YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE

WHAT IS YA LIT?

Characteristics:

Told from the perspective of an adolescent/teen

Addresses issues that many young adults experience (friendship, sexuality, parental relationships)

Focus on themes of identity, friendship, isolation, and other themes that adolescents can most relate to

WHY DO WE READ YA LIT?

Purpose: Teaches YA readers about diverse groups of

people

Depicts different societal institutions

Allows pleasurable reading w/ characters that are relatable

Helps YA learn to analyze and understand the deeper meanings in a text

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

YA is NOT quality writing

YA literature is too dark and violent

YA can’t handle reading regular fiction, so they read YA lit

YA LITERATURE AWARDS ALSA honors the best teen literature each year with its six literary awards,

announced each year at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. Alex Awards

This award, sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust, honors ten adult books with special appeal to teens. The Alex committee also publishes its official nomination list after the awards announcement.

Morris Award The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, funded by the William C. Morris Endowment, honors the

best book by a previously unpublished author writing for teens. A shortlist is announced in December each year.

Nonfiction Award The YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award honors the best nonfiction written for

teens each year. The Nonfiction committee also publishes its official nomination list after the awards announcement.

Printz Award The Michael L. Printz Award, sponsored by Booklist, honors the best book written for teens each year.

WHAT’S YOUR EXPERIENCE?

Have you read any YA Literature?

How did you feel about it?

My list: The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Feed by M.T. Anderson The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier Forever by Judy Blume Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick Paper Towns by John Green The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger