Young adult fiction ( YES ) is a fictional category published for readers in their youth. The YES book is for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While this genre is targeted to teens, about half of YES readers are adults.
YES subjects and genres correlate with the "age and experience" of the protagonist and subsequent supporters, usually facing the "real world" problem as the story progresses. The genres available in YES are very broad and similar to adult fiction genres. Common themes related to YES include: friendship, first love, relationships, and identity. Stories that focus on teen-specific challenges are sometimes referred to as troubled novels or novels of the past.
YES was developed to soften the transition between children's novels and adult literature. In recent years, diversity has been a major feature of young adult novels.
Video Young adult fiction
History
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The history of young adult literature is linked to the history of how childhood and young adults have been felt. One of the earliest writers to recognize young adults as a different group was Sarah Trimmer, who, in 1802, described the "young adult" that lasted from the ages of 14 to 21. In his childhood literature, The Guardian of Education , the Trimmer introduced the term "Books for Kids" (for those under the age of fourteen) and "Books for Young People" (for those between fourteen and twenty-one) for the young adult literature still in use. The nineteenth-century literature presents several preliminary works, which appeal to young readers, though not necessarily written for them, including the Swiss Family Robinson (1812), Walter Scott Waverley (1814 ), Charles Dickens 'Oliver Twist (1838), Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo (1844), Tom Brown Schooldays (1857) , Dickens' Great Expectations (1860), Alice in Wonderland (1865), Mark Twain Tom Sawyer Adventure (1876), and < Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), Robert Louis Stevenson Kidnapped (1886), Rudyard Kipling The Jungle Book (1894), and Moonfleet < i> (1898) by J. Meade Falkner. 20th century
In the 1950s, two influential adult novels, The Catcher in the Rye (1951) and Lord of the Flies (1954), were initially not marketed to teenagers, still attracted teenager demographic attention.
The modern classification of young adult fiction originated during the 1950s and 1960s, especially after the publication of S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders (1967). This novel features a more true and darker side of the life of adolescents who are not often represented in fictional works of time, and is the first published novel published specifically for young adults because Hinton was one when he wrote it. Written during high school and published when 17-year-old Hinton, The Outsiders also does not have a common nostalgic tone in adolescent books written by adults. The Outsiders remain one of the best-selling young adult novels of all time.
The 1960s became an era of "when the 'under 30' generation became a subject of popular interest, and research on adolescence began to emerge.It also became a decade when literature for teens could be said to have come into its own right. It enhances discussion about teenage experiences and new ideas from teenage authors. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, what came to be known as the "big five" was published: I Know Why Singing Birds (1969), the autobiography of the early years of American poet Maya Angelou; The Friends (1973) by Rosa Guy; semi-autobiography The Bell Jar (US 1963, under the pseudonym: UK 1967) by the poet Sylvia Plath; Bless Beast and Children (1970) by Glendon Swarthout; and Deathwatch (1972) by Robb White, who was awarded the Edgar 1973 Award for Best Adolescent Mystery by the American Mystery Writer. The works of Angelou, Guy, and Plath are not written for young readers.
As publishers begin to focus on the emerging teen market, booksellers and libraries begin to create different young adult sections of children's literature and novels written for adults. The 1970s to the mid-1980s have been described as the golden age of adolescent-adult fiction, when challenging novels begin to speak directly to the identified juvenile market interests.
In the 1980s, young adult literature began to encourage envelopes in terms of subject matter deemed appropriate for their audience: Books addressing topics such as rape, suicide, parental death, and killing that were previously considered taboo, saw criticism important and commercial success. The flip side of this trend is a strong interest in reviving romance novels. In the 1990s, many were concerned that the era of young adult literature would lose its fame, but due to a combination of continued exploration of mature and controversial themes and an increasing number of teenagers, the field was instead "mature, growing, and coming into its own, with adult books younger, more serious, and more varied (than published) groups over the past two decades. "
First novel in J.K. Rowling's seven-book Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, was published in 1997. The series is praised for its complexity and maturity, and attracts a large adult audience.. Though not technically YES, its success led many to see Harry Potter and its author, J.K. Rowling, responsible for the rise of young adult literature, and reestablished the pre-eminent role of speculative fiction in the field, a trend increasingly compressed by Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy. By the end of the decade, numerous awards have emerged such as the Michael L. Printz and Alex Awards Awards, which are designed to recognize excellence in writing for young adult audiences.
