YA Lit Textbook blog #2

What is YA Literature?
 
Number one thing about YA literature is that it, as you might expect, has highly independent, young adult characters.  The book will be from an adolescent point-of-view on some major change in their life.  As adolescents live in the now, the major problem will be a contemporary issue.  After some decision or action the main character takes, they will have to suffer the consequences. The draws on how adolescents develop, so the changes in the character will be gradual and incomplete.  This is partially because the story only takes place of a limited amount of time.

This lesson helped me to further define what YA literature is.  While going over the information I kept thinking of examples of books that fit well, or didn’t fit well and wondering where the lines of this definition could be blurred.  For example, fantasy books like the Percy Jackson series tend have problems that are monster related.  While they do go through teenager issues as well, the main conflict isn’t exactly a contemporary issue.  The books still meet the other criteria though, so I assume it still fits into the category.  Either way, this information will help me in suggesting books for my students.

How do Adolescents Develop? 

Adolescence can be a tough time for kids.  There are a lot of changes going on in their lives.  I’ll highlight some of them here.

Physically- We all know the “P” word that goes here, Puberty.  I certainly don’t need to detail the specific changes here, but anyone can agree there is quite a bit of change that goes along with it.  Something we don’t always remember is how awkward and isolated kids can feel.  Many of them wondering the same question, “Am I normal?”  Providing books that deal with people in this transition can help assure them.

Intellectually- There are both changes in an adolescent’s thought processes and in the way they begin to view the world.  The ability to appreciate more abstract Ideas begins around this stage.  They’re relationships with the opposite sex, peers, and parents will also change.  They will also further examine what it is they are good at and what they want to do with the rest of their lives.

Morally- An adolescent’s personal morals further develop.  They may align with those who raised them, or they may not.  They may also begin to move from just following conventional rules to understanding post-conventional.  Conventional rules are set rules.  Post-Conventional is the idea that sometimes the set rules don’t align with what’s actually align with what is humane or good.

Reading- adolescents further develop as readers.  At this stage they are more likely to get sucked into a book, read about characters similar to themselves, read to experience things they couldn’t otherwise, and read philosophically.

This lesson has helped me to understand teenagers a bit better.  I’ve been teaching them for 11 years and as I was listening to this lecture I kept having that “oh I get it” and “Then that’s why” and “that makes sense” moments.  Since this is the level I wish to stay whether teaching or as a librarian, I can use this info to help me suggest books.  It also makes me understand the choices of books assigned to our YA lit class.

Literary Elements

There are many literary elements and literary devices.  While I haven’t included information on all of them here, I have included elements that I were new to me or that I misunderstood previously.    I learned that an Archetype is more than just a type, it’s more of a comparison to the original that set the type.  Setting not only tells the place and time, but often sets the mood for the story as well.   Mood being the emotional atmosphere, which lends a particular disposition to the subject.  I found that I, like many others, have oversimplified theme.  Theme is not a one word main Idea.  Theme needs to be a complete sentence.  That sentence describes an idea that also applies to the outside world which ties elements of the story together.  There also can be multiple themes in one story.

The biggest impact this lesson can have on my evaluation of YA literature is knowing what to evaluate.  These are all the parts of a story, to evaluate that story I need to know what I’m looking for.  Knowing the difference between a main topic and a theme is important.  Knowing these elements, I can use them when evaluating, and when sharing information with others.

Awards and Lists

 There are quite a few literary awards given to YA books and lists those books can be place on.  This is a list of them with short descriptions.  I’ve organized it first by List or Award, and then by organization presenting it.

Lists

(The following lists are compiled by groups associated with the American Library Association)

Great Graphic Novels for Teens- This is an annual list of recommended young adult graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction books

Best Fiction for Young Adults-  This annual list is of recommended fiction titles for young adults, published in the previous 16 months.  It is meant to be used by librarians in their collection development

Outstanding Books for the College Bound- The books on this list are meant to introduce a variety of subjects in the academic realm.  It is produced every 5 years.

