No other genre (except maybe graphic novels) has grown and changed as much during the last decade as young adult fiction. Inspired by Harry Potter (and probably a little bit by Lemony Snicket and Artemis Fowl), a whole generation of voracious readers emerged, and a whole new group of writers came up with stories to keep them reading well into their teens.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a lot of YA controversies: Is the drinking in this book appropriate for young adult readers? What’s the deal with these adult readers of YA? Should Rebecca wear the red dress or the blue dress to the prom? Should she go with the dark faerie or the newly-made-vampire geek boy?

YA authors are very prolific. Some of them write two or even three books a year, so the idea that I could come up with the ten best books of the decade seemed ludicrous. Also, many of the best–and most of the successful–YA books come in series.

So, I decided instead to list eight authors, certainly some of my favorites, who have shaped the world and language of YA over the past ten years. They are provocative, prolific, and inspiring. Some of them are rich with awards, others with fans, others with cash. The trait they all share is that they are influential. We get many advance review copies of YA books at our house, and these are the authors that most of them are trying to emulate in one way or another.

Here they are in approximate chronological order (based on when they published their first YA books):

1. M.T. Anderson
primary contributions: writing YA books that adults take seriously; influencing multiple YA subgenres: vampire, romantic comedy, dystopian, and historical.

YA novels:

Thirsty (1997, his vampire novel)
Burger Wuss (1999)
Feed (2002, L.A. Times Book Prize winner and finalist for National Book Award)
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party (2006, winner of the National Book Award)
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. II: The Kingdom of the Waves (2008, Michael L. Printz Honor from YALSA)

paved the way for: Scott Westerfeld, John Green, Stephenie Meyer, and basically everyone else who aspires to literary YA fiction

2. Laurie Halse Anderson

primary contributions: writing about the things you’re not supposed to talk about; enduring a book ban now and again with grace; general awesomeness

YA novels:
Speak (1999)
Catalyst (2002)
Prom (2005)
Twisted (2007)
Wintergirls (2009)

next book:
Forge, a follow-up to 2008 National Book Award nominee Chains (Oct 2010)

paved the way for: Jay Asher, Elizabeth Scott, Gayle Forman, to name just a few

3. Meg Cabot

primary contributions: cheeky girl humor; writing one of the first super-series; constantly encouraging aspiring writers

To describe how I feel about Meg Cabot, I have to borrow one of my grandma’s favorite phrases: Isn’t she just darling? When she’s not busy writing, like, a million books, she writes to her fans on Meg’s Diary, her blog.

YA Series:

The Princess Diaries (2000, first of a series of 10, which ran until 2009)
Shadowland (from The Mediator series, 2000-2004)
Airhead (2008, first in a series that also includes Being Nikki)

YA novels (examples):

Teen Idol (2004)
Avalon High (2005)
Pants on Fire (2007)
All-American Girl (2008)

paved the way for: Melissa Walker, E. Lockhart, Ally Carter, Sarah Mlynowski, and many other funny women of YA

4. Cecily Von Ziegesar
primary contributions: creating a YA niche so steamy it would make Jackie Collins jealous; enduring frequent ban/censoring attempts; turning real-life prep school experience into an industry

Of the YA books we’ve received for consideration at our house, the Gossip Girl series is the most frequently imitated. It’s Gossip Girl… in Philadelphia. It’s Gossip Girl… with vampires. Etc. Also, like The Twilight Saga, it’s brought YA to the forefront of mainstream pop culture, and criticism (like Rebecca Mead’s semi-recent New Yorker story on Alloy Entertainment, “The Gossip Mill”.)