Young adult fiction categories continue to evolve into media and other genres: graphic/manga novels, light novels, fantasy, mystery fiction, romance novels, and even subcategories like cyberpunk, techno-thriller, and contemporary Christian fiction.
Maps Young adult fiction
Themes
Many young adult novels display stories that come from age. This teenager's features start to mature, work through personal problems, and learn to take responsibility for their actions. YES serves many literary purposes. It provides a fun reading experience for young people, emphasizing real-life experiences and problems in an easy-to-understand way, and describes social functions.
YA novel analysis between 1980 and 2000 found seventeen broad literary themes. The most common of these are friendship, getting into trouble, romantic and sexual interest, and family life. Other common thematic elements revolve around the nature of text coming from age. These include narratives about identity, life and death, and individuality.
Genre
There is no difference that can be distinguished in the genre style between YES fiction and adult fiction. Some of the most common YA genres include contemporary fiction, fantasy, romance, and dystopianism. Genre-blending, which is a combination of several genres into one work, is also common in YES.
New adult fiction
The new adult fiction (also known as NA) is a relatively new genre, generally written and aimed at young adults between 18 and 30 years old. Many publishers specifically target genres to the age range of 18 to 24. The term "new adult" was popularized in 2009 when St. Martin Press held a contest asking for stories about "some kind of older YES or new adults."
There are some differences in defining new adults, but generally focusing on characters that explore the challenges of adult life. Common themes include: relationships, campus life, self-identity, new responsibilities, and issues such as harassment. Often, adults are newly seen as a love subcategory because many books feature themes such as sexual exploration. Critics of the new adult genre claim that its terminology is condescending because it implies that the reader needs a "training wheel" before reading adult fiction. It is believed that New Adult bridges the gap between Young Adult and Adult Fiction by detailing how to adapt to life after adolescence.
Popular new adult authors include Jennifer L. Armentrout, Jamie McGuire, Colleen Hoover, and Tammara Webber.
Problem novel
The novel "social problem" or problem novel is a literary sub-genre that focuses on and comment on a thorough social problem. They are a kind of realistic fiction that characteristically describes contemporary issues like poverty, drugs, and pregnancy. Published in 1967, S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders is often credited as the first problem novel. After this release, novel problems were popularized and dominated during the 1970s.
Sheila Egoff explains three reasons why the novel has echoed with teens:
- They describe the real situation the reader experiences so they have "therapeutic value"
- They are interesting, new and unfamiliar to those who do not have this problem,
- They feature adult storylines that appeal to a child's desire to grow.
The classic example of the problem novel and which defines the sub-genre is Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (a pseudonym for Beatrice Sparks) published in 1971. Go Ask Alice written in people first as a diary of a young girl who is having a lot of problems while growing up. To solve the problem, the protagonist begins experimenting with drugs. modern examples of novel problems include Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson , Crank by Ellen Hopkins, and The Perks Become Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
Boundaries between children, young adults and adult fiction
The difference between children's literature, adult literature, and adult literature has historically been flexible and loose. This line is often overseen by adults who feel strong about the border. At the lower end of the age spectrum, fiction targeted to readers aged 9 to 12 is referred to as middle-class fiction. Some of the novels originally marketed to adults are attractive and valuable to teenagers, and otherwise , as in the case of books like the Harry Potter novel series .
Some examples of middle-class novels and novel series include Percy Jackson and Olympian by Rick Riordan, The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid < i> by Jeff Kinney. Some examples of young adult novels and novel series include the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling,
The middle-class novel is usually for the age of 8-12 years. They tend to have ATOS level 5.0 or lower, have smaller word counts, and are significantly less mature and complex in theme and content than YES, NA, or adult fiction. Novel young adults are for ages 12-18. They tend to have ATOS level 5.0 or higher, have larger word counts, and overcome adult and adult themes and content. Middle-class novels typically feature a protagonist under the age of 13, while young adult novels typically feature protagonists in the 12-18 age range.
