I admit it. It is easier being a grandparent than a parent. Even so, every once and awhile I am not just cool and permissive, but I hit one out of the park. About a month ago, our oldest grandson had a birthday –he was going to be 11. It is amazing how fast it all happens. I am a book guy. A new book for Christmas or a birthday was a score. Book nerd that I am, I still realize that not everyone feels the same. I consulted with my daughter. Deacon is into skateboarding, building with Legos and reading up a storm. Well, I like the fact that he is outdoors, but I wasn’t sending a skateboard and we have sent our share of Legos.
Didn’t I just get permission to send a book? Well, yes I did. He is getting to the borderline adolescent/young adult stage. Shouldn’t Grandpa use his expertise to provide some landmarks? I picked a book about skateboarding and two books that I felt every young boy should at least try. In fact, I have anecdotal information that Paulsen’s Hatchet and Wilson’s Where the Red Fern Grows are nearly universally loved. In fact, I had a pre-service English Teacher tell me Hatchet was his favorite book in middle school and maybe the only book he voluntarily read during those formative years. I placed the order and waited for the feedback.
Didn’t I just get permission to send a book? Well, yes I did. He is getting to the borderline adolescent/young adult stage. Shouldn’t Grandpa use his expertise to provide some landmarks? I picked a book about skateboarding and two books that I felt every young boy should at least try. In fact, I have anecdotal information that Paulsen’s Hatchet and Wilson’s Where the Red Fern Grows are nearly universally loved. In fact, I had a pre-service English Teacher tell me Hatchet was his favorite book in middle school and maybe the only book he voluntarily read during those formative years. I placed the order and waited for the feedback.
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Deacon loved them. He yelled, when he opened the package, that Hatchet was the best book ever. He had read it, but didn’t own it. (Shouldn't we own our favorite books?) If Grandpa knew enough to send this one then Where the Red Fern Grows might be great. His mother had fond memories of the book and offered to read it will him. Yip, score one for grandpa.
| It is nice when your family thinks you have made a great decision, but when all of America agrees with you that is something else again. Yes, I scored and Meredith Vieria and the rest of America’s readers agree with me. Like many of you, I tuned in to The Great American Read a couple of weeks after my big birthday win. I wanted to see what was up and add a few titles to my never ending list of books to read. Frankly, I didn’t count on finding many children’s or young adult titles on the list. I was pleasantly surprised. Of course, both Hatchet and Where the Red Fern Grows were on the list. But wait there is more good news. By my count, there are 23 titles on the list, nearly a quarter of the 100 books that could be classified as children’s or young adult. Let the arguments begin. |   |
First, take a look at the slide show to see the 23 books I place in this group.
Group 1
Below, I place the books in three groups: 1.) Books written before 1900. 2.) Books written before 1967—the commonly accepted date that marks the birth of young adult literature. 3.) Books since 1967,
The first group includes only three books. Technically, all three might be considered classics of children's literature. We have to remember that the concept of the adolescent post dates all of these titles. While they are still read by young people, I would like someone to provide some data about at which ages kids start reading these titles: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Little Women, and Tom Sawyer. What's your opinion? Do these books belong in a top 100 lists? Are they favorites because people discovered them when they were young? If we were to classify them now, would they be YA? Were they even written with an adolescent audience in mind?
The first group includes only three books. Technically, all three might be considered classics of children's literature. We have to remember that the concept of the adolescent post dates all of these titles. While they are still read by young people, I would like someone to provide some data about at which ages kids start reading these titles: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Little Women, and Tom Sawyer. What's your opinion? Do these books belong in a top 100 lists? Are they favorites because people discovered them when they were young? If we were to classify them now, would they be YA? Were they even written with an adolescent audience in mind?
 1865 |  1868 |  1876 |
Group 2
The second group is comprised of 9 books written between 1908 and 1961. I might argue that one, The Little Prince, is really written for adults, but I can sure name students who first found the book as adolescents. Two others strike me as children's literature without question. Both Charlotte's Web and The Chronicles of Narnia are read in elementary school. While older readers still embrace them and revel in their magic, I still think they pull in young readers. Three more seem like books found by readers in late elementary or during middle school-- Anne of Green Gables, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Where the Red Fern Grows.
 1908 |  1943 |  1943 |
 1950 |  1953 |  1961 |
The final three books in this group deserve separate consideration. All three continue to be taught in American high schools. They are frequently included in discussions about the "real" birth of Young Adult Literature. Many of us have written about them and discussed their merits as literature, books for adolescents, and their place in the classification of YA literature. I don't believe any of their authors envisioned them as standard texts for adolescent reader, but they are omnipresent in that environment.
I am quite sure that J. D. Salinger did not see The Catcher in the Rye as a novel for teens. Nevertheless, its themes of loss of innocence and a distrust of adults was one of the hallmarks of the early realistic YA novel and both remain prominent, if not dominant, themes of the classification. Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird remains one of the primary ways that young people are introduced to the themes of racism and social justice. Is it a perfect text or the perfect model of behavior? I think not. But it has its strengths. A Separate Peace by John Knowles was in my curriculum every year that I taught tenth grade. Students liked it. The themes of friendship, death, and war resonated with my students. I liked teaching it and just finished writing a chapter about it for a forth coming book. in addition, the latest edition of the book has an afterward by David Levithan. For my money, David has a pretty good eye for quality literature.
