Using Young Adult Literature in the Classroom How to teach what your students are reading

Defining YA Literature Young adult literature, adolescent literature, teen literature… WHICH ONE DO WE CALL IT?! How would you define YA literature? What books or authors immediately come to mind when you think of YA literature? What do you remember from your teen years of reading YA literature?

Three operational definitions of YA literature: What is marketed to teens What publishers are releasing, what books are being made into movies, what books are the ones at the front of the shelf. What teens are reading in school Classic but still relevant literature, contemporary literature with a message, whatever is required by the curriculum. What teens are reading outside of school Books that deal with more pressing issues, books that seemingly have no place in the school curriculum, poorly written books.

Classic/Contemporary YA Literature Vs. Millennial YA Literature Millennial YA Literature More open to contemporary issues including drugs, alcohol, sex, pregnancy, STDs, and others. Beginning to reinvent to classic canon, adding more relevant novels to it. Reinvention of classic contemporary lit. (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, updates to Shakespeare plays, etc.) More diverse texts and more interest in multicultural texts. More room for creativity, including more topics to cover, more avenues to release material, etc. Classic/Contemporary YA Literature Sheltered students from real issues (Banning of books including Forever, Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders, etc.) Fixed canon of literature, which promoted the preservation of cultural ideals and expectations. Rarely diverted from the set format of a classic novel. Less diversity. Most books were whitewashed or their main characters were Caucasian. Less room for creativity. Print was basically the only option authors had to release their writing and topics were limited.

Statistics and Facts Teens are buying and reading young adult fiction in record numbers, mainly due to the mainstreaming of young adult novels through their development into movies. 25% increase in publication of young adult novels from 1995 to % rise in sales of young adult books from 1995 to % of teens were influenced by the book recommendations of friends and 82% founds books by browsing book stores. In 1960, an 11 th grade teacher in Tulsa, OK was fired for assigning Catcher in the Rye to his class. Seven of the ten books chosen by teens in the Young Adult Library Services Association survey were science fiction or fantasy. Nearly 90% of surveyed libraries offer some kind of programming for young adults.

Where to find YA Literature Award winners – These books are often high quality and appropriate pieces of literature that can easily be worked into lesson plans and units. Ask your students! – This might seem obvious, but teachers can be provided with a eye-opening revelation if they ask the students what THEY want to read and understand how these books might apply to their education. Used bookstores – Affordability is the main word here! Often schools are stuck with the classic canon due to budgetary concerns. Perhaps you can find a few different YA novels for cheap prices here and then create literature circles to shake up the class a bit. Commercial websites – Considering how addicted teens are to the internet these days, commercial websites (as well as teenage centered sites like teenreads.com) will more than likely provide you with a few different recommendations for quality YA books. Young adult librarians or experts in YA literature – Since they are often avid readers YA literature, talking to a librarian, professor or other expert in this area can most certainly help you find some new YA books that are worth reading and researching for a lesson or unit plan.

Selection Criteria for YA Literature o Appeal and Involvement o Lasting and universal appeal, attractive cover, personal and emotional involvement. o Literary Quality o No “fluff”, unique perspectives and ways of thinking. o Characters o Old enough to understand problems, realistic, compelling and distinctive. o Content and Style o Relevant topics and themes to teens and to current conditions, vivid imagery and appropriate tone. o Plot o Blend of action and good description with satisfactory ending. o Genres o Many different genres with appealing topics for a diverse group of students.

Censorship in Y.A. Lit. Prepare yourself for potential challenges from parents and community members. People censor books for various reasons, most of the reasons come from fear. They worry about: o Children will face issues they are unprepared for o They will learn things that get them into trouble or harmful circumstances. o They will encounter provocative or hurtful words, images, stereotypes. o They will question the religious or moral beliefs of the family. Parents have a right to know what their children are reading and ask for alternative choices. While they have this right, neither they nor we as teachers have a right to dictate what happens to all students on the basis of narrow religious or political principles. It is helpful to distinguish between text selection and text censorship. Text selection is based on critical judgment while text censorship is borne out of exclusion fear. What can we do to prevent censorship?

Solutions for Censorship While censorship will never truly go away there are things as teachers we can do to help provide parents with a better outlook on the book and its purpose in our classrooms. o Go to the National Council of Teachers of English Censorship page ( This provides a host of information and resources and contact information for a variety of state, national, and international organizations interested in intellectual freedom. Also consider these strategies: o Look for rationales and reviews of the text in sources like NCTE or ALAN. o Involve others in your decision. Talk with your department chair, principal, and parents about your choices. o Consider sending home a reading contract that parents must sign whenever a student chooses a book for independent reading. Encourage parents to read and talk about books along with children. o Organize a book selection committee made up of concerned parents, community members, and other teachers. o Be ready to offer alternatives to any text you select for while class reading. o Make sure that your department has developed a formal written complaint form

YA Literature that deals with LGBT issues

YA Literature that deals with diversity and racism

YA Literature that deals with emotional/psychological issues

YA Literature that deals with alcohol and/or drugs

YA Literature that deals with sex, pregnancy, STDs, etc.

YA Literature and the Media

YouTube Clips Harry Potter trailer: Twilight trailer: Hunger Games trailer: Speak trailer:

Resources for finding YA novels for the classroom - American Library Association Assembly on Literature for Adolescents Association for Library Service to Children