I love them, but I found myself looking
for a simple read that had nothing to do with angsty teens and
hardcore fantasy. So I went to the library and perused the juvenile
books. These are books that are a little lower level than YA books. I
found two of my favorite books from when I was a child: Anne of
Green Gables and Little
House in the Big Woods. I
decided I was going to reread both series. I checked out the first
three books in Anne's story but Little House on the Prairie
wasn't there so I just got the first book.
These
books bring me good memories. I had a much simpler view of life at
the time I first read these, even though things were not very good in
my life. They gave me a chance to escape into a world of the past
that I didn't have any concept of.
Both
of these authors drew on their own life experiences, and those of
people around them, to spin these worlds. I haven't started them yet
because I want to finish the last two books in the series I'm reading
now. Then I'm going to immerse myself in a simpler world.
You've probably all seen the article linked here. It's been all over Facebook and Twitter. I wholeheartedly disagree with the author of this article. YA books aren't just for
teens. They can provide a release, a quick read when you're looking
for something that isn't as intense as an adult book. Though I'll
admit that some of the YA books I've read recently can give adult
books a run for their money in conflict.
I
always tell people to read what they enjoy. I also say if a teen
wants to read, let them. Let them read what they want. If they have
questions, answer them. There's nothing wrong with reading something
that makes you think. Some adults I know read the Hunger Games series
and found themselves asking questions about how the world could get
that way.
Do you
read YA? Or sometimes books for a younger crowd? What do you read
when you need a break?
I just re-read the Little House books a couple months ago! Oddly, I'd never made it through Shores of Silver Lake before, so I finally finished that one and read the last couple after it for the first time.
ReplyDeleteI never got through them all either. The copies I had access to belonged to my oldest sister and she took them with her when she moved out. I'm hoping to get through them all this time because I remember being interested in the whole story.
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