Ya Lit Today

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YA Literature Today!

By: Lindy Levis, Gabrielle Esparraguera, Kelly Ann Conner, Monica


Gennello, Julianne Guilfoy, Kristen Fallon

Young Adult Literature in the Past

What are some books you remember


reading as an adolescent?
Were they easy to read, or
were they dense?

Were they dated, or


timeless?

Do you think these books


were actually written with
adolescents in mind?

Common Research on YA Lit


Very little research actually exists on YA literature within the
classroom!

The genre is still new and developing, but what was it


in the past?

Some early titles include:

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine LEngle (1962)

The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger (1951)

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding (1954)

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (1960)

Robert Cormiers novels like The Chocolate War (1974)


elevated the notion of what young adult literature can
and should be by including an unblemished look at
adolescence (Kaplan, pg. 19)

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Often feature a coming-of-age theme interspersed with common


backdrops of teenage life

Meant to introduce adolescents to concepts like drug and alcohol


use, sexuality, abuse, relationships, and self-harm

Books for young adults are a haven and respite for adolescents
to read about what is real and self-evident in their lives (Kaplan,
pg. 21)

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson (1999); Give a Boy a Gun, by


Todd Strasser (2000); Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher (2007)

Queer Literature

A newer genre that has developed as acceptance of LGBTQ


adolescents has spread

Several LGBTQ books have won major literary awards since 2000

Since [1969], though, literature for gay and lesbian teens has
changed profoundly, providing a more rounded portrait of
teenagers caught in the throes of defining their sexual identity
(Kaplan, 24).

Boy Meets Boy, by David Levithan (2005), Rainbow


Boys, by Alex Sanchez (2000)*

*Both of these novels have won the ALA Best Books for Young Adults Award

Multicultural Literature

Young adult novels with diverse characters, places, and


issues remain popular because they validate the lives of
adolescents who read them. In the stories they read,
young people often see, for the first time, characters who
look and act just like them-- providing a comfort and
understanding that, for many, only literature can
illustrate (Kaplan, 22).

What began as a civil rights movement within the black


community blossomed to include underrepresented
groups like Latinos, women, Native Americans, and
others

Some favorite authors include Gary Soto, Walter Dean


Myers, and Jacqueline Woodson

Other Popular Genres

Dystopian Science Fiction

Paranormal Romance

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins; the Divergent


Series, by Veronica Roth; James Dashners Maze
Runner series

Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling; Twilight series, by


Stephenie Meyer; The Vampire Diaries, by LJ Smith

Graphic Novels

Alan Moores V for Vendetta and Watchmen; Neil


Gaimans Sandman

Why YA Literature?

Students have proven to be more engaged when they can relate


to the text

The Classics, while they should not be forgotten, dont hold as


much weight in todays fast-paced classrooms

Teachers today are being trained to differentiate between


childrens literature, adult literature, and young adult literature
It is in the best interest of both the teacher and the students
if the teacher stays up-to-date with trends in YA literature

Adolescents deserve just as much of a voice in the classroom as


Shakespeare and Dickens!

Updating Reading Lists While Retaining


Classic Titles
- Most authors will affirm that this kind of literature is
intended for adults, not adolescents.

- So how can educators teach novels that the majority


of their students dislike and cannot understand?

Reading Appreciation
Many students do not gain a sense of
reading appreciation until late in high school
or afterwards.
The percentage of adult readers (18-34) has
decreased dramatically

How many books do you


read for fun each year?
18-34 year olds have gone from being the age group
that is most likely to read literature to the group that is
least likely to read.

Problems with Newer Literature in Classrooms

-CENSORSHIP!
-Series Titles
- Strong ties to curricula

How can we make it better?

Technology!
Authors websites, teaching materials, award information, biographies,
video clips to make new connections to literature in the classroom

Dystopian Novels
A dystopia is a futuristic society in which a
system has been constructed to allay the ills
that pervade our present...On the surface this
system, through advanced technology and/or
other means, appears to benefit the populace,
but on closer examination citizens are worse
off (Hill 101).

Lets Talk About Agency


For each of the
narratives teenaged
protagonists, there is
no greater principle
than to act in ways
that improve their lives
and the lives of
others (Hill 102).

Not your Mamas Dystopian Novel


Im not just talking about 1984 (which is my favorite book) or Fahrenheit 451.

