In today's fast paced society young adult literature must quickly connect with the young adult reader and be able to hold their attention because there are so many other mediums vying for their attention. Because of this intense competition, book selections that are currently popular are centered around specific problems and occurrences that are taking place each and every day in our world. Students are reading novels that illustrate real life situations.
In the age of twenty-four/seven internet access with every news event becoming a major headline within minutes, teens today are much more aware of major world problems. Through the use of literature, teens are able to see and understand that if they are "different" and/or are having problems - then characters within fictional stories are facing dilemmas that are as complicated or maybe even more complicated than what they are facing in their own lives.
Many of the books that we have read in our class have involved delving into morals and values that are on the minds of young teens today. The problems of isolation, war, dysfunctional families teenage drinking, unwanted pregnancies, and eating disorders are some of the themes within our lists of the most popular books for young adult readers. The internet, which keeps everyone interconnected with what is going on in the world, also, keeps teens from having those close friendships that young adults had several years ago. The world right now - even though it is closely connected through the use of computers - keeps young people in a more isolated environment than that of the generation before it.
Just as good picture books appeal and grab young children into the joys of reading,well written young adult literature and coming of age novels fuels that same love of literature in older students. The books we have read during this class cover a wide range of subject matter, yet each one seems to convey a message and a lesson for adolescents about making decisions that will follow them long into adulthood. The books are not "preachy" and do not lecture about what is the best choice, but the authors of the stories show the consequences one may have to live with by coping with a particular problem in a certain manner.
The major characters in Spin, My Dead Girlfriend, and In Search of Mockingbird all faced problems: some overcame their issues and some did not! This is a true reflection of what does happen in life. It is realistic and young readers can sometimes identify with the same problems that the characters are dealing with in the stories. Teens will gravitate towards book selections that may reflect on their own individual problems and on their own lives. This can be seen within our book reviews on LIFT, 2008.
The BOOKS section of the Chicago Tribune (which is now printed on Saturday) contains a page devoted to teen readers. This past Saturday, the headline read, "Reality checks: sweet and sad stories that deal with everyday, and not-so-everday, issues of life." Until taking this course, I admit I skipped looking over this page in the book section. Now I read it each week. This week, it highlighted three novels and listed the appropriate age level for readers. The selections were: Slam by Nick Hornby, Boy Toy by Barry Lyga, and Get Well soon by Julie Halpern. Every one of these novels deals with serious issues: depression and sexual relationships between teens (Slam) and between an adolescent and his teacher (Boy Toy). The stories are told from the viewpoint of the teenager and from reading the reviews of the three books, one can see why these books have been recommended for them. Get Well Soon by Julie Halpren is actually based upon her own experiences in a mental health facility during high school. This reinforces how relevant young adult literature is to the reader. The books we have been reviewing all have different stories and lessons that may help young adolescents understand that they are not alone with the problems that they may face in their own lives.
Two of the books that I read brought in the theme of the main characters trying to adapt to their new surroundings. In the first book,Spud, we are introduced to John "Spud" Milton. He wins a scholarship to an elite boys' boarding school in Durban, South Africa. Spud brings to his new environment his wit and his diary. He realizes that he out of his element. He is from a poor family unlike his peers at school. His diary is his only ally in this new experience.
This same theme of isolation is continued in Jerry Spinelli's book, Love Stargirl. Susan Caraway,the main character,has moved with her family from Arizona to Pennsylvania. This move is difficult for her and she becomes sad, lonely, and depressed. She writes long letters in her journal. In these letters Susan (like John) shares her most personal thoughts and concerns about how alone she feels in this new experience. Susan's isolation is compounded by the fact that she is being home-schooled. Therefore, she does not have the opportunity to meet any teens her own age.
The Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell brings in the theme of isolation and the sadness of war through the main character Elaine of Ascolot. Elaine is left motherless and sisterless due to the invasion of the Saxons. She lives with an army of men and throughout the book, she witnesses the ugly results of war. Just as today, young adults see on television what is happening in Iraq to their own friends, families, and neighbors.
The graphic novel, Dead High Yearbook, also showed how the main characters couldn't reveal their problems to others or tell anyone what was going on in their own personal lives. The chapter titled, "Fear Pressure," written by John Rozum tells the story of how two teens can't confide in anyone about their loneliness and their inability to share with each other what they are feeling inside. In the end, this lack of an ability to tell someone their problems leads to their demise.
It is unfortunate, but in today's faced paced environment, many individuals
feel very isolated and alone. This can be especially true for teenagers. When they are bridging the transition from adolescence into adulthood, many times there is no one they feel that they can confide in or reach out to for help, counseling, and assistance. That is why it is crucial that selections of Young Adult Literature are available to them so that they can see that they are not alone. They can find comfort with new friends that these authors have created for them.
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Hi Mary! Thank you for this critical essay. Your writing and analysis very much captured my attention. I appreciated your thorough discussion of the books, and also your many connections to the contemporary world.
The main thing I find myself thinking about is this notion of "isolation" that you put forth. In the beginning of your essay, I thought I heard you saying that kids and people in general are more isolated than ever before, in part because of developments like the Internet. This argument makes sense to me, on the one hand, because time spent alone in front of the computer is, in a sense, more isolating than participating in a discussion with a group of peers, family, or friends (especialy if all one is doing on the computer is playing a video game). On the other hand, though,many people use the Internet to communicate and create new relationships they wouldn't otherwise have (and even though there is danger and risk in doing this--as in shaping any relationship--there are also benefits and postives, too). I was reminded how we have formed relationships together via this online course; I was struck, too, by your story about how you now read a section of the newspaper you didn't read before, and find yourself connecting to authors and journalists you hadn't paid attention to previously. In this instance, it seems to me, instead of causing or facilitiating isolation, the Internet seems to have spurred you to expand your network of relationships in a very positive way (something I can relate to: I just agreed to lead a new boys book club in oak park, in part because my experiences blogging about young adult literature are fueling my interest in making other kinds of connections to young adult literature, and kids, too).
in any case, i guess the thought i am left with is that this may indeed be an age of isolation--we seem to hear more and more of incidences--like the one in the nebraska mall the other day--where extreme isolation results in tragic consequences. but we also seem to be living, too, in an age of networking, or an age where there are multiple opportunities for kids and people to reach out and form positive, productive bonds with one another. i thought your essay was a wonderful argument in support of the notion that young adult literature can be a useful catalyst for the formation of such bonds, even if you are more skeptical about the power of technology to do the same.
thanks again for a very stimulating essay, and for all your care and attention to this assignment.
cheers,
tom
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