The Why YA Question in the What a Girl Wants Series

Do teen girls need YA books? Is there something innate in the genre that shapes growing up like nothing else can? Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray is asking that question today, and some really smart people are offering their perspectives. Here, for example, is Zetta Elliott:

The more YA lit I read, the more I'm struck by the split: novels that are about teens versus novels that are marketed to teens. The latter are often marked by "lite" writing and silly gimmicks that aim to make the novel seem e