Today we meet the category organizer for YA Fiction, Jackie Parker:
I’m Jackie Parker, organizer of the YA Fiction category. This is my
second year organizing the category, and my third year on the panel.
As a teen librarian, YA literature is something I’m constantly immersed
in at work, but it’s also something that I spend a lot of my free time
on. Besides constantly reading it, and often blogging about it, I’m a
Poster Girl for Reader Girlz, an online community that strives to empower teen girls through literature.
Since 2005, I’ve been blogging almost exclusively about teen fiction on my blog, Interactive Reader, for many reasons, primarily because I think that teens are
the most underrated when it comes to literature.
I believe that some
of the most interesting books today are being directed at teens, and
through my profession, my blog, and the opportunities I have because of
both of those, I want to help spread the word about the hundreds of
amazing books published each year for teens, and maybe, just maybe,
I’ll be able to connect readers with books when it matters most – as a
teen.