Occasionally, various sub-categories are recognized. This includes early readers and illustrated books ( If You Give a Mouse, Magic Tree Home Series ), chapter books ( The Boxcar Children ), lower middle class ( Charlotte's Web , by Roald Dahl), upper middle class ( Percy Jackson and Olympian , two first Harry Potter The Golden Compass , Harry Potter and Azkaban Defender ), young adults ( The Hunger Games < five, and six), and young adults ( Twilight: Breaking Dawn , Mockingjay , Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Alice ).
Uses in academic world
In recent years, YES has been integrated into the classroom to increase students' reading interest. There is a common misconception alluded to by YES solely for "struggling" or "reluctant" readers and should only be used in remedial classes. However, research shows that YES can be useful in classroom settings. YES fiction is written for young adults so it is often more relevant to the social and emotional needs of students than the classical literature. Use of YES in the classroom associated with:
- higher levels of engagement and motivation among students
- increase confidence level, personal development, and self-identification
- increase the desire to read similar books
Students who read YES are more likely to appreciate literature and have stronger reading skills than those who do not. YES also allows teachers to talk about "taboo" or difficult topics with their students. For example, a 2014 study showed that using Laurie Halse Anderson's Talking novel assisted in discussion of approval and involvement. Those who read about difficult situations, such as date rape, are more emotionally prepared to handle the situation if it arises. It is important to use a variety of literature in the classroom, especially when discussing taboo topics, to avoid minority student exceptions.
Literature written for young adults can also be used as a springboard for canonical works traditionally read in the classroom, and required by many school curricula. In Building a Reader Culture: YA Literature and the Canon by Kara Lycke, Lycke suggests pairing young adult literature and canons work to prepare young adults to understand the classical literature they will encounter. YES can provide similar examples and less alienate similar concepts than those in the classical literature. Suggested couples include Rick Riordan Percy Jackson series with Iliad or Odyssey, or Stephenie Meyer Twilight with Wuthering Heights . When discussing identity, Lycke advised to pair Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter with Sherman Alexie The True Diary of the Indian Time Piece.
Diversity
History of diversity in YES
One of the fundamental elements of young adult literature is the representation of various ideas. Seeing the New York Times bestseller list for young adults at the end of 2010 shows the power of selling narratives. However, the dedication and emphasis on diversity is a fairly new concept.
The age of pre-1980s young adults
For much of history, young adult fiction focuses on cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied characters, and authors. In the 1920s and 1930s, children's stories "variety" emphasized the stereotypical features of colored people. The 1940s sparked a change in the conversations surrounding black narratives. Those in the black community began to demand the publication of books that truly portray their lives. In 1965, Nancy Larrick published the article "The All-White World of Children's Publishing", which analyzed the literature and found that only 6.4% of the more than 5,000 books published for children between 1962-1964 featured children's skin colored. A year later, the Council on Interracial Books for Children, which demanded that more books be published by colored people, was created.
Diversity in the pre-1980 era was not limited to racial diversity. In 1969, John Donovan published I Will Get There. Better worth the trip, which is the first young adult novel featuring gay teenagers. In 1979, Rosa Guy published Ruby , which became the first young adult novel featuring a colorful lesbian woman. 1980s to the new millennium
The 1980s brought greater awareness of the need for diverse teen literature. The population became much more diverse: the Hispanic population more than doubled and racial populations other than white or black increased exponentially. The publishing industry takes notice of demographic changes and becomes more vocal about representation. In 1985, the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) began tracking the percentage of books written by African-American authors. That year, they reported that African Americans wrote less than 1% of all children's books. In 1994, the organization began tracking the number of Asian and Pacific writers, Native and Latin Speakers as well. In their report, CCBC found that, collectively, color writers publish about 9% of all books devoted to children and young adults. By the end of the millennium, that percentage drops to 6.3%.
