YA Addresses #MeToo

In a recent article in Publishers Weekly entitled YA Addresses #MeToo, Sue Corbett explores a but a small selection of the wealth of new titles available to YA readers that touch on the dangers of toxic relationships.  From abortion to victim shaming and sexual abuse, these authors and their stories don't shy away from heavy hitting, controversial topics.  "Fueled at least in part by the current political climate, publishers are also churning out books that look more broadly at sexual politics, including an impeccably timed novel about the realities of restrictive abortion laws."

A few of the titles highlighted upon include Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein, Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan, The Art of Breaking Things by Laura Sibson, and Amelia Westlake Was Never Here by Erin Gough.

While books of this nature often feature a female protagonist, the article makes sure to mention a new title that highlights the issue from the perspective of a male victim:

"Though most of the books dealing with these issues involve female victimhood, Cub by Paul Coccia (Orca Soundings, Jan.) features a teenage boy who enters a baking competition. After surviving several rounds, he realizes it might not be his culinary skill that the judge, a] celebrity chef, is really interested in." 

Click HERE to read the whole article.

The Problem with Problematic YA Authors

When a beloved YA author/illustrator/editor gets accused of sexual harassment or assault, or abuse of power, what should librarians do with their works?  Keep them on the shelf?  Remove?  Open discussion with teens regarding the content of the material versus the author's life choices?  This is a thorny situation all the way around, but there have been some great blog posts discussing different elements of the problem and various ways to respond.  Check out Kelly's take over at Stacked HERE and AASL's thoughts in this post HERE.