Popular Paperbacks- This list includes books across a broad variety of themes and genres.  The books on this list are meant to encourage young adults to read for pleasure.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers- Both fiction and nonfiction books are included on this list of books aimed at encouraging reading in those young adults who don’t like to read.

Reader’s Choice- Young Adults, librarians, teachers, and other YA literature enthusiasts pick the books on this list. The last list was created in 2013

Teens Top Ten- 15 teen book clubs from schools or libraries across the country nominate books for this list.  After that any teen can vote on their favorites, this will determine what makes the top ten.  It is created annually.

Amazing Audiobooks- This annual list is made of notable audiobooks for young adults published in the previous two years.

(The next three lists are produced by the Texas Library Association)

Lone Star Reading List- The books on this annual list are picked by a panel of librarians from across Texas to encourage recreational reading in children of grades 6-8.

Tayshas List- derived from the Caddo Indian word for “friend” or “ally”, the Tayshas is where we get the name for our state.  The list with this name is full of books meant to motivate reading in high schoolers.  The librarian at my school, Margie Longoria, is on the panel.

Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List- This list consists of recommended graphic novels.  It is arranged into 4 groups: Grades 6-8, Grades 6-12, Grades 9-12, and Adult for Young Adults.

(The last list is presented by the International Library Association)

Young Adults’ Choices Reading List- This annual list is includes 30 Young Adult titles choses by teens across the country.

Awards

(The following awards are presented by groups associated with the American Library Association)

Michael L Printz Award- This annual award is given to a book that exemplifies excellence in young adult literature.

YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction- Every year, this award is given to the best nonfiction book for young adults.

Margaret A. Edwards Award- Sponsored by School Library Journal Magazine annually, this award honors an author and their work that have made a significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.  

Alex Award- This award is also named for Margaret A Edwards, who was known as Alex to her friends.  This award is given to ten books with young adult appeal.

Odyssey Award- This award is given every year to the best children’s or young adult audiobook.

Morris Award- Only 1^st time authors can receive this award for a young adult book.

Mildred L Batchelder Award-  The most outstanding book originally published outside the U.S. in a language other than English receives this award.

Pura Belpre Award- Each year, a Latino/ Latina author that has written a book that exemplifies, affirms, or celebrates Latino culture receives this award.

Schneider Family Book Award-  This award goes to a book that models the disability experience for children and adolescents.  It is given in three categories: Teen, Middle School, and Young Children.

Sibert Award- The Most distinguished informational book in the U.S., written in English can receive this award.

Stonewall Award-  This is actually a small group of awards given to authors writing about the GLBT experience. Winners receive a plaque and $1000.  The Stonewall Awards include the: Barbara Gittings Literature Award, Israel Fishman Nonfiction Award, Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award.

(the following awards are presented by associations other than ALA)

The Edgars-  Presented by the Mystery Writers of America, these awards are given annually to literature in the mystery category.  One of the awards is for best Young Adult Mystery .

NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children- This  award is given on even numbered years by the National Council of Teachers of English to a living poet for his/her work in poetry for children of ages 3-13.

Orbis Pictus- given by the NCTE, this award is presented to outstanding nonfiction.  It is named for the book of the same name, written by Johannes Amos Comenius. 

Scott O’Dell Award-  The Scott O’Dell award not only comes with a pretty golden seal, but $5000 dollars!  It is given to an author for a distinguished work of historical fiction.

My first reaction to this lesson is, “Wow there are a lot more awards than I realized!”  Some of the awards are pretty distinct, like the Stonewall awards, or the Batchelder Award.  Others I feel are pretty similar to each other. Honestly, it may take a little while before I am completely able to distinguish them.  I like that I know someone on one of the committees that decide these things.  I’ve talked to Margie about the Tayshas before, but now I have a better understanding of what she does for them.

 

Poetry

Poetry is not a genre, but a form literature can take.  Many genres of poetry can be found though.  There are many types of poetry, including: lyrics, narrative, ballad, limerick, free verse, haiku, and concrete.

