The Status of Young Adult Literature in Today's Society By: Barb Rohleder

Literature has always been a tool that reflects the time and society during which it was written. Many classic novels that teens have read in the past include, The Jungle, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Of Mice and Men. These classic pieces of literature expose the truth behind the society of the time. Not only were these pieces of historical fiction used to make a statement, but they also had characters in which readers of the time found relatable. Nowadays, the influence of the meat packing industry has subsided in Chicago, racial segregation is no longer legally allowed, and the United States is not in the midst of a Great Depression. Even though these are great novels, their storylines no longer engage the young adults of today’s society because these problems no longer affect them. As society changes so must the literature in which young adults are exposed to.. As educators, we must keep current with the trends of young adult literature or risk losing young readers because we are too afraid to capture them with engaging literature that pushes our comfort level.

For people who do not want to lose the value of the classics, don’t worry there are still pieces of young adult literature that value the classics and history, authors are just finding new ways to express these stories. Some authors such as Lisa Klein have taken on traditional pieces of writing and changed them to have a different outcome from the original. In Klein’s work Ophelia: A Novel, she rewrites Shakespeare’s Hamlet through the eyes of a female character. Not only does this express a desire to keep the classics around, but it also shows support for strong leading female characters, which is an expression of feminism in literature. Too often books written in the past, revolved around the struggles of a male protagonist, leaving the female readers searching for someone with which to identify.

Another tool that authors use in today’s literature to express the classics is a graphic novel. In Gareth Hinds’ account of Beowulf, the reader is thrown into a visual as well as literary retelling of this epic poem. The illustrations do not take away from the story, but enhance it instead. The same goes for Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography. In this graphic novel, readers learn about Malcolm X through a blend of literature and pictures. For readers who struggle to visualize what has happened in the past, the graphic novel is a great way to engage them in the story. Graphic novels are not only used to express the classics, but they can also bring to light the current issues that teens are facing. In Nadia Shivack’s Inside Out: A Portrait of and Eating Disorder, readers follow the journey of the author’s battle with binging on food to stay physically appealing to those around her, a struggle that many teens face.

Today’s young adult literature does not hide the fact that teens or society are not perfect, it does rather the opposite by exposing it and letting teens know that they are not alone in their struggles. From stories such as Make Lemonade, SPEAK, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Monster, and Twisted, we learn that sometimes the choices of teens do not always have positive outcomes, but the main characters in these novels learn how to deal with these consequences they best way that they can. In all of the afore mentioned novels hard hitting issues such as date rape, physical abuse, teenage pregnancy, and underage drinking are discussed. The authors of today’s young adult literature realize that these are all issues that teenagers face. Therefore, they are creating characters that are more realistic and engaging for young adults.

In Laurie Halse Anderson’s books, SPEAK, Catalyst, and Twisted, the reader is exposed to both strong willed female and male protagonists that overcome the obstacles that they face in their lives. In all three novels when faced with an obstacle, whether it is date rape, loss of a parent, or contemplating suicide, all three protagonists, show a realistic resolution of a teenager. The novels portray the struggles that these teens face because of their actions. They do not all end neatly with happy endings, but rather they have realistic conclusions that leave the reader wondering what will happen next for these protagonists.

Teenage literature also exposes the fact that not all marriages and families are perfect. Many of today’s novels show non-nuclear families. We are no longer living in a society where the household contains a mom, dad and 2.5 children. Instead children are raised in families with a single parent, a grandparent, or divorced parents. Today’s literature reflects the changes to the typical family and lets young adults know that they are not the only ones who don’t live in a stereotypical “perfect” household. In Twisted, readers learn about a marriage that is barely staying together. Similarly, in Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos, the readers see how a marriage in which parents fight and argue affects the lives of their children.

Along with facing the realistic side of teenage angst and struggle, today’s young adult novels also portray the influence of war in our society. No matter how we choose to look at it, the issue of war is splashed all over the news, television, and radio. It would be foolish for people to believe that war does not affect today’s young adults. In How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, the author shows the growth of an American teenager moving from a self-centered girl who only worries about whether or not she can go shopping with her friends, to a worldly and informed teenager who learns about her Jewish heritage and the war between Israelis and Palestinians. A non-fictional account of this issue is A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah. His story reflects upon his survival of the civil war in Sierra Leone. Even though young American adults are not drafted into wars as teenagers, the war still affects them. They may go into the military later on in life, or they may know or have lost loved ones in the war. With books such as these, authors show that they too can change with society.

I believe as educators we too need to change with society and literature. I am not saying that we need to forget the classics, but we need to realize that there is more out there for young adults to read, than just Romeo and Juliet or To Kill a Mockingbird. We need to realize that young adult literature is pointing out the significant changes in our society that many of our teens are already facing. We as educators need to use these novels as tools for safe discussions on the hard pressing issues in teenage life, so that when teens go to make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives, they are informed and aware of their consequences.

The Nature of Young Adult Literature

In all the books I read for this unit many had a similar theme throughout. Even if it was not the main theme, hope, was prevalent in many of the books reviewed on this blog. From a young woman who has lost her mother, in Mistik Lake, to a boy who has lost his best friend, in This is What I Did, the books all bounced back from the depressing main plots, to reveal a core that gave hope in the end.

In the heavy themes that have plagued young adult literature in the last few years, there have been many complaints about this growing genre that is called "realistic fiction". I think in response the literature we've seen in 2007 for young adults has stepped up with realistic themes that still inspire kids to believe that there is hope that even when things seem all bad something comes along that can give them hope for their future.

