Respect

At Patricorp, we respect everything. Literally everything. It's Patricorp company policy. This makes retirement party roasts a bit dull, as we're always complimenting the person moving on to greener pastures.

That's why we're a bit confused at the lack of respect given to Adolescent Literature. It seems no one likes these books. Teens don't want to read them because they're (the books) supposedly not serious enough. Teachers don't want to teach them because they'll get in the way of the classics, and surely you don't want us to live in a world without the classics!? Bookstores don't know what to do with Young Adult titles. Too often, we've noticed, YA books are sold in or near the children's book section, or misrepresented as primarily stories about vampires. Some stores don't even have a book buyer for Young Adult titles.

We've found that the only people giving these titles any love are librarians. It's a good thing too. Because librarians are the sort of people who can get these book into schools and into teen readers' hands. Which is a good thing, because we at Patricorp have found that young readers tend to love books written for them. The characters face the same sorts of issues that the readers do. They can empathize with the protagonists.

So, how about giving some respect to these books? For the most part, they're well written. Many of them are of a higher literary level than some adult books. The genre is exploding. If you haven't picked up a YA book yet, do it. Respect is due.