Here’s one author’s ‘message’

Katherine Patterson says story is more important than message, among other things, in this NPR interview.

Interview: Katherine Paterson, Author Of ‘Stories Of My Life’ : NPR
http://www.npr.org/2014/12/07/368020910/author-of-bridge-to-terabithia-messages-are-poison-to-fiction

New YA prize list nominees

Here’s a list of nominees for a new YA book prize. One must be a resident of the UK or Ireland to be entered, so not all English-language writers qualify. But I think there is always something to be gleaned from nominated books.
How, I wonder, do they stack up from a kids’ — albeit US — perspective? The findings from this study provide the perspective.

The Bookseller YA Book Prize shortlist announced | Waterstones Blog

http://www.waterstones.com/blog/2014/12/the-bookseller-ya-book-prize-shortlist-announced-2/