This blog represents the work I have done for my Young Adult Literature class this semester. I have enjoyed this class greatly, and learned a lot. When I enrolled in this class, my view of young adult literature was fairly narrow- I thought of young adult literature as something simplified for the masses, and even had doubts about whether it belonged in the high-school classroom. My work in this class has taught me otherwise; literature written for young adults in this century has reached a high bar. Within the category of "Young Adult Literature", one can find a multiplicity of styles and genres, from science-fiction to romance.
Although high-school students should have some knowledge of the literary classics by graduation, young-adult literature that correlates with these classics is extremely common; young adult authors have learned the value of creating works which act as lead-ins to their more adult counterparts. Little Brother is a great example of this, as it ties in so heavily with 1984. The George Orwell book can be intimidating to reluctant readers, but Doctorow's book is easy to read and engaging to the young mind, and could really get students interested in reading 1984. I was fascinated by dystopian literature when I was in high school; classics like Brave New World and 1984 inspired me to become a life-long reader, so I would love to find strategies for passing on this gift to a younger generation.
Another important thing I have learned this semester is the value of incorporating a visual element into literature for young readers. Often, what makes a student a reluctant reader is their orientation towards a more visual mode of learning. Students who excel in Art often have difficulty in English classes, and the inclusion of a visual element can act as motivator for these students to get interested in literature. I conducted a snap-shot survey about the advantages of using graphic novels in the classroom and found that many students would react positively to this medium, especially those who have an interest in art. My analysis of the survey is included here under the heading "Reading Survey". One thing that I find important to note here is that I do not believe graphic novels to be any any less "literary" than their written word counterparts. Graphic novels such as Neil Gaiman's Sandman, Art Spiegelman's Maus, and Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis are representative of this: they explore mature literary and social ideas in a way that defies the label of mere comic, and they deserve to take their place among literary classics. A section of Maus can be found in the Norton Anthology of American Literature, and I would not be surprised if Persepolis found its way into an anthology like this as well.
I am glad that I had the opportunity to take this class. I feel that the knowledge I have gained will help me to be a better and more well-rounded teacher of English. Find included here an overview of the various assignments I have completed for the course, as well as short descriptions of each of the novels I have read. I think that the content here represents a diversified knowledge of the field of young adult literature, and people may even be able to use the material here to help in their own teaching efforts. Enjoy!
