I popped into my local Barnes and Noble yesterday to buy some Christmas presents and pet the books. It always gives me a little thrill to hop in the escalator and ascend directly into the YA section. Yeah, it’s kinda cheesy, but it almost feels like one of those movies where you’ve died and gone to heaven. LOL! So, I’m about half way up when I realize that my beloved YA section is now the school curriculum area.
Huh?
My eyes immediately shoot to where all the curriculum supplies used to be and low and behold…no YA. I scan the children’s PB/MG section–thinking this can’t be good. How did they squeeze all those books in an already crowded area. My palms are starting to sweat. No YA books in sight. I double check under a table display.
Dashing back to the escalator, I begin to search the rest of the store for any sign of a new area–glittering with YA books. I can’t see anything. This is the point where I start to talk to myself…
They still have a YA section. Relax. It’s not likely that Barnes and Noble removed all of it’s teen reading, less then a year before your book hits the shelf. OMG! There’s a reason that people call our family the Griswalds. Take a deep breath. You’re being silly. Do what you have to do here and then go look for it. Find it you must. Stop talking like Origami Yoda. Damn-it! Where is Dwight and Origami Yoda when I really need help?
I quickly grabbed handfuls of the books I needed from the kids section, then I stalk down the store, reading every sign on every bookcase until I find them. It was the weirdest thing–the YA books were now shelved with the adult books.
I’ll be honest with you, my first thought was–this was no cozy, heavenly, balcony-like corner. This is plain and boring. But then I started to peruse the shelved. There were several and a couple tables. And I started to feel move comfortable. Then I looked around…
There were adults, weaving in and out of the aisles. A lot more adults than I’d normally see in the YA section. And then I got all tingly with excitement because this idea was brilliant. Teen readers are die-hard, loyal fans. Like me. I’m going to find those books no matter where they put them in the store. But there is an untapped, crossover audience out there that has no plans to wander into the YA section. It’s time to bring the Mountain to Mohammed–so to speak.
Of course I didn’t have to fake enthusiasm, to encourage the other grown-ups in my vicinity to rush over and see what I was all excited about. I seriously squeal when I get around all of those books. I petted quite a few and even adopted some. Hey–they looked lonely. And I won’t lie to you. I left pretty darn happy–feeling like there has been a shift in the universe and excited that I’m here to watch it happen.
So what do you think the YA books should be shelved?