New York, NY, June 26, 2001 -- It’s baaaack! Books for the Teen Age 2001 is now available from The New York Public Library’s Office of Young Adult Services. This booklist of approximately 1000 titles is chock full of new titles and old favorites for teenagers 12-18 years old. They can explore worlds of mystery and suspense, romance, real adventure, poetry, the arts and more. Books for the Teen Age 2001 is a real feast for the imagination.

Since teen readers vary tremendously in interest, maturity and reading ability, the books on the list differ greatly in difficulty and depth. Books are organized in five general sections: Creative Arts; Science; Here/Now; One World; and Action and Adventure. In turn, these are further broken down into subcategories such as Theater Arts, Planet Earth, Crime and Justice, The Americas, and Athletes.

Instant teen gratification is guaranteed in category quests casting a wide net. Some tempt with their inclusiveness: Adventures in Ideas; Communicating; Current and Changing Scene; Getting it Together; Looking Good; Make Up Your Mind; Overcoming Odds; and Young Love. More straightforward categories are also available, promising pertinent books on Africa; The Americas; Anatomy and Medicine; Astronomy and Space Exploration; Athletes; Biology, Chemistry and Physics; Film, Photography and Video; Mathematics; Women, and Science in General. In addition, the List does not shy away from the serious subjects teens seek information about, and includes categories on AIDS; Being Gay; Drugs; Love and Sex; Never Again: The Holocaust; War and Peace; and Planet Earth.

Designed with a crisp, black and white layout, each double-paged spread incorporates one or two sidebars containing jacket blurbs or direct quotes of texts to heighten interest in top-notch books. Many titles feature teen writers such as  The Pain Tree and Other Teenage Angst-Ridden Poetry (Houghton Mifflin) compiled and illustrated by Esther Watson and Pearl and Mark Todd; True Stories of Troubled Love (Watts) by Janet Bode and Stan Mack, offers quotes from teens’ real-life experiences; and Catch the Spirit (Watts) by Susan K. Perry, tells the story of 20 teens who helped their communities.

New titles are indicated with an asterix, and durable favorites from earlier lists carry through, as well. All the books on the list are displayed year-round at the Nathan Straus Young Adult Center at the Donnell Library Center, 20 West 53rd Street. Each New York Public Library Branch has many of the books on the list, and a list of Branch Libraries is included on the back page.

Books for the Teen Age 2001 was designed by Ruth Peyser and Craig Lowy of Somersault Design. The cover art was created by Eric Wunsch, 10th grader, at The Riverdale Country School.

Books for the Teen Age 2001 is available from the Office of Branch Libraries, The New York Public Library, 455 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y10016. Copies cost $10.00 each. On mail orders there is a charge for mailing and handling: 1 copy - $1.00; 2 to 5 copies - $1.25; bulk orders - $1.50.

The New York Public Library offers a wide variety of free programs for adults, young adults, and children at all 85 of its branches, located throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Visit the Library’s web site at www.nypl.org for further information.

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Contact: Debbie Bujosa at 212-704-8600.

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