12 Month Photoshoot and YA Lit.

These two things do not necessarily go together, but I just got Lily's 12 month photos in the mail and wanted to share the sweet babyfacedness.

First, however, I want to comment on a recent (terrible) article in the WSJ about young adult literature that has stirred up a lot of discussion. I am a proud and avid YA reader. I follow a lot of YA writers through blogs, twitter etc. so I saw the reactions as they unfolded. The article basically says that the fiction out there for teens is grim: all about cutting and suicide, too dark for our kids. I think it is pretty obvious that the woman who wrote the article has never read any of the books she discusses because if she did she would see that most if not all of them are communicating *positive* messages. These books help teens (and adults for that matter) feel that they are not alone when they do have to deal with some of the darker aspects of life. Ignorantly chastising them for promoting the very things that they hope to prevent is irresponsible and diminishes the importance of good, real, raw and compelling stories. Twitter exploded with #YAsaves linking readers' stories of how young adult novels changed their lives for the better. I am not nearly as eloquent as the numerous authors writing on this subject, so if you are interested I will point you to this wonderful blog by YA author Laini Taylor. She is better with words and much more hilarious than I am, see for yourself:

"Fiction has a power that a news article can never have, because readers inhabit fiction. We experience novels from the inside, and they change us. And those who yammer about "darkness" have probably never read these books, because in these stories, characters struggle with and overcome darkness, they don't roll around in it and slather it on themselves going "Yummy yummy evil! Young impressionable person, lick my awesome evil and become evil too!"

I mean really. 

In summary, don't be dumb and don't be mean. Read lots of books and give lots of books to young people and fight the good fight. Because the scary people are getting dumber, and meaner. And they're getting louder too, and that's a very bad thing."

Alright, I am off my soapbox for the day. To brighten your mood, here are some pictures of a happy kid (who I hope will be reading every book she can get her grubby little hands on): 

all photos by Amber Brickman

 What a goof, I could not love her more.

Happy Friday everyone. My soapbox is free if anyone would like to stand on it.

Laini Taylor's blog: Follow-up to #YAsaves