Author Spotlight: Lauren Myracle | Chelmsford Public Library

As a librarian, reader’s advisory is a BIG (& really fun) part of my job. I am often asked the ever popular: What should I read next?

It is because of this question that I try to read as W I D E L Y as possible. Fiction, nonfiction, comics, biographies, kids books, teen books, and even the occasional grown-up book. Now don’t get me wrong, I love reading different kinds of books, but when I let myself choose a book purely for my own enjoyment it OFTEN falls into one of two categories–horror or chick lit. For this post I’ll be focusing on the latter, especially chick lit written for teens.

Here is my definition of teen chick lit: Fun, fresh, fast reads that focus on girls journeys, friendships and/or first loves.

One woman I consider to be a master of this medium is Lauren Myracle. Ms. Myracle does it all, she writes across genres and age-ranges — her books are funny, heartfelt, and honest. Whenever I read one of her novels I feel transported back to when I was the age of her characters. She creates authentic heroines who are beautiful because of their flaws. Her characters voices are vivid and seem to be the result of the apparent love and respect she has for her audience. As an author, she never writes down to tweens/teens, instead she celebrates and elevates what is a tumultuous and crazy time for many of us. Here are three wonderful series to get you started:

For Teens:

Internet Girls Series — ttyl, ttfn, & l8r, g8r

Zoe, Angela and Maddie are 3 friends who navigate the good, bad and ugly parts of high school–told in IM.

For Tweens:

Luv Ya Bunches — 4 new friends help one another through the beginning of fifth grade; obstacles include mean girls, lost bobble-head turtles, and secret clubs. The first book in what promises to be a great MG series.