YA Lit is Fun AND Challenging
TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of the Holocaust
We know teens like to read YA Lit. We've seen Harry Potter, Twilight, and Hunger Games midnight book releases, screenings, and homemade costumes. We know kids love YA Lit. But is it actually good for them? Is it actually intellectually engaging?
YES. Groenke and Scherff, who literally wrote the book (Teaching YA Lit through Differentiated Instruction), state:
YES. Groenke and Scherff, who literally wrote the book (Teaching YA Lit through Differentiated Instruction), state:
One misconception is that young adult literature is for struggling, reluctant readers only, rather than sophisticated, already-motivated readers. [...] In addition, many English teachers do not consider young adult literature "good literature" and see its use as "lowering the bar" and accommodating students' desires for entertainment and quick consumption. [....] In Classics in the Classroom, Carol Jago (2004) insists that "good" literature is literature requiring careful study, often guided by a teacher, and we think young adult literature fits that description. The best young adult literature possesses themes that merit and reward examination and commentary, and most standardized test and curriculum requirements about literary elements and devices can be taught with a young adult novel" (Groenke and Scherff 1).
In their article, "Young Adult Literature and The Common Core: A Surprisingly Good Fit," Jonathan Ostenson and Rachel Wadham find that YA lit works well with the Common Core, providing many of the same critical reading opportunities as the classics without the alienating factors (language, historical context, etc.) that often leave students disengaged. Ostenson and Wadham clarify:
Classic literature has an important place in the ELA classroom, but when decisions are made about which texts to use to support the Common Core, consideration should be given to Rosenblatt’s (1995) warnings that readers must find something familiar to connect with in a text and that too much struggle can alienate them from its meaning. Young adult literature can provide the familiar, less alienating literature that Rosenblatt called for while also meeting the standards of quality that are often ascribed to the classics. Hipple (2000), for instance, argued convincingly that YA literature features themes that “merit and reward examination and commentary” similar to the classics (p. 2). Moore (1997) took an insightful look at how theories of literary criticism can be applied to YA literature, finding that these texts are just as worthy of serious, scholarly analysis as are the classics.
In our professional practice, we have chosen to make modern YA literature a significant part of our classrooms. Whether it is exploring a young adult novel as a whole class, pairing it with a classic work, or using it as one component of an extended unit, we have found many meaningful ways to integrate YA literature into our classrooms, and we believe that the Core Standards actually provide a framework to show that YA literature can more than meet the learning outcomes of any ELA classroom" (Otsenson and Wadham).
The books below all exemplify complex YA literary works that contribute to class-wide discussion, reinforce literary elements and devices, and merit "serious, scholarly analysis."
Exhibit A) Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian
Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a funny, honest sucker-punch of a book. The True Diary chronicles Junior - a poor, basketball-playing, cartoon-drawing, bright kid from the Spokane Indian reservation - as he grapples with leaving the reservation to attend Reardan High School, being considered a traitor by most of his tribe, being an outsider in Reardan, grieving his losses on (and off) the basketball court, and trying to find hope.
There are pictures (Junior's cartoons) in this book. Yes, that's right: this is not just YA lit, but also a picture book. And yet, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian can serve as a starting point for critical discussions of:
There are pictures (Junior's cartoons) in this book. Yes, that's right: this is not just YA lit, but also a picture book. And yet, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian can serve as a starting point for critical discussions of:
- Racial Formation
- Poverty/Class structures
- Cultural Appropriation
- Privilege
- Identity
Exhibit B) The Book Thief
Markus Zusak's The Book Thief is a sweeping epic about Liesel Meminger - the book thief, herself - as she survives Nazi Germany and WWII. A warm, weary Death narrates Liesel's story as she grows up on Himmel Street, and transforms from abandoned girl to book thief. Liesel haunts Death by surviving (again and again) as she finds a foster father, befriends a Jesse Owens worshiper, learns to read, steals back what has been stolen, and trades gifts with Max Vandenburg, the Jewish fist-fighter hidden in the Hubermanns' basement.
