The Line is Ripped From the Headlines: By Kimberly Sabatini

Where's the Line?

In YA, I don't believe the line is defined by the story or the author.

I believe the world we live in draws the line. 

It shows us the places we have to go in order to meet our readers where they are.

 And the line is drawn to make sure our readers are not alone. 

Sometimes, when there's no one else in a reader's life--there's a book to help them make sense of the world they live in and the experiences they're having.

Or it's a book that shares what the rest of the world is experiencing and shows the reader how to understand what they do not know from experience.

Empathy.

The line is ripped from the headlines...

If you believe that YA has gone too far, then what you probably mean is that the world has gone too far.

If you want to move the line on what young adults are reading, you must first move the line on what they are living.

Be the change you want to see in your YA novels.