H OW TO E VALUATE Y OUNG A DULT L ITERATURE ? L iz A. Gómez Bonilla ENGG 633:Literature for Adolescent Prof. Evelyn Lugo December 2, 2010

W HAT IS Y OUNG A DULT L ITERATURE ? In today’s publishing world, the definition of YA literature is adaptable. The genre includes books written specifically for ages 14 to 21. They have the young adult as protagonists and are about issues these young adults deal with or may have to face in the future. YA literature also includes what teens are reading during their free time. This can be an adult book pushed to the YA audience, including authors such as Michael Crichton, Stephen King, Danielle Steel and John Grisham.

C ONFLICTS I N Y OUNG A DULT L ITERATURE As with any good fiction, there must be tension or conflict to move the story. In YA lit, conflict is usually with parents, school, peers and society at large. Good YA books have themes that are of interest to young people and include, drugs, music, coming of age, dating, fitting in, friendships, self esteem, and school. Relationships with parents and siblings are frequently addressed in young adult fiction.

Today’s YA fiction is more sophisticated, complex and powerful because of the world young adults are exposed to. These books can help teens and even pre-teens handle the emotional, social developmental and physical changes they experience. Problems with bullying, sibling rivalry and teen pregnancy are plotlines in today’s YA fiction. These plotlines reflect the reality of today’s young adults.

E VALUATING Y OUNG A DULT L ITERATURE The ages of 12 to 18 years is identified as the group for whom YAL is written and to which it has its greatest appeal. Within this age range there are two distinct categories: 12 to 15 and 15 to 18 years The younger group is excited to read about themselves and the experiences of being a teenager. The older group is generally eager to leave their teen years behind and wants to read about more mature and pragmatic experiences of life. They also want to be recognized as adults.

YOUNG ADULT L ITERATURE SHOULD REFLECT SEVERAL CRITERIA It should reflect young adults’ age and development by addressing their reading abilities, thinking levels, and interest levels. It should deal with contemporary issues, problems, and experiences with characters to whom adolescents can relate. This includes topics such as dealing with parents and other adults in authority; facing illness and death; dealing with peer pressure, specifically relating to drugs, alcohol, and sexual experimentation; and facing the realities of addiction and pregnancy. It should consider contemporary world perspectives including cultural, social, and gender diversity; environmental issues; global politics; and international interdependence.

Y OUNG A DULT L ITERATURE S ERVES A N UMBER OF P URPOSES teaches adolescents about diverse peoples and the world beyond their community provides pleasure reading demonstrates the range of human emotions and allows adolescents to experience them as a result of reading quality literature reveals the realities of life provides vicarious experiences

focuses on “essentials” that make order out of chaos depicts the functions of institutions of society allows readers to escape into the realms of fantasy introduces readers to excellent writers and writing increases literacy and the ability to analyze literature

C ONTENT S TANDARDS AND G RADE L EVEL E XPECTATIONS IN S IXTH G RADE READING: The student uses reading strategies, literary analysis, and critical thinking skills to construct meaning and develop an understanding as well as an appreciation of a variety of genres of both fiction and nonfiction. R.6.1: Analyzes the text and distinguishes text features to enhance comprehension. R.6.2: Applies context clues, reference sources, and other vocabulary expansion strategies to assess word meaning; uses prefixes, suffixes and root words to determine the meaning of unfamiliar and compound words.

R.6.3: Distinguishes main character from supporting characters, compares and contrasts characters traits, and describes the setting in fiction. R.6.4: Sorts and organizes relevant events, identifies cause and effect, makes predictions and inferences, and identifies problem and solution in narrative and expository text. R.6.5: Explains the differences between fiction and nonfiction; identifies fact and opinion; states main idea or topic and determines important details.

T EXT B OOK : H OUGHTON M IFLIN R EADING (E XPEDITIONS ) Theme 1: Nature’s Fury When nature turns violent, it creates difficult challenges for everyone. Theme 2: Give It All You’ve Got Giving your best requires both determination and risk. Theme 3: Voices of the Revolution The spirit of the American Revolution lives on the voices of the people who were there.

Theme 4: Person to Person Relationships bring both problems and rewards for families and friends. Theme 5: One Land, Many Trails The trails to and across the United States have seen many travelers. Theme 6: Animal Encounter People and wild animals interact in a variety of close encounters.

L ITERATURE F OR S IXTH G RADERS Books should be: appropriate for their age (11-12 years old) interesting pertinent not too long easy to understand (vocabulary) illustrated (pictures)

R EFERENCE B ucher, K. & Manning, M.L. ( ). Qualities of Young Adult Literature. Retrieved from Whittemore, D. (2010). Young Adult Literature: What is It in Today's World. Retrieved from Department of Education of Puerto Rico, (2007). Content Standard and Grade-Level Expectations Houghton Miflin Company (2003). Reading Expeditions.