Beyond YA Literature Selecting Adult Books with Teen Protagonists

Why YA Lit Isn’t Enough Largest audience for YA literature is in grades 5 through 9 “Students will enjoy and appreciate literature” is an information literacy standard A learning and teaching principle in Information Power High school students are reading less than ever before

Havighurst’s Developmental Tasks for Adolescents 1. New and more mature relations with age- mates 2. Masculine or feminine social role 3. Accepting one’s physique 4. Emotional independence of parents 5. Assurance of economic independence 6. Selecting/preparing for occupation 7. Preparing for marriage/family life 8. Developing skills for civic competence 9. Socially responsible behavior 10. Set of values and ethical system

Young Adults Like to Read *SmartGirl/Teen Read Week**NEA

Stages of Literary Appreciation Early Adolescent Escape from social pressures Middle Adolescent Coming-of-age stories Late Adolescent Personal values and social significance

Reading Preferences 1980s1990s Young people 2. Mystery 3. Humor 4. Adventure 5. Love 6. Sex 7. Movies 8. Famous People 9. Romance 10. Horror 1. Romance 2. Adventure 3. Suspense 4. Non-fiction 5. Classics 6. Science fiction 7. Detective 8. Fantasy 9. Sports 1. Adventure 2. Mystery 3. Fantasy 4. Horror 5. True Stories 6. Romance 7. Sports 8. Science fiction 9. Biographies 10. Hobby

Adult Books for Older Teens Adolescent main characters Sophisticated personal/social issues Completion of developmental tasks Successful transition to adulthood Strong plot in genre teens like

How Do We Find Them? Reviewing sources for librarians School Library Journal Library Journal Booklist Popular reviewing sources Publishers Weekly New York Times Book Review Catalogs, bookstores, Amazon Reading widely

Sex Explicitness and Sophistication Language Degree and Context Violence Degree and Context Illegal/Unacceptable Activity Drugs, Prostitution Other Troublesome Topics Mental Illness, Family Problems, Religion Appropriateness – A Matter of Degree

Appropriateness – Making It Work For Us Know our patrons Know the community Selection and challenge policies Supportive administrators Selection advisory committee Feedback from readers Selection rubric READ

Model Selection Rubric Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

The Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

The Hunt Club by Bret Lott

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating The Hunt Club by Bret Lott

The Snow Garden by Christopher Rice

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating The Snow Garden by Christopher Rice

Gap Creek by Robert Morgan

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating Gap Creek by Robert Morgan

Back Roads by Tawni O’Dell

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating Back Roads by Tawni O’Dell

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

Some Things That Stay Sarah Willis

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Dave Eggers

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

Nowhere Else on Earth Josephine Humphreys

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

Cruddy: An Illustrated Novel Lynda Barry

Cruddy Lynda Barry Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

Into The Wild Jon Krakauer

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

Like Water for Chocolate Laura Esquivel

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

The White Deborah Larsen

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

Twelve Nick McDonell

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

The Liar’s Club Mary Karr

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

Lucky Alice Sebold

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

The Dive from Clausen’s Pier Ann Packer

Selection Criteria                       Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood Popular Genre Overall Rating

Sources Havighurst, R Developmental Tasks and Education. New York: Random House. National Education Association. Reading Survey SmartGirl. Teen Read Week Latest Survey Results.

Contact Info Belton-Honea Path High School BHP Highway Honea Path, SC 29654