Koelling, Holly. Classic connections; turning teens on to great literature.

KOELLING, Holly. Classic connections; turning teens on to great literature. Libraries Unild. 405p. bibliogs, index, c2004. 1-59158-072-2. $40.00 *

Koelling, a YA/Reference Librarian at Washington's Bothell Regional Library, maintains that classics are "the cream of the literary crop," of great value to teens today and not "musty, old irrelevant tomes." She not only makes a strong case for connecting teens with these time-tested works but also explains how to do it. The first section of the book, Laying the Groundwork, tackles "What Are the Classics and What's in Them for Teens?" with suggestions for reading the classics oneself, understanding teens as people and as readers, and finding and combining classics to attract teen readers. Part Two, Making It Happen, focuses on developing, maintaining, and displaying a classics collection for teens, becoming a classics readers' advisor, fitting classics into teen reading programs, booktalking (with sample booktalks), and promoting classics in schools and communities. Many reading lists are included, and appendices include an annotated list of free, full-text classics online; an annotated list of resources about classics and the canon; fiction and nonfiction classics lists; and a reference list by genre. Koelling's definition of a classic is refreshingly broad, going beyond the usual "dead white male" authors to include, for instance, lists of gay and lesbian classics, classic novels by and about women, and the American and world ethnic experience in classic novels, as well as references to resources on writers of various ethnicities, culture groups, and gender views. There is also a section on challenged and banned classics. Koelling's enthusiastically presented ideas and her many helpful lists (e.g., "high-interest, easy-access thin classics") will be valuable to both school and public YA librarians. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.