Lets also read The Giver Series, or The Uglies Series, or


The Hunger Games.
Lets.
Identify social critiques and challenge/add on to the
conversation.
Create solutions to problems
Create a strong impulse for social change (112).

The Book
This chapter is loaded with:
Novel summaries
Before/During/After reading activities and
assignments
Arguments for why these novels should be
taught to our students

POLL QUESTION
At what age did you read the most for fun?
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
College

Research has shown that students, even students who like


to read, tend to read less as they progress from early
elementary to middle school (Kelley, Wilson, and Koss 79).

How can Young Adult Literature be used to


motivate and engage the disengaged?

Engaged reader
vs. disengaged reader
What is motivation?

How to motivate the disengaged


1. Create a classroom climate conducive to literacy
2. Integrate authentic reading practices throughout the
school day
3. Get to know your students
4. Be knowledgeable about and provide students access
to a wide variety of texts

Resources
Goodreads
(http://www.goodreads.com)
Goodreads is an online social media website designed to help you and your students record books
youve read or want to read as well as your personal reviews, share and suggest books to others, and
join online book discussion groups. Perfect for a class or school to set up (Kelley, Wilson, and Koss
93).

Web English Teacher--Childrens and YA Literature


(http://webenglishteacher.com/childlit.html; http://www.webenglishteacher.com/ya.html)
This site is full of information and teaching resources for English teachers. The two URLs provided
are links to resources on a large number of childrens or young adult authors and illustrators. Also
available are lesson plans and resources spanning the English curriculum (Kelley, Wilson, and Koss
93).

KAC

Out of the Closet and Into the Open:


LGBTQ Literature in the Language
Arts Classroom
"Literature offers us the opportunity to
come to understand better the
possible range of human experience,
to see our lives and the world more
clearly" - Robert Probst

Some Important Statistics


88.9
____%
of students have heard the word "gay" used in a
negative way
72.4
____%
heard other homophobic language frequently
____%
felt unsafe at school
61.1
84.6
____%
were verbally harassed at school because of
their sexual orientation
____%
did not report the harassment, believing staff
62.4
would take little or no action

4 Different Types of School Environments

Hostile
Ignorant
Accepting
Open

Hostile Environment
Its best to start by exploring the power of
language and the idea of gender roles.
Books to use:
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (1974)
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher (1993)
The Year They Burned the Books by Nancy Garden (1999)
After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson (2008)

Ignorant Environment
Its best to begin by broadly exploring the
notion of gender expression or sexuality.
First, create a safe environment.
Books to use:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999)


Angry Management by Chris Crutcher (2009)
How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan (2008)
What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci (2002)
Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger (1999)

Accepting Environment
Start by defining sexuality and exploring the
notion of fluid sexuality.
Books to use:
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden (1982)
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

(2010)
The Misfits by James Howe (2001)
Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan (2009)
Far From Xanadu by Julie Anne Peters (2005)

Open Environment
This school environment would be ready to
explore how sexuality does not rigidly define a
person, as well as bisexual and trangender
topics.
Books to use:
How Beautiful the Ordinary by Michael Cart (2009)
Luna by Julie Anne Peters (2004)
Rage: A Love Story by Julie Anne Peters (2009)
Boyfriends with Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez (2011)

YA Literature and Social Change

Why YA Lit to Bring Change?


It is our belief that while reading these books facilitates a connection of the
heart and mind that leads to a desire to facilitate change, when they are paired
with reflective acts of service, there might exist a transformative power that
surpasses the mere reading of these texts. (Stover & Bach 205)

Young adult narratives who are successful in enacting transformation


might also serve as motivating factors for students who to take action in their
worlds. (Stover & Bach 206)

The Benefits
Reading books with characters challenging common
adolescent issues allows for students to:
Start a dialogue and bring awareness to adolescent
issues
Understand others better
Understand themselves better
Support one another
Be more willing to act for change/justice

How to Initiate Change:


Service-learning: courses that require
students to spend time volunteering for a
cause and incorporating those experiences
into the content of the course
Shown to further foster a deeper and long-lasting
understanding of a material

Suggested Reading for Social Change

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins: Depression and Suicide

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson: Eating Disorders

I Dont Want to be Crazy by Samantha Shutz: Anxiety and Panic Attacks (memoir)

Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos: ADHD

Rules by Cynthia Lord: Autism

Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser: OCD

I Hadnt Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson: Domestic Abuse

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: Sexual Abuse

More Money by Sharon Flake: Poverty

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