Here in America, Election Day is Tuesday, November 6th. For a lot of young people this will only be their first or second time voting. The right to vote is incredibly important to Teenreads, and it's a right that all Americans should treasure. That said, a lot of young people don't vote, so Teen Board member Isabel C. put together a list of fun book recommendations that cover politics and elections. Isabel says,"If you're a young person who can vote: read these books! Recommend them to your friends! Show just how much one vote can accomplish. If you're a parent or older person reading this, read these books too! Then give them to the young people in your life who might need a push to get out to the polls. Offer to drive your teen (and their friends!) to your local polling station. We can debate until we run out of air, but nothing will happen if we don't show up and VOTE."

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To celebrate Valentine's Day, some of our Teen Board members wrote blog posts to celebrate all things book crushes, romance novels and awesome fictional dates. Below, Isabel C. shares a list of her five favorite couples from YA. Do yours match up?

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There are book festivals all around the country, but one that's dedicated to 100% YA? Sign us up, please! Teen Board member Isabel C. was lucky enough to attend this festival --- YALLfest, in Charleston, South Carolina --- in November, and outlines her day, below. It's a whirlwind full of authors, book signings and hilarious panels. Get ready to be jealous!

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SPEAK may be the name of Laurie Halse Anderson’s award-winning novel, but that is exactly what Melinda Sordino doesn’t do after she’s raped at an end-of-summer party. She slowly retreats into silence, using art as her only solace, and only later truly learns the power of voice, expression and sticking up for oneself.

SPEAK is often considered a “problem novel,” and that’s exactly what makes it so powerful --- it has been praised for utter realism and intelligence, and the way it tactfully tackles a difficult and important subject. But it’s banned for these reasons too, and even called “soft porn.”

Author YA Katelyn Detweiler (IMMACULATE) and Teen Board member Isabel C. talk about their own perceptions of SPEAK, and what they would say to people trying to ban it.

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