The Information School of the University of Washington
Genres for Young
Adult Literature
Definition of genre
Classes of genre
How to approach them with young adults
Betty Marcoux, Ph.D.
Winter Quarter 2004
The Information School of the University of Washington
What is a genre?
• Kind or type of literatures that has a common set of
characteristics
• Many differences and variables within a genre
• Classification of literature by genre not always simple
• Seen often as arbitrary
• Way of organizing literature for readers
• Literary elements may vary according to genre and
within genre (ie: poetry vs sonnet/lyric poetry) Different
genres have different emphases on different elements
• More of a helpful guide than anything else – reader’s
advisory concepts
The Information School of the University of Washington
Genre classes/types
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Adventure
Mystery
Fantasy
Horror
True Stories
Romance
Sports
Science Fiction
Autobiographies/Biographies
Hobby
The Information School of the University of Washington
Genre classes/types (Carlson, 1984)
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Sport stories
Animal stories
Stories of olden times
Science fiction
Stories of foreign cultures
Boys and cars
Adventure stories
Mystery stories
Vocational stories
Stories of moral/ethical dilemmas
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Genre classes/types (Carter, 2000)
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Too good to miss
Adventure
Animals
Family
Fantasy
Friendship
Historical fiction
Holocaust
Humor
Mtstery
Not quite human
Other lives
Quest
Romance
Short takes
Sports
Starting over
Survival
Suspense
War
Westerns
The writing life
Youth in trouble
The Information School of the University of Washington
Text classifications of YA Lit.
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Realism
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Romanticism
Adventure
Mysteries
Supernatural
Humor
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Utopias and Dystopias
History
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Life
Problems
People
Places
Non-fiction
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Information
Poetry
Drama
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Top 10 Types of Characters
2002
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Characters like reader
Characters different from reader
Characters do or have done amazing things
Fantasy characters
Characters face tough issues
Animal characters
Sports figures
Musicians
Historical figures
Detectives
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Top 10 Books-2002
Read for fun
Ever
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Harry Potter series
Lord of the Rings series
A child called it
Holes
Chicken soup for the
teenage soul
A walk to remember
Left behind series
Artemis Fowl
His dark materials series
The Giver
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Harry Potter series
Lord of the Rings series
Where the red fern grows
A child called it
The Outsiders
To kill a mockingbird
The Giver
A walk to remember
Hatchet
Bible
The Information School of the University of Washington
YA statistical evidence
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1997-2007: 13% increase of secondary school enrollment
YAs say they mostly like reading a lot and are advanced readers
58% of YAs believe they “always read things that they are passionate about”
54% read constantly for their own pleasure
26% read what they are supposed to for school
21% basically don’t read much at all
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55% read for fun
54% read to learn new things
42% read for school lessons
30% read due to boredom/not anything else to do
21% read and talk about books with friends
19% don’t read because it is “boring”
19% don’t read because they don’t have the time
7% don’t read because it isn’t “cool”
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54% indicate they were read to a lot as a child
34% indicate they were read to sometimes
10% indicate they hardly ever were read to
5% indicate they were never read to
The Information School of the University of Washington
Approaches to genres with YAs
• Be aware that genre
similarities/differences may or may not be
helpful with reader’s advisory work
• Works are popular for a time and then
fade as they are replaced with more
timely material
• Some works become icons
• A classic is “news that stays news”
(Ezra Pound)
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Librarian competencies for YA
work
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Leadership and professionalism
Knowledge of client group
Communication
Administration
– Planning
– Managing
• Knowledge of materials
• Access to information
• Services
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Magazine appeal to YAs
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Capitalize on fads
Self-help
Social relevance
Special interests
Time commitment
Universal interest
Visual appeal
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The Chocolate War
• Author – Robert Cormier 1925-2000
– Often took news stories/life experiences and put
them into a novel
– Wrote from early in life to death
– Often censored due to uncompromising depiction of
real YA life
– Books read by all ages
• History of publications 1940-2000
– The Chocolate War – 1974
– I Am the Cheese – 1977
– After the First Death - 1979
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Issues of the Chocolate War
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Still a bestseller
Has been censored
Has won many awards/honors
Translated into 12+ languages
Treats evil and intimidation of YAs unlike many
others since
• Has a voice that comes through even though
dark and foreboding
• Moral focus – leads teen to consider their own
feelings/ethics
• Considered icon of YA literature
The Information School of the University of Washington
Graphic novels/comic books
• Misunderstood medium
• Close relatives – graphic novel usually larger version of comic book
(long short story)
• Story more visual than textual
• Usually less substantive than regular novel format
• Considered “a self-contained story that uses a combination of text
and art to articulate the plot” ( K. Decandido, LJ 90)
• Can be a single story or set of stories
• Format is appealing to YAs as is visually oriented
• Nonlinear format to the text – not unlike hypertext
• Seen as more like real conversations
• Develops characters through dialogue rather than narrative
• Usually in paperback format
• Usually in a series
• Tend to tackle on the edge issues