Young Adult Literature

ONE timeless and overriding QUESTIONapplies to all Young Adult Literature  (YAL)and adolescent readers ages 12 - 18 . . . Who Am I? Who am I as a human being? Who am I in relationships? With friends, with family? Who am I as a member of society? Who am I as a citizen of this planet? As a being in the Universe? The Red-Lettered, 7 Characteristics of the Best Modern Literature for Young Adults Characteristic 1: Young authors write from the viewpoint of young people. Characteristic 2: “Please, Mother, I want the credit!” Characteristic 3: YAL is fast-paced Characteristic 4: YAL includes a variety of genres and subjects Characteristic 5: YAL includes stories and characters from many different ethnic and cultural groups...

Read more »

Defining and Qualifying YAL

Defining and Qualifying YAL of Merit A work of young adult literature isn’t special because of what it’s about -- it’s special because of how it’s about what it’s about. More than just a great story, literature is the great telling of a story.  Form and function are linked, and this marriage of art and craft transports the young reader to some new understanding – or new question. The energy released by the writer in devising the perfect way to convey his or her story, dictates style and is transferred to the reader as the story’s deeper meaning.  This connection between art/craft, meaning/style, writer/reader -- activates metacognition. It's not unlike the double delight in witnessing a stage magician’s perfectly performed...

Read more »

Energy, Exploration, Identity

 Adolescence Developmental Markers Adolescence (defined here as ages 12 - 18) is a time of exploration and boundary testing -- including boundaries of authority and appropriate behavior -- and represents, in essence, the fundamental quest of human existence: the search for identity. It's a time of high idealism. There is a quest for the heroic (often reflected in the literature, especially science fiction and fantasy). The concept of a quest becomes a prominent theme. Adolescence is basically a quest for identity defining who one is as an individual, as well as within the context of society. It is necessary preparation for (in a sense, trying on) the adult role that young person is growing into. It is a time of strong ego and...

Read more »

The Conversation Electric

The Conversation ElectricA Virtual Investigation of Adolescent Literature e-Mailing Lists Contained in this report are observations made while attempting to develop a basic knowledge of young adult literature (YAL) electronic mailing lists through an examination of two specific organizations: the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and Adolescent Books (AdBooks) e-mail lists. This rewarding investigation found that online discussion groups offer a rich resource for networking, information sharing and research. Inquiry findings and conclusions are here detailed in three sections: an overview of the two groups and the themes and core topics discussed, a summary of pertinent insights and perspectives presented, and new...

Read more »

Culturally Relevant Framework

Toward a Culturally Relevant Developmental Framework for Urban Young Adults of Color Objectives Control Question: How might adolescent developmental and literacy concepts translate into a creative website format that validates the perspectives, supports the priorities, and promotes the personal passions of urban young adults of color? Despite using the structure and process of inventing a website targeted to teens, this research project is principally intended to increase understanding of diverse urban youth. Project design includes a secondary emphasis of inquiry connected to culture.  Focus Question: Do cultural background and ethnic identity have the effect of highlighting or intensifying particular markers of adolescent...

Read more »

The Me Nobody Reads

I think most teens can't come back to YAL because they never read it to begin with. Part of it is cultural. Although nearly 45% of public school students are students of color, YAL has only seen modest changes in diversity. Part of it is the YAL cover art. YAL publishers push to their "heavy users" -- the main buyers. Nothing wrong with that, except when publishers start "White Washing" books -- that is, featuring a White teenaged girl or young woman on the cover, even when the protagonist is clearly of color. It happens all the time. Justine Larbalestier is perhaps the most noted example for the cover of her book, the appropriately named: Liar. The left cover is the original. At right is the US reprint. And certainly part...

Read more »

Meet Mike Printz

The Michael L. Printz Award is given to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.  It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The dedication web page at YALSA notes that Mike Printz had a passion for books and reading and "finding the right book for the right student at the right time." He died September 29, 1996, from complications following heart surgery.  The Michael L. Printz Award was established in 1999....

Read more »

Bookmarks!

The Cyber-Savvy Scholar's Definitive Guide to the 10 Best Bookmarks, Ever 1.Lightweight Visual Thesaurushttp://awordlike.textdriven.com/about.html 2. Research Guide for Students http://www.aresearchguide.com/ 3. AuthorTracker http://www.harpercollins.com/members/authortracker/ 4. NoteMeshhttp://notemesh.com/ 5. Internet Public Libraryhttp://www.ipl.org/ 6. Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page 7. Bartleby http://www.bartleby.com/ 8.Art Encyclopediahttp://www.artcyclopedia.com/ 9. Digital Historyhttp://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/ 10. Federal Digital Systemhttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/...

Read more »