Novels (all Gossip Girl, all the time):
Gossip Girl (2001, first in a series of 11 novels that “ended” in 2007… the last three ghostwritten, per von Ziegesar)
It Had to Be You (2007, the first Gossip Girl prequel)
Gossip Girl: The Carlyles (2008-2009, spin-off series)
The It Girl (2005-2009, another spin-off series)

next book: Cum Laude (June 2010)

5. Christopher Paolini

primary contributions: putting the notion in our heads that a YA can write a successful YA novel; putting the notion in publisher’s heads that YA fantasy can sell

YA Novels (in the Inheritance Cycle):
Eragon (2003)
Eldest (2005)
Brisingr (2008)

6. Scott Westerfeld
primary contributions: crossing over to YA as an established science fiction writer for adults; raising the profile of YA SciFi; writing one of the most beloved/recommended YA series (the Uglies)

YA series:
Uglies (2005, book one in the Uglies trilogy, with a fourth book, Extras, added in 2009)
Midnighters (book 1 of a 3-book series, 2005-2007)

YA novels:

So Yesterday (2005)
Peeps (2006, his vampire novel)
The Last Days (2007, sequel to Peeps)

paved the way for: YA SciFi superstars like Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games) and Cory Doctorow (Little Brother)

7. Stephenie Meyer
primary contributions: supernatural teen romance crossover; author as celebrity; book-writing mommy; person who dreams about something and writes it down and it becomes a best-selling series

YA novels (duh):

Twilight (2005)
New Moon (2006)
Eclipse (2007)
Breaking Dawn (2008)

cleared a path in the supernatural romance subgenre for: Cassandra Clare, Melissa Marr, Maggie Stiefvater

in the vampire subgenre: PC and Kristen Cast, Richelle Mead

8. John Green

primary contributions: nerdfighters; using YouTube to connect with his readers; writing books about teens that teens want to read; telling the guy’s side of the crush; incorporating Walt Whitman into a YA novel

An Abundance of Katherines (2006)
Looking for Alaska (2006)
Let it Snow (2008, with Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle)
Paper Towns (2008, Edgar Award, Teen Choice Award)

Just a note: Other great YA or YA-ish authors of the 00s who easily could have made this list, given slightly different criteria: Sherman Alexie, Ann Brashears, Libba Bray, Kristin Cashore, Suzanne Collins, Sarah Dessen, Cory Doctorow, Siobhan Dowd, Neil Gaiman, Maureen Johnson, Justine Larbalestier, Walter Dean Myers, Patrick Ness, Matt de la Pena, and Terry Pratchett. Please check out their books, too.
Happy Reading.–Heidi

From our Who Knew? Department: Sunday, January 24, is Belly Laugh Day.
Yup. I’m celebrating by going for a round of snort-laughs with some
pals.


• We’re re-watching Borat, 
  which I originally saw while recovering at home from laparoscopic
  surgery via my abdomen. I don’t know why I thought watching a comedy
  was a brilliant idea, so I’ll blame it on the meds. I nearly busted my
  stitches during the part where a group of guys show Borat how to wear
  droopy pants proper: “Don’t show your Huggies!” Sacha Baron Cohen
  fans already know he’ll stop at nothing to get a laugh and that
  includes wearing a one-piece man-kini thong exposing more fur than a
  PETA rally. Give Cohen credit for being an equal opportunity offender.
  “Borat” is a stready stream of politically incorrect humor, but it’s
  nothing compared to Religulous . . .
  




 


• My friend Alexis and I saw Religulous 
  on the big screen in a theater where we were stifling our laughs, hands
  cupped over mouths, in order not to offend anyone sitting nearby. As it
  turned out, nearly everyone in the theater was laughing too. All’s fair
  n Bill Maher’s documentary-comedy which takes a skeptic’s view
  of the logic of religion. Yes, a deep topic can be funny and it was
  nice to be able to walk out of the theater knowing everyone else was
  laughing along, too. Watch Religulous at home and feel free to donkey-laugh as loud as you want. 
  




 


• Another good home-screener is Superbad. Yes, I’ll admit to giving Superbad 
  the side-eye when it first came out. It’s so easy to sneer at a
  “teenage comedy.” But there I was with my finger on the DVD remote,
  flipping back to savor another Jonah Hill one-liner (What DID he just
  say about cargo shorts?) And proving Superbad isn’t just
  another teen comedy, my 60-ish bus driver and I were chatting about
  movies we liked and he started quoting his favorite lines from Superbad .
  Of course, these were “clean” lines from the movie, but soon a few
  other riders joined in the conversation and shared their favorite
  lines. It was an interesting bus ride that morning.






