Books Students WILL Read! Nikki Steckroth Renaissance Academy Virginia Beach, Virginia

What’s “HOT” in YA Fiction for "I Don’t Read!" High School Students

“I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.” Jorge Luis Borges

Disclaimers Been Teaching 38 Years 18 Years, English Teacher 18 Years, Librarian Alternative School, Alternative Ideas High % of At-Risk Students Supportive Principal Best Room in the House!

“Illiterates versus Aliterates” NCLB: Focus on improving scores Instruction is narrowed “Big Brother” Developing test-takers not readers

Overteaching books Underteaching books Outside influences & competition Sanitized books in “Magic Pill” reading programs

Adults don’t ask questions that kids want asked Prior knowledge is paramount

Young Adult – “YA” – Fiction Catcher in the Rye (1951) The Outsiders (1967) Go Ask Alice (1971) Written for teens with teens as main characters

Pinpointing components of genre is difficult Structure changes; popular trends emerge Controversial aspects (language, sexual content) BUT! Springboard for valuable conversation – hot topics! Teens have insightful opinions and make informed decisions based on characters’ actions.

“Children grow into the intellectual life of those around them.” Lev Vygotsky, 1978

I do want the readers to live their darkness in fiction, to get the rage out, and to suffer the consequences on the page. The reader can work through natural teen confusion, despair, rage, and pain, but allow the character to walk in the dark woods, let the character commit the violence, and let the reader suffer the character’s consequences vicariously. Gail Giles, 2003

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Dystopian Literature Dystopia An unfavorable society in which to live. From the Greek roots dys – “bad” and –topia - "place to live”. Antithesis (exact opposite) of Utopia. 

Why is it so popular among teens? Young people in dystopian fiction tend to take control; they are the heroes. Creates a "high-stakes" scenario – instant conflict and adventure. Easy to sympathize with the main character. Big Questions: “What is Freedom?” “What is Love?” “What is Human?” Generally has a hopeful ending. Provides an escape from the watched over, controlled world of teens. http://libraryschool.libguidescms.com/content.php?pid=325261&sid=2662115 Masters Programs in Library and Information Science, University of Alberta

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“The difference between fiction and reality. Fiction has to make sense Tom Clancy

Prior Knowledge It’s Fiction – But . . .

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“Cli-Fi” (Climate Fiction) Man against the extremes of a changing environment Earth’s systems are “off” Unable to accurately predict or control Man must react to it – but how?

“Sci-Fi” usually takes place in a dystopian future. “Cli-Fi” happens (most often) in a dystopian present. More literary. Centered on human psychology. “New” way to get people thinking about the environment. (Should Al Gore write a cli-fi novel?)

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http://www.mymcpl.org/books-movies-music/juvenile-series Juvenile Series and Sequels Young Adult [YA] – for 6th through 12th grade readers View by: Series Title Series Subject Book Title Book Author

# Book Title (Young Adult) Author 1 Gone Michael Grant 2 Hunger 3 Lies    # Book Title (Young Adult) Author  1 Gone Michael Grant  2 Hunger  3 Lies  4 Plague  5 Fear  6 Light Subjects: Good and Evil.   Supernatural.  

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