...I wrote, in a really roundabout way, about Judy Blundell's Strings Attached.
I also put together a list of books I've successfully used to lure adults over to The YA. I realized, after creating the list, that it's quite award-heavy: But then, I've found that while some YAs are turned off by award stickers, adults tend to get reeled right in.
What titles have worked especially well for you?
Also, the awards are given by adults. As much as they might know from working with children, adults tend to award children's books that appeal to other adults. Very, very, good books. And there's usually quite a bit of interest in them from children. But still...
Posted by: Robin | 12 April 2011 at 05:03 PM
You described Strings Attached perfectly in the way you worded how it paled in comparison to What I Saw, but it was still worth reading.
Posted by: miss erin | 12 April 2011 at 09:25 PM
I have handed The Hunger Games to several adults without explaining that it is a YA book. None of them noticed until they went looking for the second book in the series, usually moments after finishing the first one.
Posted by: Lindsay | 12 April 2011 at 09:59 PM
I have a lot of overlap with you, but I swear I have changed lives when I've handed the Weetzie bat books by Francesca lia block to grown-ass women.
Posted by: :paula | 12 April 2011 at 10:14 PM
That's pretty funny, I actually have had Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You on my TBR list for a long time and finally picked it up at the library today!
Posted by: Fig | 12 April 2011 at 11:43 PM
Not technically YA, but I've found that Louis Sachar's Holes gets 'em every time. Also Katherine Sturtevant's historical novels like A True and Faithful Narrative and Eva Ibbotson's historical books tend to attract adult readers (especially women).
Nancy Farmer's In the House of the Scorpion usually gets points from adult sci-fi readers, as well as Patrick Ness' The Knife of Never Letting Go. And I've often found Garth Nix's Sabriel gets shelf space in adult fiction as well as YA.
Can I ask Paula what a "grown-ass" woman is? :-)
Posted by: Brooke Shirts | 13 April 2011 at 11:14 AM
I second The Hunger Games.
When my sisters needed help with their homework when they were in middle school, my dad read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and liked it so much that he read the rest of them.
Posted by: Celia | 14 April 2011 at 10:03 AM
Ha! Here in the (sort-of) South, adding 'ass' to any adjective serves as an intensifier. Hence 'ugly-ass shirt' 'big-ass Slurpee' 'scary-ass lady' 'fun-ass party' 'stupid-ass software' and 'grown-ass woman'. But it does look kind of stupid typed out like this!
Posted by: :paula | 14 April 2011 at 12:39 PM
It occurred to me later -- even later than the awards realization -- that these are the books that I use to bring literary fiction fans into the fold. Genre readers already tend to be a bit more open-minded, and I'll give a responding YES to House of the Scorpion, Hunger Games, Patrick Ness and Garth Nix.
Ibbotson's historical romances were originally published for the adult market, weren't they? Either way, yeah, they totally go over well with the grown-ups.
Randomly, Gary Paulsen's How Angel Peterson Got His Name goes over well with adults, too.
Posted by: Leila | 14 April 2011 at 06:11 PM
Cory Doctorow's Little Brother is another good one. And Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper. And Megan Whalan Turner's Thief. Robin McKinley's Rose Daughter.
Posted by: Gillian Wiseman | 21 April 2011 at 04:30 PM
I just recommended the Turner books to a patron -- who'd just blazed through Graceling and Fire -- so I'm looking forward to seeing what she thinks. And McKinley, yeah, is always a great choice. Love her.
I'm pretty sure that the Picoult, though, was originally published for the adult market, though it totally works as a crossover in the other direction.
Posted by: Leila | 21 April 2011 at 04:34 PM