This theme was most apparent in the book Spider-Man Reign. Kaare Andrews tried to bring hope to the current reality with a futuristic post 9/11 society. His portrayal of the future as bleak and scared of the terrorism that plagued a city into buying into a military state was creepy enough to remind me of our present day problems with terrorism. Yet the storyline that brought back Spider-Man, and teamed him up with children gave you hope in the end. The kids in the story were tired of a life of terror and stood up and fought with Spider-Man, giving me a sense that even when things are at their worst if you don't give up hope things will get better.

Hope seemed far away for the daughter of an alcoholic mother in Mistik Lake. The author Martha Brooks piles problem after problem on her young heroine. making the book start out with no hope for Odella or her family's future. Mistik Lake provides a way for the reader to see there can be hope for Odella and her family. Whether it's with Odella's new love, Jimmy, who is the bright shining light in her future, or her new baby sister who brings a family together in it's grief. The struggles that a young adult would perceive in this book would have to be countered with the glimmers of a better future that Odella's budding love for her boyfriend and baby sister bring to her.

This Is What I Did is by far the strongest in dark themes of the books that I read for this blog. Yet Ann Dee Ellis does a wonderful job of infusing humor and entertaining illustrations to bring hope to Logan, a character who so desperately needs it. His life seems miserable by anyone's standards and yet he slowly gets back into it with the misguided help of his family and his new friend Laurel. Logan finally finds some much needed self esteem and joy with a part in the school play and coming to terms with what he did. In the end Ellis leaves the reader with the sense that things will get better for Logan. Hope prevails for Logan in this well done young adult book, that speaks to the awkward adolescents of the world.

Many of the other books read by my classmates in this unit had messages of hope as well. The protagonist, Amy, in How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, sees her situation as bleak even though to an adult it doesn't seem so bad. Yet the author turns her trip to Israel into a learning experience giving Amy some hope in her supposedly ruined summer vacation. Another one of the books read by one of my classmates stood out in my mind as speaking to many mainstream young adults with a message of hope and that was The Breakup Bible. Many adolescent girls go through a devastating breakup at one time or another and can use the hope that is given by the end of this book.

Young adults in this day and age have it rough. There are many topics that they deal with that weren't even relevant 50 years ago, so the literature that was published in 2007 speaks to their current problems. Bullying, love, and abuse are all issues that today's teens find themselves dealing with. The literature that they're reading speaks to their problems by not giving them quick fixes, but instead gives them a viewpoint to a problem that they may not have seen before but also can fill them with compassion and hope for their fellow man.

Spider-Man: Reign By Kaare Andrews

Thirty years in the future and all hope is lost. New York City is terrified of terrorism and will do anything to protect itself. Even if that means imprisoning the city in a big laser powered barrier, ironically called the Webb. The Webb is meant to keep the terrorists out and the citizens, good and bad, trapped in.

Peter Parker is old now and long ago gave up the fight to protect the city as Spider-Man. Disillusioned and half crazy, he spends his days talking to his long dead wife, Mary Jane. J. Jonah Jameson, Peter's old boss, is now an even crazier old man who has sold the Daily Bugle to a corrupt corporation controlled by the the even more corrupt politicians. Of course there is a little more to the story line that involves some background knowledge of Spider-Man, but if you've seen any of the movies you should be somewhat prepared to read the futuristic Spider-Man: Reign.

Kaare Andrews writes and draws Spider-Man like no other, making him seem dark and angst ridden. The characters are all lean and full of emotion. This Spider-Man could not be played by Tobey Maguire. The novel is too dark and full of despair for the youthful innocence of the movie's Spider-Man. He cracks none of his signature jokes and doesn't even don his signature red and blue spidey suit until the end of the novel. Although, for classic Spider-Man fans there are some old super villains to be fought.

This book would probably be good for older middle school students and up. There is quite a bit of violence, blood, and death in this novel so I would keep it away from the younger Spider-Man fans. But there is a message, as there often is in Marvel comic books. Andrews uses the story to tell of a city so scared of terrorism that it puts itself in a cage locked away from the rest of the world with no hope or truth.

Beowulf By: Garth Hinds

“I am Beowulf. Many deeds of note have I done in my life.”

Action, epic battles, monsters, and dragons, all are found in Gareth Hinds’ graphic novel account of Beowulf. The story begins with the introduction to the setting and the kings that Beowulf will later help. Then this exciting graphic novel is broken into three mini-books.

The first book focuses on Beowulf’s battle with what seems to be an undefeatable monster, Grendel. In this section the reader learns about many fantastic feats that Beowulf has already overcome, leading the reader to believe that Beowulf will defeat the wicked monster that torments King Hrothgar's kingdom.

The second book focuses on Beowulf’s battle with Grendel’s mother. Here the reader sees the struggle that Beowulf has with a grief stricken monster in a fantasy world of an underwater lair. After succeeding at defeating this foe, the novel leads the reader into the third and final book.

Book three’s setting takes place years after the battle with Grendel and his mother. Beowulf is now the leader of his people and he has to defend them from a dragon. Does his strength run out or does he defeat this evil foe? To find out read Beowulf, by Gareth Hinds.

Reading Beowulf in a graphic novel form was an interesting and unique experience. I found the illustrations to be extremely helpful in interpreting the text. Since Beowulf was passed down for centuries using oral tradition, there is no known date of the original recording of this epic poem. Hinds based his graphic novel from the A.J. Church translation of 1904. Due to this translation, some of the words are challenging and harder to follow than that of modern English.

That begin said I would not recommend this graphic novel to middle school students, because even though the illustrations help to interpret the novel, the overall meaning is lost, if you only look at the illustrations. I would suggest reading this novel freshman or sophomore year of high school. It would make a great accompaniment to the traditional version of the poem that many high school students are often required to read. I also found it refreshing to see a different version of an epic poem that is shared so frequently.