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Into the YA Universe
Your portal to Young adult
materials
Jessica Perez
INFO 265 - Materials for Young Adults
Lisa Houde
San Jose State University
2025
My name is Jessica Perez and I am a Library
Aide in Youth Services in Long Beach, CA. This
is my second year in the MLIS program and will
(hopefully) graduate in Fall 2025. My goal is to
become a children’s librarian where I can foster
a welcoming space that taps into curiosity and
make learning fun! I hope to inspire young
children by sharing my own journey from being
a non-reader, and I’m excited to help them
discover stories that spark their interests. I
enjoy running, playing board games with
friends, and hanging out with my puppy and
boyfriend.
Welcome!
About me
Scope
This site is a curated collection of Young Adult
materials ranging from movies, books, to
podcasts, and more! This is was created for my
INFO 265 Materials for Young Adults course.
Furthermore, it was created as an advisory tool
kit to include materials that are relevant to teen
interests. I hope that whoever explores this site
finds something that captivates them, making
them want to actually indulge in what was
listed.
Reflection
This course, along with the semester-long project provided
me with the best opportunity to get familiar with current teen
materials. This has been one of the most tedious, rewarding,
and applicable projects I have completed in my graduate
career, but it was extremely worth it. I impressed myself as
someone who does not consider themselves a reader. I have
always been a reluctant reader, so I had to make sure I
stayed on top of things in order to create a successful mini
collection with tons of materials. Moreover, I allowed this idea
of myself to empower me, rather than hinder me. For almost
every choice, I put myself in the shoes of my past self and
thought “Would I have actually read this? Is what I’m saying
enough to get me to read or use the material?” This was very
helpful for my selection process.
From this project, I learned a lot about what teens are
currently into. One topic that pleasantly caught me by
surprise was the amount of queer representation in many of
the materials. Even if the material was not entirely
categorized in the LGBTQ genre, there was at least one
character that was LGBTQ. For example, Needy Little Things
was a Mystery/Thriller but Riya’s best friend, Malcom was
gay and he had a large role in the book. Or how Billie Eilish is
part of the LGBTQ community and she is extremely popular
in the teen scene.
Another notable theme is cultural representation. A majority
of the materials highlighted cultural heritage or paid homage
to it. Twin Flames, Only This Beautiful Moment, Saints of the
Household, and In Limbo, just to name a few. I love how all of
these materials are from different genres but connected
through an imporant commonality.
Teens are bold and care about significant topics like social
injustices. It seems like teens are not afraid of materials that
challenge societal norms such as The Honeys and When You
Look Like Us.
Overall, this was a fun and meaningful project that I am
definitely going to use well after I graduate.
THANK YOU!