Marcia Kochel
A middle school librarian on a mission to bring age-appropriate books to 13-15 year olds #youngteenlit
My manifesto is here: teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2024/05/30/a-manife…
- These 10 books are great for 7th and 8th graders
- See our post in Teen Librarian Toolbox detailing the titles in our First Annual Young Teen Lit Top Ten! teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/01/30/y... #youngteenlit #itstimeforyoungteenlit #tlsky #skybrarians #mglit #yalit
- That’s me! #youngteenlit
- A brilliant wrap up of why it is so difficult to get students to read. We are fighting on a lot of fronts. Librarians and teachers, this is really worth your time. #tlsky
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- Excited for our new Reading Initiative, Everyone needs a BFF (Book For Fun). Here's the presentation we used to kick it off to our staff. If you want to use BFF in your school, go right ahead! bit.ly/3Yqg9Ta #tlsky #middleschoollibrary
- Reposted by Marcia KochelThank you for recognizing the gap and offering suggested books for young teens. We welcome younger YA books, especially murder mysteries, horror &humor! sites.prh.com/pyrmiddlesch... @penguinschoollib.bsky.social @penguinteen.bsky.social #youngteenlit #yalit #tlsky @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
- I think a big reason that middle grade is struggling is that it tries, often unsuccessfully, to meet the needs of too wide an age range. Let’s let middle grade be unabashedly for 8-12 year olds and give us #youngteenlit for our 12-15 year olds #tlsky #mglit
- While we firmly believe that young teens deserve a publishing category of their own, we noticed @publisherswkly.bsky.social aimed the spotlight on MG publishing. The interviewees echoed what we have been saying ad nauseum since spring 2024 (see our articles and podcasts at www.youngteenlit.com). 🧵
- Taylor Swift + middle school books — once you start making the connections you just can’t stop #youngteenlit #taylorswift #tlsky #middleschoollibrary
- Good news!
- Nonfiction roundup: Beautiful moving story about the immigrant experience. Read it to kids of all ages to build empathy, read it with language learners and they will feel seen. This should have won all the awards #tlsky #kidlit #hmong #immigration @kaokaliayang.bsky.social @lernerbooks.bsky.social
- Nonfiction roundup: What is Color is a favorite of 2024. This dive into color is like nothing I’ve ever read—jam packed with art and fun facts and snarky jokes. It’s like Robin Williams wrote a book about art #youngteenlit #mglit #tlsky #booksky #nonfiction @stevendraws.bsky.social
- Reposted by Marcia KochelFor your mature 14-16 yr olds: PROMISE BOYS and UP IN SMOKE by Nick Brooks. Short chapters, multiple voices. Page-turning whodunits with 16 yr olds trying to prove a friend's innocence in the death of their principal (PB)/a woman at a BLM rally (UiS). CW👇 #youngteenlit @henryholtbooks.bsky.social
- Nonfiction roundup: 3 outstanding #nonfiction picture books from 2024. Spectacular writing and illustrations, respectful of kids, unique storytelling #tlsky #booksky @authorjasonchin.bsky.social @lesliebarnardbooth.bsky.social @simonkids.bsky.social
- Nonfiction roundup: compelling account of the Mt St Helens eruption backed by so much research. Great example of #nonfiction for young teens—fast-paced, death & destruction + survival & scientific advancement (cover=young but text is #youngteenlit) #booksky @rebeccaefbarone.bsky.social #mglit
- Nonfiction roundup: this book sounds silly, but it documents an incredible connection between the first airplane flight and current exploration on Mars. History, STEM, science & a great read aloud! #tlchat #nonfiction #booksky @littlebrown.bsky.social @littlebrownyr.bsky.social
- Nonfiction roundup: I loved One Long Line by @loreegriffinburns.bsky.social Who knew that marching caterpillars could be so compelling? It’s really about how science builds on past knowledge. K-6 libraries should absolutely buy it #tlsky #nonfiction #booksky #mglit @candlewickpress.bsky.social
- I learned so much from Power to the Parasites by Chelsea Wood. Underneath its funny tone, there’s a lot of great science that kids will love. Gross and fascinating! #mglit #tlsky #booksky @henryholtbooks.bsky.social
- Nonfiction roundup: Radar and the Raft by Jeff Lantos is a gripping survival story. It’s also about scientific achievement, but I was there for learning how the Bell family survived a torpedo by a German U-boat. Highly recommended for teens #tlsky #youngteenlit #booksky @charlesbridge.bsky.social
- Nonfiction roundup: if you haven’t read The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming, go read it now. It’s an incredible World War II story about teenage girls in Britain who helped win the war by cracking codes. It’s a well-told story backed by fastidious research #youngteenlit #nonfiction #tlsky #booksky
- Nonfiction roundup: The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival is a real gem. I’m recommending this book to everyone I know from middle school on up. Don’t miss this unforgettable graphic novel #tlsky #nonfiction #youngteenlit @melaniekoss.bsky.social
