AdLit.org is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers. AdLit.org is an educational initiative of WETA, the flagship public television and radio station in the nation's capital, and is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and by the Ann B. and Thomas L. Friedman Family Foundation.
Booklists
With so many distractions, it can be hard to interest kids in reading for pleasure. Some kids only read books by one author or in one genre, while those who really struggle with literacy may avoid books altogether. AdLit.org's themed booklists, prepared by our young adult literature advisors, will help you find books to broaden the horizons of reluctant readers and engage struggling readers with high-interest, low-difficulty texts. More »
Author Interviews
AdLit.org has nearly 40 exclusive video interviews with award-winning young adult authors and illustrators. The writers share stories about their own childhoods, why they were drawn to young adult literature, and how they create some of the most popular books around. These interviews are ideal for budding writers and for use with classroom author studies. More »
Guided Discussions
Looking for a title for your next book club selection? Need help choosing and teaching a book for a class unit? AdLit.org's guided discussions go beyond a booklist, offering plot synopses, discussion questions, extension activities, and related titles for further reading.
Author Study Toolkit
Author Study units give students the opportunity to explore an author's life and works. In addition to reading several works by an author, key components of an Author Study include discussion, research, and a final project. AdLit.org's Author Study Toolkit gives you all the information you need to create a successful author study unit with your students. More »
Unlocking the Past: Reading, Writing, and History
Historical fiction puts the reader behind the musket, inside the Colosseum, or in the covered wagon heading west. The commonplace details and little known facts of history that permeate historical fiction will not only surprise and delight the reader, but inspire questions and critical thinking. AdLit.org's Unlocking the Past offers educators and students a variety of multimedia resources to enjoy and appreciate history through reading and writing. With a focus on WWII, L.M. Elliott's Under a War-torn Sky and A Troubled Peace act as springboards to this exploration of methods for using historical fiction in the classroom. More »
The Walter Dean Myers Second Chance Initiative
In Dope Sick, award-winning YA author Walter Dean Myers breaks new ground and stretches the boundaries of realism to bring forth a tale of second chances, redemption, and the promise of hope. Inspired by these ideas of hope and redemption, Walter Dean Myers and AdLit.org joined forces to create The Second Chance Initiative, an effort to motivate teens to overcome life's challenge, move beyond mistakes of the past, take advantage of the second chances they are given, and make better choices in the future. More »
Award-Winning Books for Teens and Tweens
Many organizations end the year with a "best of" list of young adult books. Here are links to those lists and other annual awards we like, including picks from The New York Times, the International Reading Association, and the Newbery Medal and Printz Award winners. More »
Holiday Buying Guide
You're never too young — or too old — to share books with someone special, and there's something on AdLit.org's annual holiday buying guide for all the kids in your life.
