Where does YA belong?

I just came across "What is YA and Where Should We Put It?" at c.k. blogs. It raises an interesting question about where we draw the line between books for older teens and books for adults. I also like the suggestion that books with "cross-over appeal" should be shelved closer to the adult fiction section in bookstores than the picture books they so often end up next to. I think it would be great to see this happen so that great books could find a larger audience regardless of whether the main characters are fifteen or fifty.

Quick Book Review - Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

I've just read a very inventive book. Life on the Refrigerator Doors is told entirely through notes left by a mother and daughter as they struggle to communicate. The title comes from the idea that they're leaving these notes for each other on the refrigerator door as they cross paths. Claire is fifteen and dealing with normal teenage things like studying with friends and spending time with her new boyfriend while her mom is a doctor working odd hours. What starts out as mundane messages about what to pick up from the store and Claire eating dinner with her friend Emma shifts when Claire's mom faces a health crisis. I think part of the appeal comes from the fact that these notes seemed like they could have been plucked from the lives of any busy family. The feelings expressed in just a few words are always realistic. It's really quite a touching story, and it's a quick and easy read because of the format. I think it would be a great book for teens and their moms to read together.