| Today, I am reviewing the growth and a few of the milestones of Dr. Bickmore’s YA Wednesday after seven years of keeping this blog active. I also want to offer some help to those of you that are teaching in any format during these trying times. Do you need a break in your classroom? I would like to help. Oh! And because a blog needs visuals, I am going to put a few pictures of some of my favorite authors and one of their books. |  |
 |  A. S. King |
Visiting Classrooms and Giving a Book Talk
In the new era of teaching during COVID19, many teachers might find it even more exhausting to be in front of students all of the time. I know I find myself doing a lot more preparation to be in a Zoom classroom.
I want to help. I am happy to visit your in person or virtual classroom as a guest expert on YA literature (Free through the rest of the year.). I can Zoom in for a discussion/lecture of an author, a book award, a genre—verse novels, historical fiction, nonfiction, or I can book talk a couple of classic YA books or voice my opinion of a few new releases. Contact me through a comment on the blog, send me a private message through FACEBOOK, or send me note in my UNLV email.
I want to help. I am happy to visit your in person or virtual classroom as a guest expert on YA literature (Free through the rest of the year.). I can Zoom in for a discussion/lecture of an author, a book award, a genre—verse novels, historical fiction, nonfiction, or I can book talk a couple of classic YA books or voice my opinion of a few new releases. Contact me through a comment on the blog, send me a private message through FACEBOOK, or send me note in my UNLV email.
 |  Tiffany Jackson |
Why the Project Started
Dr. Bickmore’s YA Wednesday began as a way to report on a summer summit on the research and teaching of YA literature that I hosted at LSU in 2014. After that report, I started writing nearly every week and started recruiting others to share their ideas about researching and teaching YA literature. I learned more than anyone else.
A year later and after another Summit at LSU, I moved to UNLV. The Summit took a hiatus as I learned my way around a new university and made contacts throughout Las Vegas. In the meantime, I kept writing and recruiting contributors for the blog. I sent our more annoying emails and learned more about websites and about how to use social media. For the last three years the blog has averaged more than a 250,000 unique visits and many more page views. Thank you.
A year later and after another Summit at LSU, I moved to UNLV. The Summit took a hiatus as I learned my way around a new university and made contacts throughout Las Vegas. In the meantime, I kept writing and recruiting contributors for the blog. I sent our more annoying emails and learned more about websites and about how to use social media. For the last three years the blog has averaged more than a 250,000 unique visits and many more page views. Thank you.
 |  Andrew Smith |
Additions and Growth
A few years in, I realized that I needed to archive what I was doing and what the contributors were offering. So, I established new sections to enhance the blog. Over the winter break between 2016 and 2017 I started a new feature: Dr. Bickmore’s Weekend Picks. Since January 2017, I have been posting a book I think that adolescents will like every Friday. At first, just a selfie with the book, but that didn’t seem like quite enough. I began to add a brief annotation. After a year, I realized that I needed new perspectives. I tend to drift toward older, realistic YA fiction that focuses on Race, Class, and Gender. I began asking others to take a month. That started with Sarah Donovan, moved to Gretchen Rumhor and, then, I recruited Lesley Roessing. All three of these woman have profoundly influenced how I think about YA literature. They have unique experiences, ideas, and expertise.
Others have also contributed to the weekend picks: Jenny Paulsen, Jon Ostenson, Shanetia Clark, Stephanie Toliver, Tiye Cort, Georgia McBride, Nancy Johnson, Shelly Shaffer, Morgan Jackson, Rob Bittner, and Katie Sluiter. There are few more folks waiting in the wings for their turn. If you want to take on a month, send me a note.
Others have also contributed to the weekend picks: Jenny Paulsen, Jon Ostenson, Shanetia Clark, Stephanie Toliver, Tiye Cort, Georgia McBride, Nancy Johnson, Shelly Shaffer, Morgan Jackson, Rob Bittner, and Katie Sluiter. There are few more folks waiting in the wings for their turn. If you want to take on a month, send me a note.
 |  Jo Knowles |
Other Uses of the Blog
I have also used blog as a place to communicate with my YA literature classes, archive the Summits as they continued at UNLV, and as a place to look at my research interests -- the National Book Award and Music and YA (both need more work).
If you teach a YA course, I think you will find one or more of these sections useful, especially the contributions of others. If you are classroom teacher, I think you might find the blog posts an interesting way for you to think about how you might use YA in the classroom. In addition, I think that the Weekend Picks can be a convenient place for your students to browse for new reading options. Librarians can help teachers organize and sort information quickly if they are familiar with the blog. Finally, as a parent the weekend picks can help you see current trends and established YA novels that are grabbing the interest of scholars and teachers that work with YA literature all of the time.
If you teach a YA course, I think you will find one or more of these sections useful, especially the contributions of others. If you are classroom teacher, I think you might find the blog posts an interesting way for you to think about how you might use YA in the classroom. In addition, I think that the Weekend Picks can be a convenient place for your students to browse for new reading options. Librarians can help teachers organize and sort information quickly if they are familiar with the blog. Finally, as a parent the weekend picks can help you see current trends and established YA novels that are grabbing the interest of scholars and teachers that work with YA literature all of the time.
 |  Eric Gansworth |
Until next week.
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