There are many authors of children’s poetry, but not so many awards.  Recognition of poetry is on the rise though.  The best known award would be the “NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry, but there are others such as, the Lee Bennet Hopkins Award.

When selecting poetry for children there are several criteria in which one can use to evaluate it.  Much of this comes from research done on child preferences.

1.        The subject should be of a subject familiar to children.  Kids prefer narrative poems as they are used to being told stories.  Poems that are funny, about animals, or other familiar experiences are preferred.  Speaking of familiar, contemporary poems are preferred over older ones.

2.       The poem should use imagery accessible to young readers.  Words that are stimulating to the child’s mind will help to get their imagination moving.  Just keep in mind that being accessible to young readers is not the same as “being brought down to their level.”  Talking down to children in any form of literature is a mistake.

3.       Though a poem doesn’t have to rhyme, children do prefer it.  Rhyming is the number one thing kids think of related to poetry.   For this reason, they tend to dislike free verse and haiku.

4.       Poems with a natural rhythm help kids to follow it. 

5.       Sound devices should be employed to make it entertaining.  Assonance, Alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, as well as rhythm and rhyme get kids attention.

6.       The poem should be good enough for repeated readings.  If the kids want to hear it over and over again, then you know you’ve made a good choice.

Children should be involved in poetry.  There are many ways to go about it that don’t involve boring dissections of it.  One can read aloud to them.  The more you read it to them, reading like you enjoy it, the more likely they will want to pick it up themselves.  Some poems lend themselves to moving or dancing.  Let them dance, get the kids physically involved.  You can dramatize poetry, turning it into an interactive act.  Choral readings can be fun.  There are poets who write specifically for this type of reading.  Last but not least, have the students write their own poetry.  The nice thing about poetry is that there are almost no rules on how to write it.  So kids can really get their creative juices flowing however they want.  After that, see if you can get them to share it.

It’s funny, the changes this course is making to my views on types of literature.  I thought I didn’t really have any need for poetry.  As I learned about it though, I wanted to have it and share it.  During the videos I kept thinking things like “oh my daughter would love this, I have to get and share that with my wife, or how can I bring poetry into my classroom?”

The idea of poetry that works like a discussion or debate really hit home.  I’m already trying to think of a topic in my classes in which I can have students write this type of poetry to compare and contrast.

I also like the idea of having a poem in my pocket.  I already write down quotes that strike me, might as well start carrying small poems as well.  Similar to that, I’d like to start sharing some poems via my class’s journal topics.  Then, I’ll have the students create their own.

Historical Fiction

When put down to basics, historical fiction can be any story set in the past.  Of course, then comes the trouble of defining the past.  Different age groups tend to define past in different ways.  I could mean earlier today, during your lifetime, or before your time.   With any of these definitions of history though, historical fiction gives you the chance to experience life in a previous time.

There are a few things to keep in mind when evaluating a work of historical fiction for your library.

     First, does the history blend effortlessly into the story?  The book shouldn’t have to hit you over the head with “this is in the past.”  Instead it should focus on the story being told, the fact of it being in the past smoothly worked in.

    Second, are the historical facts accurate?  Much as with nonfiction, unless you are an expert, you are not likely to know.  There are sources in which you can check the facts, and some professional organizations, like the National Council on Social Studies, review and make list of books worth reading.

  Also, the values and social milieu should be consistent with that time period.  It is important that readers know and appreciate that values can change over time, and that the values of different cultures may not be the same.  The social environment depicted shouldn’t have any facets that don’t belong with that time or culture.  For example, it would be strange to see a woman wearing pants prior to the later 20^th century or an indoor restroom in rural America during the 1800s.

    Lastly, does the theme relate to contemporary readers?  If you want your library patrons to be able to relate to the book, the theme needs to be universal, not specific to that time.  A theme like” A mother loves her children unconditionally” is still relatable. We still have mothers, and they still can love their children.  Something like that can be set in any time period, and that’s what you want from your historical fiction’s theme.

This information will be very useful in the future when choosing books for my library.  In addition I want to share this information with some history teachers I know.  They teach AP history and at least one of them assigns books for their students to read.