Throughout the term, we
have considered many factors that make YA lit important in fostering a love of
reading for young adults. I believe that it comes down to the following four
characteristics: YA lit is relatable to young adults, it shines light on
teenage struggles, it deals with contemporary issues, and it does all of this
within a fast-moving and engaging plot.
Here’s a look at the benefits of YA lit in the
classroom from teachers’ perspectives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gFBQiShb1c
YA lit has the power to generate a personal
connection between a book and its young adult reader by utilizing teenage
narrators and content that is meaningful to the young adult audience (Herz
& Gallo, 2005). Many YA novels, like Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson or The Perks of
Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, deal with high school
experiences—the good, the bad and the ugly. What makes these novels so powerful
is their inclusion of all the good, bad and ugly aspects of high school, with
great friendships, exclusion, bullying, sexual and physical abuse and
depression being some of the topics breached. Novels such as these are not
sugar coated, just like a student’s high school experience isn’t going to be
sugar coated. These novels are realistic and students can identify with the
characters. If you brought either of these novels into a high school classroom,
I believe you would be hard-pressed to find a student who can’t relate to these
books on some level. By allowing students the opportunity to personally connect
with YA lit, you’re fostering a love of reading within them because those
connections will keep them coming back for more.
As Herz & Gallo
(2005) argue, YA lit holds immense value “because it deals with real problems
and issues that are central to [young adult] lives…. [Aiding them] in their
search for understanding” (p. xvi). Young adults have a lot of pressure thrust
upon them to grow up quickly in today’s world, and the desire is there for
students to read literature that relates to their lives and the concerns they
have. In essence, often young adults read “to find out about themselves”
(Nilsen & Donelson, 2009, p. 14), seeking answers to their questions
through the words on the page. Growing up is marked with a multitude of
experiences, peer pressures, sex, love, abuse, bullying, parental
relationships. The list could go on and on. Classics such as Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice aren’t going to give students the type of
guidance they’re craving in contemporary times (Herz & Gallo, 2005).
The following quote by
Nilsen & Donelson (2009) emphasizes reasoning behind resistance to the
classics:
Each generation [is]
scrambling to find its own way to be unique, which is one of the reasons that
literature for young adults tends to be a contemporary medium. Each generation
wants its own stories (p. 1).
Students
want to read about current topics that they can relate to on a personal level
or that they can relate to the world around them, and that’s a difficult thing
to do when forced to read about something you have no experience with (Nilsen
& Donelson, 2009). The ability to make intimate connections to a novel
helps “make the work personally significant to the students” (Bushman &
Haas, 2006, p. 54) as well, further nurturing a love of reading in young
adults.
13
Reasons Why by Jay Asher is one of those YA novels
that focuses on difficult contemporary issues, issues that many students
unfortunately have to deal with. With the main theme of the novel being teenage
suicide, 13 Reasons Why has the
ability to ring true in the ears of many young adults. About two years ago in
my hometown, there were two teenage suicides within a few months’ of each other
at the same high school. Both victims were under the age of 15. Teenage suicide
has become a very serious problem in today’s world, and it’s something that we
need to be talking about. It’s a very real concern for many young adults, along
with many other contemporary tribulations, and novels such as 13 Reasons Why can help bring attention
to these harsh realities.
Lastly, the fast-paced
plots of YA lit hold appeal for wide-ranging reading levels. “People at any
[reading level] need to experience pleasure and profit from their reading” (Nilsen
& Donelson, 2009, p. 16), and YA lit allows for this. A short novel with a
concise yet dramatic plot can cater to many reading abilities, motivating more
students to read. Even slightly longer YA novels like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak hold the interests of young readers
because their plots are so engaging and they move so quickly. YA lit draws
readers in and gets them hooked. It is a powerful instrument for fostering a
love of reading in young adults, as it “help[s] students take pride in their
reading and [helps] them develop into confident, critical readers” (Herz &
Gallo, 2005, p. xvi).
Bushman, J., & Haas, K. (2006). Using young
adult literature in the English classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Herz, S. & Gallo, D. (2005). From Hinton to Hamlet: Building bridges
between young adult literature and the classics. (2nd ed.).
Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
Nilsen, A., & Donelson, K. (2009). Literature
for today's young adults. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
rightlinemedia. (2011). Young adult literature in
the classroom [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gFBQiShb1c
