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-everafter” 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).
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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)
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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
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WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
QUALITY YA LITERATURE?
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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).
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxqbRRQtaLc
&feature=related
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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 unChristian.”)
 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (“The word
rape is used several times.”)
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MOST FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED
AUTHORS (COMPILED BY ALA)
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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.
2003-2005 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 2000-2005
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)
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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.
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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
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PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
The American Library Association Website
 http://ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/aboutba
nnedbooks/index.cfm
 The National Council of Teachers of English –
Read/Write/Think
 http://www.readwritethink.org/parentafterschool-resources/podcastepisodes/censorship-your-freedom-read30634.html
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