I'd be interested to know what their methodology is for that.  It's appropriate, though, as I spend most of my time attempting to communicate with high school students.

I've noticed on my friends list a lot of author types and others returning from NCTE.  That's thrilling, and it makes me wish there would be authors and kidlit bloggers at the American Classical League Institute, though I don't imagine there are.  We should really get Rick Riordan there, you know?  And several others.

About a year ago I took up reading paranormal romance of the chick-lit variety; clever vampire women or perhaps wiccans with vampire boyfriends.  I had a lot of fun.  Then I went on my YA run, and that's been my primary reading material for the past several months.  I'm currently reading The Golden Compass in hopes of finishing it before the film is released.  (My time is otherwise spent working, playing with website design, and finding other ways to avoid working on my NaNoWriMo novel.  I'm almost 20,000 words behind now, I think.  But I have not given up yet.)

Anyway - and I know this is my reader place and not my writer place, but the two do overlap, of course - I have considered joining SCBWI, but there is not a lot of local SCBWI activity, while the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers are very active.  So I was thinking, "How do I write something, or position myself to be interested in/planning on writing something, that helps me fit in with these people?"  Because, quite honestly, I only seem to be able to write teenaged protagonists.  (I tried a grad student last year.  I think I got about 2000 words in.)

My NaNo this year is not even a little bit a romance - there has, in fact, been no mention of a romantic interest of any sort for any character, unless you count the main character's parents as romance interests for one another.

I have been thinking, however, that there is the category of Young Adult Romance.  And further, there are subdivisions in that which include Fantasy, Sci Fi, and Paranormal.  So.  Once I finish Golden Compass I am going to head over to the library and start reading that genre to see how I like it, starting with Lisa Jane Smith.

Anyone who has recommendations to offer in this genre, please do so.  They would be very welcome.  My tastes tend to run towards stories where the MC is a headstrong female.  Things should be either incredibly gothicly serious or have a strong sense of humor.  If I think of more, I'll let you know.