I am quite sure that J. D. Salinger did not see The Catcher in the Rye as a novel for teens. Nevertheless, its themes of loss of innocence and a distrust of adults was one of the hallmarks of the early realistic YA novel and both remain prominent, if not dominant, themes of the classification. Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird remains one of the primary ways that young people are introduced to the themes of racism and social justice. Is it a perfect text or the perfect model of behavior? I think not. But it has its strengths. A Separate Peace by John Knowles was in my curriculum every year that I taught tenth grade. Students liked it. The themes of friendship, death, and war resonated with my students. I liked teaching it and just finished writing a chapter about it for a forth coming book. in addition, the latest edition of the book has an afterward by David Levithan. For my money, David has a pretty good eye for quality literature.
 1951 |  1959 |  1960 |
The last group begins with a book published in 1967 and is considered a fixture in the beginnings of Young Adult literature and ends with a 2016 publication by one of the most exciting voice in the field today. Hinton's The Outsiders has certainly stood the test of time. It remains important thematically and still resonants with readers who might think about Chris Pine instead of Paul Newman as they exit a movie theater. Jason Reynolds has my vote as a powerhouse, but I am not sure that I pick Ghost as my favorite among his solo works. You can decide for yourself. Nevertheless, Ghost is a fine middle grades book that introduces his fast past and invigorating Track series (Patina, Sunny, and Lu).
 1967 |  2016 |
The final nine books in this group all strike me as Young Adult literature. I would love to be in the room during the marketing discussion. For example, I don't think either The Book Thief or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time were initial considered Young Adult. At the same time, the eventual marketing, readership, inclusion in school curricula, and adolescent characters have certainly made them easy to identify as Young Adult.
Others will take issue with the Harry Potter series and claim it as Children's literature. I think that is probably true with the beginning books in the series. As the characters age and the books begin to take on the issues of adolescents directly confronting adulthood, I believe the books become squarely Young Adult.
It is impossible to argue with the success of either the Twilight and The Hunger Games series. Both series are terrific reads. The plots move and those of us who where teaching when these books arrived can attest to the fact that kids--and perhaps their parents--were devouring them. One might argue with the stylistic quality of some the writing, but plot and character development are strong and compelling. Publishers relished the rise of books with fantastical creatures--vampires, werewolves, and zombies and a renewed interest in distopian conflicts. Both books have been aided by the movies that accompany them and have become legitimate, bankable franchises.
Others will take issue with the Harry Potter series and claim it as Children's literature. I think that is probably true with the beginning books in the series. As the characters age and the books begin to take on the issues of adolescents directly confronting adulthood, I believe the books become squarely Young Adult.
It is impossible to argue with the success of either the Twilight and The Hunger Games series. Both series are terrific reads. The plots move and those of us who where teaching when these books arrived can attest to the fact that kids--and perhaps their parents--were devouring them. One might argue with the stylistic quality of some the writing, but plot and character development are strong and compelling. Publishers relished the rise of books with fantastical creatures--vampires, werewolves, and zombies and a renewed interest in distopian conflicts. Both books have been aided by the movies that accompany them and have become legitimate, bankable franchises.
 2005 |  2003 |  1997 |  2005 |  2008 |
The last four books all seem unquestionably young adult and represent different genres. The oldest is Hatchet, and as I mentioned earlier, it remains a popular book. It fits a classic set of definitions about Young Adult literature--the adults are gone, the kid must do the work, and the themes of independence, loss of innocence, and self-discovery play an important role. In many ways, The Giver is the epitome of the YA novel and introduces young readers to the danger of group think that was formerly given to adolescent in high school through Animal Farm, 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451. Well, the barn doors are open and a host of YA novels have distopian settings.
Looking for Alaska in often considered John Greene's tour de force. I love the book, but I also think he had a lot to say in An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns. His books are clearly placed in the context of the YA realistic problem novel. I am one of those critics who still thinks we should pay attention to everything he writes. I think there is more to come.
The final book in the group is in the spirit of Feed and The Last Book in the Universe. Cline's Ready Player One takes on the role technology, gaming, and corporate control play in the modern world. I read it and start to wonder just how far in the future it might be.
Whether you agree are not with my short assessments about these 23 titles, I think you would agree that American readers haven't done a bad job of giving us a set of novels that good easily be the core of class on Young Adult literature. The list, however, seems a bit short and restricted. I would love to add a couple of titles to hit some gaps. For my money, both Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming and Draper's Copper Sun would be welcome additions to the list. I also think that American Born Chinese, We Were Here, and Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass should be there as well.
There are two final points too make about an already pretty good list. First, Young Adult literature, as a classification, is full of quality novels. Second, the list needs to be more inclusive in a number of ways. Both points suggest the beginnings for future blog posts.
Start reading and start voting.
Looking for Alaska in often considered John Greene's tour de force. I love the book, but I also think he had a lot to say in An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns. His books are clearly placed in the context of the YA realistic problem novel. I am one of those critics who still thinks we should pay attention to everything he writes. I think there is more to come.
The final book in the group is in the spirit of Feed and The Last Book in the Universe. Cline's Ready Player One takes on the role technology, gaming, and corporate control play in the modern world. I read it and start to wonder just how far in the future it might be.
Whether you agree are not with my short assessments about these 23 titles, I think you would agree that American readers haven't done a bad job of giving us a set of novels that good easily be the core of class on Young Adult literature. The list, however, seems a bit short and restricted. I would love to add a couple of titles to hit some gaps. For my money, both Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming and Draper's Copper Sun would be welcome additions to the list. I also think that American Born Chinese, We Were Here, and Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass should be there as well.
There are two final points too make about an already pretty good list. First, Young Adult literature, as a classification, is full of quality novels. Second, the list needs to be more inclusive in a number of ways. Both points suggest the beginnings for future blog posts.
Start reading and start voting.
 1987 |  1993 |  2005 |  2011 |
You Can Vote!
Until next week.
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