Literature, dying? Kids aren’t reading anymore? Au contraire. While book publishing has seen better days, young adult books are booming, according to the Association of American Publishers. In 2012, sales for YA and children’s books rose 13.1 percent; if you look at e-book sales, the genre saw an incredible 117 percent increase. While some of that success can be attributed to sales of wildly popular series such as Twilight and The Hunger Games, the figures are strong even when you subtract those success stories.

Why are YA books so popular? One explanation might be traced to their creativity. Gothic romance books share space with steampunk dramas. Tomes of historical fiction sit side-by-side with high fantasy, and many books blend several genres at once. “Teenagers are more willing to let you genre bend,” says author Stacy Deebs. “For them, it’s all about telling an honest story. You’re writing for really smart, really savvy readers.”

As a result, many of the books are really smart and savvy, too. Some authors insist they’re able to tackle more challenging topics within the confines of YA fiction. “I’m tired of adults telling teenagers that they aren’t smart, that they can’t read critically, that they aren’t thoughtful,” says John Green, whose YA book The Fault in Our Stars was named Time magazine’s best fiction book of 2012.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising, that older Americans are reading so many books written for their kids. Nearly 20 percent of adults between the ages of 35 and 44 buy books intended for young adults more than any other genre. (The Kansas City Star)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.