Text Messages: Recommendations for Adolescent Readers

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Episode 9 — A Conversation with John Green

Though John Green is too humble to say it, he's one of the best authors writing for teens today.  In the three novels he's written so far, John provides readers with smart characters, humorous situations, and deeply philosophical themes.  Tune in to hear John discuss why he writes for teens, what he believes readers can gain from their English classes, and some of the thinking behind his newest book, Paper Towns.

After listening to this episode, be sure to print out this list of recommended titles to take to the library or book seller.

Recommendations in this episode include

• Looking for Alaska (Dutton, 2005)
• An Abundance of Katherines (Dutton, 2006)
• Paper Towns (Dutton, 2008)
  

Published December 3, 2008

About the Host

Jennifer Buehler taught English for ten years before entering a doctoral program in English Education at the University of Michigan. As a high school teacher, she developed an extensive classroom library to engage and inspire her ninth graders as readers. Watching her students select reading materials led Jennifer to expand her own reading accordingly, allowing her to match books successfully with teens’ wide-ranging tastes and interests.

While teaching high school, Jennifer earned a master’s degree in children's literature at Eastern Michigan University.  During that time she learned to conduct classroom research with the help of a teacher-research group.  As a result of this research, she developed a handbook for parents that shared insights about the growth and development of her students as readers.

An avid reader of books for teens, Jennifer now shares her knowledge of young adult literature in professional development workshops with area teachers and in university classes with future teachers. She is also an active member of NCTE's Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN).