Dire findings about teens and their dwindling reading habits, plus the ballooning influence of online media and social networks, are camouflaging a noteworthy change—teens and young adults are very interested in good books.

"There have been significant increases in sales of YA (young adult) books over the past several years," said Alicia Mey, vice president for marketing for Zonderkidz, citing a Children's Book Council Sales Survey. The survey found that sales have increased from more than 13% in 2001 to more than 34% in 2005, Mey said.

"We know that in the Christian channel, teens want more books to meet their spiritual needs as well as their entertainment needs," she said, adding that a 2006 The Barna Group study on teen spirituality pointed out that "this is a crucial demographic for Christian publishers and retailers to reach. We know that 66% of all born-again Christians make a profession of faith before age 18."

Zondervan, of which Zonderkidz is the children's division, is one of several Christian publishers to initiate a YA line within the last 18 months. Thomas Nelson announced in July a roster of prominent authors with new YA titles publishing into 2009. FaithWords debuted a new series this spring, with another commencing this fall for younger teens.

Multnomah and NavPress have been developing their lines for the teen and YA reader for some time and continue generating strong titles.

Read more on teen publishing trends in the Sept. 8 issue of Christian Retailing.