So, you dove into the newest hot read on the nonfiction shelf and gained some knowledge. You are more socially aware, medically literate, or historically informed.
“Dang,” (you say dang in this scenario because you are a perfect role model to the young people of the world), “I wish my kids would stop playing Forkknife and learn something like me. I’d tell them to read this book but even my adult brain can only handle so much knowledge.”
I present a second scenario. You got ten pages into How Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Helped Me Find the Meaning of Life and Led Me to Get My Doctorate in Astronomy* and you remembered why nonfiction isn’t your specialty. It’s cool. Even adults get tired of thinking.
Listen, whoever invented the Young Adult versions currently flowing out of publishing houses was a genius. Filled with the same, important information, these editions provide simpler and more relatable opportunities to learn for readers of all ages. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve read a young adult version or two. I know my capabilities! And I’m reading! And that’s what matters.
Here are a few examples of popular young adult versions that can stand-in or act as an introduction for their original counterparts:
Bryan Stevenson’s personal experiences working as a lawyer and advocate for the wrongfully imprisoned, juvenile inmates, and those on death row, is beautifully and poignantly shared in
Just Mercy. This version presents the human world stuck in a broken criminal justice system with compassion and, well, mercy. A one stop shop to share the true stories of real people with the future activists of tomorrow. Recommended for ages 12+.
I don’t know a single human that hasn’t
read this book about Olympian and soldier Louis Zamperini. Or doesn’t have this book on their “Oh Yeah, I Really Gotta Read That” list. Or hasn’t seen the movie. Maybe it is a story you’ve always wanted to share with your middle schooler but they aren’t ready for some of the intense violence in the book. Or maybe you yourself tend to shy from war stories. This version adapted for young readers shares the remarkable story of survival without some of the more intense scenes. Recommended for ages 12+.
Leland Melvin had big dreams to play in the NFL. When the former Detroit Lion's football career was cut short, he switched to an even bigger dream. The NASA astronaut ended up taking two missions aboard the
Atlantis to the International Space Center.
This memoir is perfect for all the future STEM students out there. Even if they haven’t seen the viral picture of Melvin and his golden retrievers before now, the cover picture will draw them in just the same. This book is recommended for ages 8-12.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. KendiJason Reynolds remixed Ibram X. Kendi’s National Book Award-winning
Stamped From The Beginning as an answer to parents struggling with how to share the history of racism with their young readers. I read this YA version and was astounded by how much information there was while still being attainable and easily readable. These authors do a great job of linking all of our history together to show what led us to where we are, how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go. Jason Reynolds writing style in particular holds a lot of grace and respect for the reader that young ones and their parents can appreciate. It feels like the author and the reader are learning together. This particular edition is recommended for ages 12+, but thanks to the requests of educators and parents, there will be another edition released on May 11th called
Stamped (for Kids), which aims for an even younger crowd, ages 7 to 11.
