Esteemed YA writer and dress-upperer extraordinaire Leanne Hall recently asked:
And we’re so glad she did!
If you’re looking for a road-trip book list, check out our previous post here.
If you’re after museums and galleries, read on:
A Pocketful of Eyes by Lili Wilkinson
Beatrice May Ross signed on for a summer job at the Museum of Natural History. Then her supervisor turns up dead in the Red Rotunda, his pocket full of glass eyes. Taxidermist turns detective in this museum-based crime-fiction.
I may be stretching the definition a little, but if you’re after an arty YA book, you really can’t go past Graffiti Moon. Lucy is an artist who works with glass. She’s trying to meet the mysterious graffiti artist known as Shadow. There are many beautiful descriptions of Lucy’s and Shadow’s respective artworks, as well as many references to well known artists and their works, from Picasso to Bill Henson. You can view a great online gallery of the art featured in the book over here.
Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell
Three best friends, Gem, Lo, and Mira, undertake themed summer projects together. The “underground” summer starts when a school visit to the National Gallery of Victoria inspires Gem to make an underground film.
Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian
Emily attends a summer art program in Philadelphia – world’s apart from her old suburban existence, just like she wants. As well as following Emily’s growth as an artist (and an individual), there’s also a class trip to a museum.
(Not yet published in Australia.)
The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen
Okay, now I’m definitely stretching the definition of “galleries”, but how can anyone resist a character like Ella? She obsesses over turns to deceased artist Edward Willing to help survive the woes of being on the bottom-tier of the high school social ladder, and being in love with the boy at the very top.
(Not yet published in Australia.) Correction 26/6/2012: Published by Penguin.
Other books that might make the list:
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown - not a YA book, but that doesn’t stop older teens from reading it. Murder in the Louvre.
Second Childhood by Morris Gleitzman – for younger readers. When the school visits a museum to study Famous People, Mark wasn’t expecting to learn about reincarnation.
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet – also for younger readers. Two children try to find a stolen painting.
