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When is National Support Teen Literature Day?

Support Teen Literature Day occurs on Thursday during National Library Week.

What is National Support Teen Literature Day?

Teenagers are reading less and less. That trend makes some people nervous, and not just the grumpy folks muttering under their breath about kids-these-days. Support Teen Literature Day promotes the love of reading and raises awareness about the shrinking number of teens who read for pleasure.

Literature gives perspective. George R.R. Martin was not wrong when he said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” Good books allow readers to peer through the eyes of people with different backgrounds and values. It’s entertaining, but this exercise also trains us to be empathetic.

What about high schoolers who can’t find interesting books? Enter the librarian, the book finder extraordinaire. Reading advocates, teachers, and librarians across the nation use Support Teen Literature Day to highlight the Young Adult (YA) genre and showcase exceptional YA authors.

Smartphones and social networking are two heavy hitters in the battle for our kids’ attention. Ray Bradbury said, “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” Support Teen Literature Day reminds us of the danger to our children’s future if they stop reading.

Fun facts about National Support Teen Literature Day!

  • Back in 1980, 60% of high school seniors read outside of homework every single day. That number dropped to 16% in 2016.
  • The first smartphone appeared in 1992, years before any of today’s teens were even born.
  • The year 1997 saw the formation of the first social media site, Six Degrees, which let users upload profile information and befriend other users.

How to celebrate National Support Teen Literature Day:

  • Encourage your teens to read. Hold a family reading night. Visit the library beforehand so that everyone has a book.
  • Having trouble convincing your teens to sit with a book? Buy a gallon of ice cream. It’s not bribery; call it reinforcement.
  • Read to your younger children so that they enjoy reading when they’re teens, and because it’s fun.

What’s the hashtag for National Support Teen Literature Day?

Promote YA lit on social media with #SupportTeenLiteratureDay.