TRENDS AND ISSUES IN YA LITERATURE EDML 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). &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.

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 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 nnedbooks/index.cfm The National Council of Teachers of English – Read/Write/Think afterschool-resources/podcast- episodes/censorship-your-freedom-read html