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TRENDS AND ISSUES IN YA LITERATUREEDML 177
September 13, 2011
CHARACTERISTICS OF YA LITERATURE THROUGH THE YEARS
The protagonist is a teenager. Events revolve around the protagonist and his/her struggle to resolve conflict.
The genre is written by and for young adults.
The genre is marketed to the young adult audience.
Stories don’t have “storybook” or “happily-ever-after” endings – a characteristic of children’s books.
Parents are noticeably absent or at odds with young adults.
The genre addresses coming-of-age (e.g., maturity, sexuality, relationships, drugs).
A BETTER APPROACH TO DEFINING YA LITERATURE IS TO CONSIDER WHAT TEENS CHOOSE TO READ AS OPPOSED TO WHAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO READ.
EXAMPLE OF CLASSIC YA NOVELS: OUTSTANDING PIECE OF LITERATURE, ORIGINALITY, LASTING SIGNIFICANCE, & UNIVERSALITY
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951) The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (1974) The Chosen by Chaim Potok (1967) Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (1985) Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers (1988) The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993) Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (1987) The House on Mango Street by Sandra
Cisneros (1983) Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff
(1993) The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967)
MARKETING ISSUES AND THE VALUE OF YA LITERATURE
Issues with marketing YA books – where do you place them?
Bookstores rarely stock a wide range of quality books.
Editorial departments make all the publishing decisions
Profits drive the market
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITY YA LITERATURE? Multi-themed story Tension vs. shock effect Memorable characters Accurate facts and details No unlikely coincidences Critic pandering Original idea Memorable voice and authentic dialogue Effective, clear writing style Sense of humor Lyrical/poetic language Widespread appeal Openings and closings
YA LITERATURE & CENSORSHIP
Censorship, the willful removal or withholding of information, is done by individuals, religious groups, governments, businesses, and the media (Cole, 2009).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxqbRRQtaLc&feature=related
LIST OF CHALLENGED CLASSICAL TITLES “THE STUDENTS’ RIGHT TO READ” (NCTE,
1981)
Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (“Obscene and blasphemous”)
Moby Dick by Herman Melville (“Contains homosexuality”)
The Catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger (“A dreadful, dreary, recital of sickness, sordidness, and sadism”)
The Republic by Plato (“This book is un-Christian.”)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (“The word rape is used several times.”)
MOST FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED AUTHORS (COMPILED BY ALA) And Tango Makes three by Justin Richardson & Peter
Parnell for homosexuality, anti-family, and unsuited to age group
Gossip Girls series by Cecily von Ziegesar for homosexuality, sexual content, drugs, unsuited to age group, and offensive language
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison for sexual content, offensive language, and unsuited to age group.
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier for sexual content, offensive language, and violence
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher for homosexuality and offensive language.
2003-2005 MOST CHALLENGED AUTHORS
Judy Blume, Robert Cormier, Chris Crutcher, Robie Harris, Stephen King, Lois Lowry, Toni Morrison, Walter Dean Meyers, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Katherine Paterson, Gary Paulsen, J.K. Rowling, J.D. Salinger, Maurice Sendak, John Steinbeck
THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION’S OFFICE OF INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM (OIF) CHALLENGES 2000-2005
Offensive Language (811 challenges) Sexually Explicit (714 ) Violence (405) Occult/Satanism (229) Homosexuality (164) Religious Viewpoint (155) Political Viewpoint (144) Drugs (122) Racism (108) Anti-Family (57) Suicide (27)
WHAT CAN TEACHERS DO WHEN CONFRONTING POTENTIAL CENSORSHIP IN THEIR CLASSROOMS?
Stay informed Research the history of censorship and
procedures for dealing with complaints in your school system
Find out what books have been censored or challenged in your school system
Learn the school system’s procedures for book selection
Connect books to curriculum rationale, course objectives, student needs, etc.
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS
Study the issues Network with others who support intellectual
freedom Establish yourself as a professional Build a trusting, collegial, and respectful
relationship with your school and system administration
Learn about the Freedom of Information Act
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
The American Library Association Website http://ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/abo
utbannedbooks/index.cfm The National Council of Teachers of English –
Read/Write/Think http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-aftersc
hool-resources/podcast-episodes/censorship-your-freedom-read-30634.html