For immediate release | October 18, 2010

Teen Read Weekâ„¢ 2010 brings Books with Beat to teens, Oct. 17-23

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CHICAGO – Thanks in part to events like , October 17 – 23, teen books now enjoy unprecedented critical success and popularity. In addition, library use has skyrocketed in the past two years, with many teens and their families taking advantage of free access to a wide variety of quality reading materials at their libraries.

For more than 10 years, Teen Read Week has encouraged teens and their parents to visit their public and school library and select their own materials to read for the fun of it. Nearly 3,000 libraries across the United States will celebrate Teen Read Week this year.

This year, the 2010 Teen Read Week theme is “Books with Beat @ your library®,” which encourages teens to listen to audiobooks and read books about music or poetry, among other topics, for the fun of it.
“Teens are interested in reading and they understand that reading goes beyond a printed page,” said YALSA President Kimberly Patton. “They just need a little direction to find the right materials. Reading is a fun, free activity that teens can engage in anytime, anywhere and in multiple formats. Librarians are trained knowledge professionals who excel at matching the right book or other material to the right teen.”
During Teen Read Week™, YALSA will announce the , a list of books chosen by teens, who nominate their favorite books of the previous year. The winners will also be announced during a webcast at , featuring World Wrestling Entertainment Diva Eve. This year, teens cast more than 8,000 online votes for their favorite books.
In addition, teens can vote for the 2011 Teen Read Week theme at . The options are: Picture It @ your library; Feast on Reads @ your library; and Cloak & Dagger @ your library.
Teen Read Week also kicks off the WrestleMania Reading Challenge, sponsored by World Wrestling Entertainment and YALSA. More than 1,800 libraries signed up for the project, in which teens and tweens in grades 5-12 can win a trip to WrestleMania XXVI in Phoenix and $2,000 for their sponsoring libraries.
Since its inception in 1998, Teen Read Week () has encouraged teens to visit their public and school libraries, select their own reading material and read for the fun of it.
Teen Read Week 2010 Promotional Partners include: 91´«Ã½ Graphics, Bloomsbury, Carolrhoda Lab, Cinco Puntos, Free Spirit Publishing, Random House, Scholastic, Sleeping Bear Press, Tor Teen, Viz Media and William Morris Endowment. Nonprofit Supporters include: AdLit.org, American Association of School Administrators (AASA), American Booksellers Association (ABA), Cable in the Classroom (CIC), International Reading Association, Kids Care, KIDSNET, Los Angeles Young Adult Authors (LAYAs), National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), National Education Association, National School Boards Association (NSBA), Readergirlz, SmartGirl, Speak Up Press, Swept Away TV/The Rock Star Stories and TeenInk.
For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to .

Contact:

Stephanie Kuenn