YA Wednesday: 9/11 Books, Exploring the Marginalized, The World of Sabaa Tahir, and Turning to Dear America Books for Strength

 

Another anniversary of 9/11 has come and gone. Like everyone in the country, I can tell you exactly where I was when the planes hit the twin towers. But what about today’s teens, who were only infants or toddlers when the terrorist attack took place? The fifteen year anniversary feels particularly striking in that most teens have very little, if any, memory of the actual event. A crop of 9/11-themed novels coming out this year tell the story and offer something for everyone, ranging from less explicit for middle grade readers to more gruesome for older teen readers.

• This article in The New York Times highlights the upcoming 9/11 novels geared toward new young adult audiences.

• Sadly, as reliable as the spinning of the earth, violence and horror continue to plague us. Sabaa Tahir had lots of material to mine covering world events as editor at The Washington Post. Two recent articles, on NPR and The Oklahoman, celebrate Pakistani journalist-turned YA author Tahir, considered “the brightest light in young adult fiction.”

• Tahir seems to be accomplishing what Worlds Beyond argues should happen more often: YA fiction exploring the lives of marginalized people.

• In the aftermath of 9/11, the young adult historical fiction series, Dear America, demonstrated to one writer how people move forward after earth-shattering moments in this piece in The Atlantic.

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