The Book Thief can be used to examine intertextuality and text construction:
While hiding in the Hubermann's basement, Max Vandenburg writes and illustrates two books, which he later gives to Liesel. Short on supplies, Max paints over pages of Hitler's Mein Kampf to make his own pages. Is the way Max constructs his stories important? Why or why not? The Book Thief is also heavy with motifs and symbols: What is the point of the cursing in the novel? And what might "the Standover Man" represent?
Finally, applying a critical lens: The Book Thief focuses on the experiences of Liesel and her "safely German" foster family. Is The Book Thief anti-Semitic or otherwise problematic? Why or why not?
The Book Thief can also be used to explore issues of:
The Book Thief can be used to examine intertextuality and text construction:
While hiding in the Hubermann's basement, Max Vandenburg writes and illustrates two books, which he later gives to Liesel. Short on supplies, Max paints over pages of Hitler's Mein Kampf to make his own pages. Is the way Max constructs his stories important? Why or why not? The Book Thief is also heavy with motifs and symbols: What is the point of the cursing in the novel? And what might "the Standover Man" represent?
Finally, applying a critical lens: The Book Thief focuses on the experiences of Liesel and her "safely German" foster family. Is The Book Thief anti-Semitic or otherwise problematic? Why or why not?
The Book Thief can also be used to explore issues of:
- Self vs. Society
- Classism
- Censorship
- Laws vs. Lawlessness
- The Role of the Witness/Bystander
- Anti-Semitism
Exhibit C) Born Confused
Tanuja Desai Hidier's Born Confused is the tender, funny story of Dimple Lala in the summer between her junior and senior years of high school. Dimple's feeling pretty torn. She's too Indian for her American friends, and too American for her Indian family (who try to set her up with "a suitable boy," whom Dimple refuses to like on principle). And while all this is happening, Dimple's best friend/aspiring model, Gwen, is MIA half the time and jealous of Dimple's culture the other half the time. Thank goodness Dimple's got her trusty camera, Chica Tikka, and some unexpected new friends, to help her document and survive it all.
Born Confused can be used to explore issues of:
Born Confused can be used to explore issues of:
- Body Image
- Sexuality
- Sexual orientation
- Culture/Cultural Appropriation
- Identity
Exhibit D) The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen as she goes from primary caretaker in her starving household to media magnet and volunteer tribute in the 74th annual Hunger Games - a televised battle to the death between 24 children aged 12-18.
The Hunger Games can be used to study genre: What is Science Fiction? What is a dystopia? What makes The Hunger Games fit these categories (or not)?
It can also be used to examine the nature of violence: What effects of violence do we see in the book? Are there any parallels to the Hunger Games in the real world? If so, what are they?
Through The Hunger Games we can explore media and entertainment: What is the role of the media in the Hunger Games? What is the role of the audience?
We can also use The Hunger Games to examine the intersection of race and class: Why are Merchants consistently described as white with blond hair and blue eyes? Why are the Seam people consistently described as olive-skinned with dark hair and grey eyes?
The Hunger Games can also be used to explore issues of:
The Hunger Games can be used to study genre: What is Science Fiction? What is a dystopia? What makes The Hunger Games fit these categories (or not)?
It can also be used to examine the nature of violence: What effects of violence do we see in the book? Are there any parallels to the Hunger Games in the real world? If so, what are they?
Through The Hunger Games we can explore media and entertainment: What is the role of the media in the Hunger Games? What is the role of the audience?
We can also use The Hunger Games to examine the intersection of race and class: Why are Merchants consistently described as white with blond hair and blue eyes? Why are the Seam people consistently described as olive-skinned with dark hair and grey eyes?
The Hunger Games can also be used to explore issues of:
- Poverty
- Class structure/Hierarchy
- Gender Roles/Stereotypes
- Intersections of Race and Geography
The Bottom Line
YA Lit is just like any other genre of literature:
Even the amazing ones will be exactly and only what you (the Reader) make of them.
Keep those critical thinking caps on!
Even the amazing ones will be exactly and only what you (the Reader) make of them.
Keep those critical thinking caps on!