• My uncle has a well-worn copy of Blazing Saddles 
  on VHS that still gets play in his house. Once was enough for me, but
  he still insists, “Come here and watch this campfire scene!” Hey, we
  all have our limits.




So in honor of Belly Laugh Day, it’s your civic duty to line up
some laughs. Just be sure to hold on to your stitches. What movie, no
matter how highbrow or downright dumb, has made you laugh the hardest? – Francine Ruley

The following titles are now available to pre-order on DVD and/or Blu-ray now.

Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire: (Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique; directed by Lee Daniels)
The Sundance favorite and Golden Globe winner (Best Supporting Actress,
Mo’Nique) follows a young abused girl who dreams of a better life for
herself. DVD and Blu-ray, March 9.

The Young Victoria: (Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend; directed by Jean-Marc Vallee)
Blunt was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of the British
Queen during the early years of her rule, including her romance with
her cousin Prince Albert. DVD and Blu-ray, Date TBA

The African Queen (Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn; directed by John Huston):
After some stops and starts, Paramount is finally releasing this
classic, which won Bogart his only Oscar, in both standard and a
commemorative boxed set. DVD and Blu-ray, March 23

The Box (Cameron Diaz, James Marsden; directed by Richard Kelly):
The Donnie Darko director’s follow-up aims to polarize audiences again,
as Diaz plays a woman tempted to push a red button to receive a million
dollars… and kill off a stranger in the process. DVD and Blu-ray, Feb. 23

Planet 51 (Animated): Sony’s kiddie film follows an astronaut (Dwayne Johnson) who lands on a new planet and finds himself, well, the alien. DVD and Blu-ray, Mar. 9

Other new titles available to pre-order: The Informant! (DVD and Blu-ray, Mar. 23); The Fourth Kind (DVD and Blu-ray, Mar. 9); The Boondock Saints II: All Saints’ Day (DVD and Blu-ray, Mar. 9); Bitch Slap (Mar. 2)

–Ellen

In all the excitement of yesterday’s announcement of the Caldecott Medal and Honor books, and the Coretta Scott King Award winners, I’ve found myself mulling over which children’s picture books have made a lasting impression on me over the past ten years. So for this Best Books of the Decade crush I decided to pull those gloriously illustrated books out from their shelves, and sit cross-legged on the floor for hours. The only thing missing was a mug of hot chocolate. I quickly realized that most of my favorites were published in the past five years. I’ve also noticed that many of my recent favorites are about U.S. historical subjects.  I can’t account for why this is except to say that this is consistent with my love of historical fiction–the best of which employs compelling imagery to bring the past to life. Well, I guess there’s a theme developing here.




Here’s a shortlist of personal favorites in children’s picture books published in the past ten years. These never fail to make my eyes light up with a sense of wonder and appreciation.







• Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women
  illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Catherine Thimmish (2000): A totally unexpected, but essential book on inventors (who happen to be female) that should be on every kids’ shelf.  Featuring collage illustrations by the ingenious artist, Melissa Sweet.”



• Actual Size by Steve Jenkins (2004): Amazingly textured and colored collage images of animals that are rendered to actual size by Steve Jenkins, an artist who’s firmly established himself as a master of the medium in the first decade of this century.  




• Mommy? by Maurice Sendak, Arthur Yorinks and Matthew Reinhart (2006): The great Maurice Sendak’s illustrations of scary creatures (reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are) pop-up thanks to the paper engineering of Matthew Reinhart., and the clever storyline of Arthur Yorinks.  A marvelous work of collaboration that is as irresistible as mom’s hug.



