With the young adult genre as the only genre in the publishing world actively growing right now, it makes perfect sense that talking about YA trends has become a trend in itself. Scholastic just released a list of the “Ten Trends in Children’s Books in 2010” with some interesting ideas that may bode well for the publishing industry’s future.
First, as series like Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games prove, the Young Adult genre is growing in a way that invites adults to enjoy as well. Adults may mock the younger titles and read them in secret (I have known some who remove the jacket cover of certain books and replace it with another), but the reality is that these books are good, and more people are becoming aware of that. I firmly believe that anything to get people reading and away from more mindless entertainment is a positive thing. Also, the existence of books both adults and teens can enjoy together creates a sort of solidarity, and might invite an even larger young crowd to read if they follow in the footsteps of people they look up to and see as “cool.”
Second, dystopian fiction is on the rise. It seems to be the new generation’s version of the past generation’s brooding favorites like Catcher in the Rye (but I hope new generations like this classic title as well!). I find this to be a good omen, because it means the younger generations are thinking about the state of our society in a critical way. I found The Hunger Games to be incredibly smart and filled to the brim with social commentary. Let’s just say that reality TV and plastic surgery couldn’t look any worse in the eyes of heroine Katniss, and now these issues are on our young people’s minds. 
Another obvious trend is the interest in the supernatural and mythological, with books like Percy Jackson, Immortal, and Prophesy of the Sisters. Perhaps this is escapism incarnate, but the trend also points to heightened creativity with less limitations – never a bad thing!
The best thing about the growth in children’s literature is just that: the fact that more and more young people are reading. Getting youth hooked on books will hopefully lead to adults hooked on books as those youth grow up. This new generation of readers has a different mindset, and has been raised with technology as an extention of their fingertips. Ebook and app opportunities abound, giving a whole new genre for the publishing community to set its sights on.
Who said publishing was dying? I don’t think so.
Tags: Children's Literature, percy jackson, Scholastic, The Hunger Games, YA literature