- Nonfiction roundup: Let’s Learn to Fish by Dan Armitage is an excellent how-to book for young readers. It’s hard to find fishing books for school libraries and this one is awesome for kids up through 6th grade! Gorgeous color photos throughout #tlsky #kidlit #mglit #nonfiction @balibra76.bsky.social
- Nonfiction roundup: Urban Coyotes by Mary Kay Carson from the Scientists in the Field series gave me a fascinating look at how coyotes survive in big cities & why they are actually good to have around. Fascinating for adults as well as kids! #tlsky #mglit #nonfiction @clarionbooks.bsky.social
- Summer reading round up: loved this book’s emphasis on choice and reading for pleasure and can’t wait to use the Book Head Heart questions with my middle school book clubs. Thank you @amybrownlee93.bsky.social for your post teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2025/05/01/h... #tlsky #schoollibrarians #bookjoy
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- I have an old-school book blog where I have been writing about middle school books for YEARS. Lots of #youngteenlit here. Catching up on new books this week. Yes, I probably need a new home for this content (suggestions welcome), but this does help me remember what I've read #tlsky bit.ly/3IGvOcl
- The News Literacy Project is an essential resource for schools and libraries ❤️ I especially love their "Daily Do Now" slide deck with news literacy mini lessons updated every week--easy to slip something into every library lesson and book talk that I do all year long bit.ly/46pCKnX #tlsky
- Excellent food for thought as we start a new school year--touching on one of my favorite aspects of being a school librarian. "How can we help the students whose gifts are not served by traditional academic coursework feel seen and thrive?" #tlsky
- Humbled and Hopeful: How My Violin Journey Refocused My Librarian Lens bit.ly/3GUz03s #AASLkq
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- Reposted by Marcia KochelRead Jennifer’s post about how all the YA books are about 17-20 year olds! Publishers we are desperate for books featuring younger teens. We are super grumpy too. Please please help us out! #youngteenlit
- My July 4th weekend reading—a new book by @halseanderson.bsky.social is reason to celebrate #youngteenlit
- Excited to meet the author and illustrator of Brownstone @samuelteer.bsky.social and @marjulia.bsky.social at #alaac25 Thanks for writing about a 14 year old! #youngteenlit #tlsky
- Pinch me! Can’t believe I ran into two of the absolute icons of #youngteenlit at #alaac25 #tlsky Thank you Laurie Halse Anderson and Neal Shusterman for writing some of the finest books ever written for teens
- It’s hard to find books that have 14-15 year old protagonists, and here’s one about a 14-year-old—Thanks Dusti Bowling! #youngteenlit #alaac25 @unionsquarekids.bsky.social #itstimeforyoungteenlit
- Reposted by Marcia KochelAt #alaac25 looking for #youngteenlit Especially looking for books about 14-15 year olds—here’s one that looks great for teens! It’s a graphic novel sports memoir by Amar Shah @amarshah.bsky.social
- So true—kids struggle with long texts—anything that makes a book easier to read is a big plus for young teens #youngteenlit
- This! Kids are intimidated by a “wall of text” —Erin Becker at #alaac25 talking about how she integrates messaging into her novel to make it more accessible to young teens #youngteenlit #tlsky @erindaydreams.bsky.social
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- Reposted by Marcia KochelFinalizing Summer PD. A few new ones have been added from the last time I posted. If you are interested please do sign up by Friday :) Oh and it is completely FREE. Check them all out by clicking HERE Excited to connect with educators during the summer! It is the best :)
- I'm a huge fan of her Life As We Knew It series--it has been a hit with middle schoolers for many years. We could use more books like hers--good to know more about her and her work #youngteenlit #tlsky #middleschoollibrarians
- Definitely recommending this to my middle schoolers!
- What to hand to the kid who finished the MILES MORALES books? Try BOY 2.0 by @traceybaptiste.bsky.social When 13 yr old Coal moves to a new foster home, a traumatic experience makes him realize...he can turn invisible! His quest for knowledge will keep readers on edge of seat. #youngteenlit
- Reposted by Marcia KochelBooks build empathy, and this genre-bender goes deep into the experience of transgender teens as they face off against actual demons bent on destroying them. It's an action-dystopian-horror-fantasy that's steeped in Jewish mythology, and it's totally #youngteenlit @kylelukoff.bsky.social #tlsky
- Thanks Amanda! It’s definitely time for #youngteenlit
- Yes!
- Reposted by Marcia Kochel#youngteenlit presentation today at 11:10 at #glmasi25 12-15 year-olds need books! @overbooked.bsky.social @glma-inc.bsky.social
- We need books with mass appeal—See #6 here teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2025/06/09/m... #youngteenlit
- I have a first period class of 20 7th and 8th graders that are my library Leaders
- Here it is! Q1 for tonight’s #TLSkyChat! You’re here - so you either want to start using students as staff or take a current program and make it better! Share your grade levels and whether or not you already have a program in place! For more information visit: tlskychat.com
