Catholic Teen Books authors recently took first, second, and third places in the CPA’s Book Awards in the Books for Teens & Young Adults category, a category open to both fiction and nonfiction. The awards, announced at the Catholic Media Conference and sponsored by the Catholic Press Association, help to promote outstanding Catholic material to the general public.
- Corinna Turner (UnSeen Books) received first place for her YA historical fantasy Elfling. The highly imaginative fantasy novel recounts a young girl’s quest to find and save her father. Serapia, accompanied by her dragonet pet, goes from a smart, toughened street urchin to a beloved daughter.
- Leslea Wahl (Vinspire Publishing) took second place for her YA contemporary novel Where You Lead. The adventure novel with a romantic thread includes a virtual tour of historic landmarks in and around the nation’s capital, making for a fun, fast-paced ride. Woven into the story is the theme of following God’s lead
- The Catholic Teen Books short story collection Secrets: Visible and Invisible took third place in the category. The collection includes seven short stories, each with its own secret, written by authors Corinna Turner, Cynthia T. Toney, Theresa Linden, Susan Peek, T.M. Gaouette, Carolyn Astfalk, and Leslea Wahl. As described by Mark Hart of Life Teen International, who provides the foreword, “Each story reveals something different about the human heart and our constant (though, often veiled) desire for truth and virtue.”
In the Catholic Novels category, Corinna Turner also took third place for The Siege of Reginald Hill, a spinoff from her popular I Am Margaret dystopian series.
“I’m thrilled and honored to have received these awards,” said Corinna Turner, “and delighted by the success of my fellow Catholic Teen Books authors. We all work very hard to make quality fiction available to teens and young adults, so receiving recognition for our efforts gives us all a real boost.”
In 2017, a group of authors writing primarily for Catholic and other Christian teens launched the website CatholicTeenBooks.com. The website provides teen readers, parents, catechists, homeschool co-ops, youth ministers, teachers and others with direct links to exciting, well-crafted books that raise the heart and mind to God and reflect the fullness and beauty of the Catholic faith.
“As a mother and an author, I truly believe one way to strengthen a teen’s faith is through stories. Throughout my writing career, I’ve strived to write fun, adventurous mysteries that encourage teens to grow in their faith,” said Wahl. “Working with like-minded authors at CatholicTeenBooks.com has been such a blessing.”
The site is organized by genre and includes a wide range of books in the following categories:
- contemporary
- historical
- mystery
- speculative
- saints
- dystopian
Among those, you’ll find suspense, romance, coming of age stories, and lives of the saints with age-appropriate themes including the power of intercessory prayer, the communion of saints, the Rosary, virtue, Theology of the Body, and respect for life at all ages and stages.
Rather than stuffy, dry stories of saccharine piety, readers find lively stories that appeal to the modern reader addressing difficult issues such as suicide, abortion, grief, family relationships, disabilities, and dating, all informed by the light of faith.
The website includes a special section for educators with selections organized by grade level with links to discussion questions, where available. Educators are also eligible for reduced-price book packs to help expand Catholic classroom libraries.
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