Kids Are Buying Books in quantities we've never seen before reports Booklist magazine. Credit a bulging teen population (30 million plus), a surge of global talent and perhaps a bit of Harry Potter afterglow. Teen book sales rose 25% between '99 and '05. Fantasy and graphic novels are especially hot, and adventure, romance, humor and gritty coming-of-age tales remain perennial favorites. Yet the National Assessment of Educational Progress reports 12th-graders' reading scores are virtually unchanged since '02. The teens who are reading welcome the growing sophistication of young adult literature. Teens have a lot of disposable income, and they're willing to spend it on books. (Seattlepi.com 3/8/07)