Teen reading skyrockets at Lee libraries
SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY

COURTESY PHOTO

Lee County Libraries are reporting that teens are checking out 67 percent more items than they did at this time last year. Teens are also turning out in record numbers for summer reading programs, with a 150 percent increase in teen attendance over last year.

"We normally see an increase in teens' and children's reading during the Summer Reading programs, but nothing like this," said Heather O'Connell, Community Relations Coordinator.

In June 2007, teens checked out 31,450 items versus 18,798 items in June 2006. An average of 41,461 Teen and Children's items were checked out per week, while 34,233 items were checked out each week last June.

July's figures are expected to go even higher with the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".

O'Connell said libraries normally see some increase in teen reading when a Harry Potter book is being released, so with the series coming to an end, will teen reading slow down?

"In the past, when teens were waiting for the next Harry Potter release, they started looking for another series to hold them over. Some of those are now very popular and have developed a loyal fan base," O'Connell said.

Children and Teen librarians have a number of suggestions for life after "… Deathly Hallows" including:
Series
Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain






Holly Black's The Spiderwick Chronicles









Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl



Diane Duane's Young Wizard Series





D.J. MacHale's Pendragon








Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and


the Olympians








Angie Sage's Septimius Heap



Jonathan Stroud's The Bartimaeus Trilogy






Single titles
Cornelia Funke's Inkheart, The Thief Lord



Ursula LeGuin's The Wizard of Earthsea