Stephanie Retblatt (left) moderates the all-teen panel “Suburban Teens on Reading, the Young Adult Label and More” at the Nielsen Children’s Book Summit in Manhattan. Photograph by Lauren Barack

Think twice about pushing a “young adult” book on teens—particularly if the title includes hashtags, text-speak, and other digital text language. So said a panel of eight New York–area students, ages 14 and up, who held forth with their thoughts on books, digital readers, and how they select their titles during a “Suburban Teens on Reading, the Young Adult Label and More,” a presentation at the Nielsen Children’s Book Summit in Manhattan on September 16. “It feels like you’re trying too hard,” says Xian, 17, a 12th grader from Jersey City, NJ, when asked if he liked reading books that use texting language to try and connect more to teens. That writing style, meant to mimic the tween and teen way of writing that some adults believe students prefer, was just one of the topics that Xian and his fellow panelists chatted about during the panel. Moderator Stephanie Retblatt, chief brainiac and head of research, at the consulting firm Smarty Pants, peppered students with questions to help attendees understand how—and why—this generation consumes books. Many of her questions probed the teen participants about their preferences for printed books versus ereaders, or vice versa. While some students noted that ebooks are cheaper and more convenient to buy and read, others strove to describe the feeling of reading from a physical page—an experience they clearly enjoy. “It feels like I’m reading a book,” said Jamie, 15, an 11th grader from Valley Stream, NY. “And an ebook feels like I’m on my phone.” Xian agreed. “[A physical book] feels like you’re allocating your time to something positive, or beneficial,” he said. How they select titles to read was also a conversation topic. Teens say they’re often influenced by books that have inspired movies and TV shows. Online reviews, on sites from Amazon to their local library’s web page, also help them make up their minds. Peers' reading choices can also be a big influence. “I usually read books my friends really like,” said Ivanka, 15, a 10th grader from Manhattan. “I don’t want to be disappointed.” When a story resonates with them, students tend to seek additional information about authors they like online, such as John Green and his wildly popular YouTube videos. Ivanka noted that teachers use Green’s videos in her class, “…because he talks really fast and gets a lot of information in a short video.” Alyssa, 14, a ninth grader from Belleville, NJ, added that she’ll sometimes look up writers online to get more background on their lives. As for that “young adult” tag, only one student raised a hand when asked if that was an accurate way to describe the books he read. Austin, 15, a 10th grader from Pearl River, NY,, noted that his favorite book was Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet (Bradbury Press, 1987), a book he knows is identified as “YA” fiction. Austin thinks of it as an adventure story instead. “[‘YA’] means books with characters trying to connect to you,” said Simiya, 14, a ninth grader from the Bronx. Retblatt then asked if the teens thought a “YA” description drew them toward books. The answer? A clear no.