I Read YA Week: #YASTANDSFOR

I'm participating in @ireadya's annual celebration of YA literature this week on my social media accounts, Twitter and Instagram. The theme this year is #YAStandsfor and you can also participate by following along with that hashtag.

I won't be posting here everyday about it since it's a social media campaign, but I did want to let you know about the campaign and encourage you to follow along as well! And I wanted to take a moment to talk about #YAStandsfor in a way I can't on limited social media platforms. (they actually are encouraging you to make a video and I might later in the week, but writing is still my favorite!)

For me, there is something special about YA. I find that YA books generally tend to focus on important growth areas in one's life. So for me, #YASTANDSFOR growth. For being challenged, for learning about the world, life, your body, interests, gifts, and weaknesses. All of this is explored in YA. It also stands for empathy. YA books can comfort, help you understand others, and know you're not alone. They have a really special quality of helping you see the world through the eyes of another. And of course YA stands for fun. The stories are fun and imaginative and there is no limit. Comedy, imagination, drama, you can find it all in YA.

I'm looking forward to talking about more specific YA books this week and the ways in which its a great genre. But until then, I'd love to know what #YASTANDSFOR to you!

(@Ireadya is Scholastic's YA reading account Scholastic publishes a lot of my favorite YA books)