TEEN NONFICTION: Helping teens on their journey to adulthood

BY ANNETTE BOURLAND, senior vice president and group publisher, Zondervan, HarperCollins Christian Publishing

It’s always been said that the issues teens face never change. In every teen’s life, he or she will encounter the angst of fitting in, figuring out the opposite sex and deciding what to do after high school. After living through my own teen years and now publishing for teens, I can safely say the issues are the same from decade to decade. However, the way teens (and their parents) choose to tackle these stages of maturation changes dramatically due to society and the social “norms” that continue to develop.

To put it bluntly, the topics that are front of mind for teens and their parents are bullying, sex and money. These subjects are covered in a variety of positive and negative ways, but the fact is teens are the ones who need to make their own decisions and be courageous enough to stand up for what they believe is right. While parents are still the No. 1 influence on teens and how they gather advice, teens complain of parents who are too busy (mostly with electronics such as smartphones and Facebook) and not available to talk to. This leaves parents buying and passing along materials for their teens as well as teens looking to teachers, coaches, friends and recommended resources in an effort to figure out life.

Alarming stats regarding bullying, sex and money underscore the need for teens to have solid guidance as they navigate the world. In November 2011, 19% of all teens reported they have been bullied in the last 12 months (Pew Research Center). Social-media-using teens who have witnessed cruel behavior have grown to 95%. When it comes to the s-word, sexual content can be found in one-third of all G-rated films, more than half of all PG-rated films and four out of five R-rated films.

“Adolescents who are exposed to more sexual content in movies start having sex at younger ages, have more sexual partners and engage in riskier sexual activities,” said Ross O’Hara, researcher at the University of Missouri (The Washington Times).

In addition, when it comes to money, only half of all parents regularly set aside money for savings, which translates to fewer teens practicing sound money management skills (TIME). The cumulative effect of recession and slow growth in the economy leaves teens unable to find employment coupled with not knowing how to check the accuracy of a bank statement. All of these points influence what teens and parents are looking for as they shop in your store.

Personal study and spiritual growth are highly ranked reasons for teens to purchase nonfiction books. Young adults seek books that will help them be better people as well as outline tasks in accomplishing specific goals. Teens want books that focus on self, not necessarily on God or helping others. Readers are asking, “What can I do to get ahead?” One sign of this shift in preference is higher sales demand for “self help” nonfiction dealing with purity, money and college preparedness.

Besides developing better life skills, teens have always wanted to express themselves. One notable trend in publishing is journals, interactive books and “not your mother’s devotionals” geared for young adults to wreck, tape, tear and finish however they deem fit. Customizable products allow teens to be themselves, share themselves and work out their thoughts and beliefs. Each teen becomes an author (and star) of his or her own book.

And speaking of stars, we’ve all witnessed the tremendous sales of Through My Eyes, Young Reader’s Edition by Tim Tebow with Nathan Whitaker. Sales of celebrity-driven books continue to thrive amongst teens. Young adult readers avidly seek out role models to emulate. Today’s teens specifically appreciate reading about accomplishments, humanitarian efforts and a person’s ability to overcome adversity. The celebrities teens choose are typical (Jesus, President Obama, Gabrielle Douglas) as well as atypical (comic book writer Alan Moore, manga artist Yumi Tamura). This generation is drawn to social innovators, scholars, historic leaders and even really great graphic novel illustrators as noted above. Spirituality as a specific topic is only of modest concern to teens you’ll meet on the street. Even among Christian teens, their role models are virtually no different than other teenagers (Barna Group).

In conclusion, opportunities abound in helping teens as they journey through to adulthood. Whether it’s reaching the teen or the parent who frequents your store, both are seeking relevant and solid materials. This generation of teens sees Christianity not in a box and set aside for Sundays, but as a way of life. Teens expect to see a Christian live each moment as Jesus would … He is, after all, the ultimate role model.

Zondervan won six Retailers Choice Awards last year, including the Youth/Teen category for Through My Eyes: Young Reader’s Edition by Tim Tebow.

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