Beyond YA Literature
Selecting Adult Books with Teen Protagonists
Why YA Lit Isn’t Enough Largest audience
for YA literature is in grades 5 through 9
“Students will enjoy and appreciate literature” is an information literacy standard
A learning and teaching principle in Information Power
High school students are reading less than ever before
Havighurst’s Developmental Tasks for Adolescents1. New and more mature relations with age-mates2. Masculine or feminine social role3. Accepting one’s physique4. Emotional independence of parents5. Assurance of economic independence6. Selecting/preparing for occupation7. Preparing for marriage/family life8. Developing skills for civic competence9. Socially responsible behavior10. Set of values and ethical system
Young Adults Like to Read
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Fun* Learn* Bored* Friends* Pleasure* *
*SmartGirl/Teen Read Week **NEA
Stages of Literary Appreciation Early Adolescent
Escape from social pressures
Middle Adolescent Coming-of-age stories
Late Adolescent Personal values and social significance
Reading Preferences
1980s 1990s 20021. Young people2. Mystery3. Humor4. Adventure5. Love6. Sex7. Movies8. Famous People9. Romance10. Horror
1. Romance2. Adventure3. Suspense4. Non-fiction5. Classics6. Science
fiction7. Detective8. Fantasy9. Sports
1. Adventure2. Mystery3. Fantasy4. Horror5. True Stories6. Romance7. Sports8. Science
fiction9. Biographies10. Hobby
Adult Books for Older Teens Adolescent main characters
Sophisticated personal/social issues
Completion of developmental tasks
Successful transition to adulthood
Strong plot in genre teens like
How Do We Find Them? Reviewing sources for librarians
School Library Journal Library Journal Booklist
Popular reviewing sources Publishers Weekly New York Times Book Review
Catalogs, bookstores, Amazon
Reading widely
SexExplicitness and Sophistication
LanguageDegree and Context
ViolenceDegree and Context
Illegal/Unacceptable ActivityDrugs, Prostitution
Other Troublesome TopicsMental Illness, Family Problems, Religion
Appropriateness – A Matter of Degree
Appropriateness –Making It Work For Us
Know our patrons Know the community Selection and challenge policies Supportive administrators Selection advisory committee Feedback from readers Selection rubric READ
Model Selection RubricSelection Criteria
Literary Quality
Appropriateness
Readability
Reviews
Strong Plot
Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre
Overall Rating
The Secret Life of BeesSue Monk Kidd
The Secret Life of Beesby Sue Monk Kidd
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Girl with a Pearl Earringby Tracy Chevalier
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Girl with a Pearl Earringby Tracy Chevalier
The Hunt Clubby Bret Lott
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
The Hunt Clubby Bret Lott
The Snow Gardenby Christopher Rice
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
The Snow Gardenby Christopher Rice
Gap Creekby Robert Morgan
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Gap Creekby Robert Morgan
Back Roadsby Tawni O’Dell
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Back Roadsby Tawni O’Dell
All the Pretty Horsesby Cormac McCarthy
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
All the Pretty Horsesby Cormac McCarthy
The Lovely Bonesby Alice Sebold
The Lovely Bonesby Alice Sebold
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Some Things That StaySarah Willis
Some Things That StaySarah Willis
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Snow Falling on CedarsDavid Guterson
Snow Falling on CedarsDavid Guterson
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Dave Eggers
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Dave Eggers
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Nowhere Else on EarthJosephine Humphreys
Nowhere Else on EarthJosephine Humphreys
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Cruddy: An Illustrated NovelLynda Barry
CruddyLynda Barry
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Into The WildJon Krakauer
Into The WildJon Krakauer
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Like Water for ChocolateLaura Esquivel
Like Water for ChocolateLaura Esquivel
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
The WhiteDeborah Larsen
The WhiteDeborah Larsen
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
TwelveNick McDonell
TwelveNick McDonell
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
The Liar’s ClubMary Karr
The Liar’s ClubMary Karr
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
LuckyAlice Sebold
LuckyAlice Sebold
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
The Dive from Clausen’s Pier Ann Packer
The Dive from Clausen’s Pier Ann Packer
Selection Criteria
Literary Quality Appropriateness Readability Reviews Strong Plot Dev. Tasks/ Issues/ Trans. To Adulthood
Popular Genre Overall Rating
Sources Havighurst, R. 1972. Developmental
Tasks and Education. New York: Random House.
National Education Association. Reading Survey. 2001.
SmartGirl. Teen Read Week 2002. Latest Survey Results.
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