• Little Hoot illustrated by Jen Corace, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal  (2007): This smart and adorable second book in the duo’s “Little Book” series takes up the cause of little ones who defy convention and expectation.  A baby owl who loves to hit the nest early?  You bet, and the warmth and freshness of Corace’s illustrations jive perfectly with Krouse Rosenthal’s original tales.



• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (2007):  Brian Selznick (finally) won the Caldecott Medal in 2008 for this masterwork of a novel that is comprised almost entirely of fascinating images.  An extraordinary treat for older kids and adults.




• Lady Liberty illustrated by Matt Tavares, written by Doreen Rappaport  (2007):  Wish I had read this book with my nephews before we took the ferry over to visit the most famous statue in the United States. Tavares illustrations describe–in ways that words alone cannot–how this icon came to be.  This book demonstrates that picture books are not just for little kids.



• Phillis’s Big Test illustated by Sean Qualls, written by Catherine Clinton (2008):  I absolutely loved this story of the colonial-era poet, Phillis Wheatley.  Sean Qualls’s bold images and striking use of vantage point infuse this historic episode from the life of an early American prodigy with excitement and drama.



• Madam President by Lane Smith (2008):  History and humor blend harmoniously in  Lane Smith’s stellar book. Smith uses his unmistakable visual language to great effect in this witty, clever, sophisticated, and smart story about a girl who becomes president.



• As Good As Anybody illustrated by Raul Colón, written by Richard Michelson (2008), and Child of the Civil Rights Movement illustrated by Raul Colón and Paula Young Shelton: Gee, I couldn’t decide which I liked better.  Colón’s rich pencil and etched illustrations have a patina of age about them that perfectly captures the historical past, yet simultaneously draws the reader right into the particulars of each and every scene.



• The House in the Night illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson  (2008):  Beth Krommes black and white woodcut illustrations tap into the mysteries of the night.  I love the retro feel of this handcrafted picture book.  It will get as well-worn as timeless classics by Virginia Lee Burton and Robert McCloskey, and of course Wanda Gag’s Millions of Cats.  



• The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (2009):  Pinkney just won another, richly deserved Caldecott Medal for his tour de force (and wordless) adapation of Aesop’s fable.  Truly a picture book worth treasuring and sharing.




–Lauren




• See our overall Books of the Decade: 2000-2009 page



The biggest children’s book award prizes, which include the Newbery, Caldecott and Printz Medal awards, were announced earlier this morning at the American Association of Librarian’s (ALA) Midwinter meeting held in Boston, MA. This year’s Newbery Medal went to author Rebecca Stead for When You Reach Me.  Stead’s unexpected and moving story of girl living in Manhattan in the 1970’s was an in-house favorite last summer, and was selected as the Amazon Best Book of July Spotlight pick.  It later took the top spot on our Amazon Best Book of 2009 for Middle Grade Readers list.   Check out our Amazon Exclusive Q&A with Rebecca Stead.




The Caldecott Medal for best children’s illustration was awarded to the great Jerry Pinkney for The Lion & the Mouse, his marvelous, wordless picture book.  Pinkney’s book was selected by Amazon editors as a Best Picture Book of 2009. Here is a shortlist of winners and honor books for several of the ALA awards.  For a quick roundup of the 2010 ALA winners check out today’s PW and our children’s book awards page.  Congratulations to all the winners and honorees!


–Lauren


2010 ALA Award Winners (partial list)




Newbery Medal Winner





• When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead





Newbery Honor Books:





• Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose



• The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly



• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin



• The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick





Caldecott Medal





• The Lion & the Mouse illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney





Caldecott Honor Books





• All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Elizabeth Garton Scanlon



• Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman





Printz Medal





• Going Bovine by Libba Bray





Printz Honor Books





• Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman



• The Monstrumologist by Richard Yancey



• Punkzilla by Adam Rapp



• Tales from the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973 by John Barnes




Coretta Scott King Author Award


• Bad News for Outlaws by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie




Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award


• My People, by Langston Hughes, illustrated by Charles R. Smith, Jr.