I remember sitting in the back of my parents' car at age 16, reading the novel that would change my life. First published in 1995, Francesca Lia Block's young adult (YA) fantasy "Baby Be-Bop" featured the first gay protagonist my small-town Catholic self, who wouldn't come out as bisexual for two more decades, had ever encountered. Now, I write YA fiction focusing on LGBTQ characters and experiences, not only for teens on the verge of self-discovery, but for the broader book market that's seen significantly increased sales in the past year. According to books industry analyst NPD Bookscan, more than half of 2020's top 10 books targeted kids or young adults. Studies have shown that more adults read YA books than teens. And for LGBTQ adults, YA books present an opportunity to revisit their own narratives. "I and probably a lot of people, especially queer people, are constantly relitigating our own teenage years because...our teen years can be shaped by the closet," says Adib Khorram, whose second YA novel "Darius the Great Deserves Better" was a 2021 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award of the American Library Association (ALA) honoree. "I think it can be very therapeutic to read about outcomes that are maybe different from the ones we experienced." Ari Gofman, chair of this year's Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award committee, has noticed a strong adult readership of YA. They're not surprised: fresh perspectives invigorate. "I find YA books engage earnestly and sincerely with the world," Gofman says. "For the teenagers who tend to be the main characters in these books, most life experiences are new... and there's a lot of possibility in that." Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?️‍?? (?️: Lauren Emily Whalen, ?: Getty)

I remember sitting in the back of my parents' car at age 16, reading the novel that would change my life. First published in 1995, Francesca Lia Block's young adult (YA) fantasy "Baby Be-Bop" featured the first gay protagonist my small-town Catholic self, who wouldn't come out as bisexual for two more decades, had ever encountered. Now, I write YA fiction focusing on LGBTQ characters and experiences, not only for teens on the verge of self-discovery, but for the broader book market that's seen significantly increased sales in the past year. According to books industry analyst NPD Bookscan, more than half of 2020's top 10 books targeted kids or young adults. Studies have shown that more adults read YA books than teens. And for LGBTQ adults, YA books present an opportunity to revisit their own narratives. "I and probably a lot of people, especially queer people, are constantly relitigating our own teenage years because...our teen years can be shaped by the closet," says Adib Khorram, whose second YA novel "Darius the Great Deserves Better" was a 2021 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award of the American Library Association (ALA) honoree. "I think it can be very therapeutic to read about outcomes that are maybe different from the ones we experienced." Ari Gofman, chair of this year's Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award committee, has noticed a strong adult readership of YA. They're not surprised: fresh perspectives invigorate. "I find YA books engage earnestly and sincerely with the world," Gofman says. "For the teenagers who tend to be the main characters in these books, most life experiences are new... and there's a lot of possibility in that." Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?️‍?? (?️: Lauren Emily Whalen, ?: Getty)