Well-known authors Walter Dean Myers and Jacqueline Woodson published articles (in 1986 and 1998, respectively) detailing diverse fictional needs for youth.
2000s to present
The young adult genre blooms in the 2000s. In the late 1990s, only 3,000 young adult books were published each year. In 2010, that number increased to 30,000. While the number of diverse books has increased, these figures do not reflect the demographic damage of the United States. The statistics collected by CCBC and other independent researchers show that the market does not reflect US diversity. In 2013, less than 9% of the bestselling novels feature disabled characters. In 2014 and 2015, it was found that 85% of all children's and young adult books had white characters. These statistics have remained fairly stagnant since the 1960s. In 2017, a 20-year analysis of the winners of the National Book between 1996-2015 found that only 5 novels were written by non-white authors.
In 2014, young adult writer Ellen Oh created a hashtag twitter #WeNeedDiverseBooks to protest the lack of diversity in young adults. It was encouraged by all male discussions at the 2014 BookCon festival. This movement evolved into the nonprofit organization We Need Diverse Books (WNDB). The purpose of WNDB is to increase the representation of diverse communities in YES world. This movement changed the conversation around the diversity in YES and has influenced the number of diverse options on the market today. In 2017, a quarter of YES's novels are about minority protagonists, which represents a 10% increase from 2016.
Importance of diversity
We Need Diverse Books mission is to transform the publishing industry so that it displays multiple characters and "reflects the life" of young people. This is part of the reason why diversity and inclusiveness are so important in YES.
One of the biggest arguments for diversity is that it encourages self-reflection among readers. This self-reflection creates a sense of comfort. People love to look at themselves and identify with stories they read. This is not possible when 85% of children's books and young adults feature white characters. By displaying multicultural characters experiencing real-life problems, readers can see that they are not alone. On the other hand, if the various experiences are not visible, it further alienates the disadvantaged minority. For example, there are very few stories that feature Native people who identify as "double-spirited". Two souls are a non-binary gender classification normally reserved for indigenous peoples. The authors argue that if there is no story that represents the experience of the two-souled people, they can not understand that their own experience is valid. Adolescence is the time of self-identification.
When a reader identifies with a disadvantaged minority or population, seeing characters that resemble their experience can empower.
The diverse literature can also be a catalyst for acceptance. Describing and reading about different characters from readers helps reduce stereotypes. These narratives lighten the "weirdness" and make the different look less strange. Studies have found that reading about people from different cultures improves empathy. This is especially true in fantasy novels and science fiction because readers are already drowning in a "different world". It is surrounded by a variety of characters and cultures building "tolerance and respect for" cultures that help dispel prejudice. With an increasingly diverse population and more diverse public schools, young people continue to interact with people who are different from them.
# OwnVoices
The voice movement itself became popular in September 2015 when its author, Corinne Duyvis created a Twitter #ownvoices tagar. Duyvis is a young adult writer specializing in science fiction and fantasy; he is also the co-founder and senior editor of the organization, Disability in Kidslit. Hashtag, which turned into a movement, promoted a novel written about various characters, written by various authors. In particular emphasize authors who share the same experience with their characters. This is not a new concept. In 1986, Walter Dean Myers published BOOKS OF CHILDREN; 'I'm Really Our Thought Will Revolutionize the Industry ' , a feature in The New York Times that details how little black narratives are dictated by black authors. Then in 1998, Jacqueline Woodson published "Can Can Tell My Story" in Horn Book Magazine asking the same question. In Woodson's article, he said, "I realize that no one but me can tell my story." The proponents of this movement claim that it is not enough to have only diverse characters. Someone needs to encourage these stories within the community. It enhances the authenticity and strength of the story told. In recent years, more color writers have published novels, but the numbers do not show any significant change in the number of novels of their own.
Wash white on book cover
Publishing companies typically distort the diversity perceptions on book covers to conform to traditional standards based on the assumption that book covers with diverse character representations are less valuable than white, heterosexual, and able-bodied models, resulting in a white washing effect. Usually this produces a white model that represents a character color or a distorted character image beyond a complete introduction. Ursula Le Guin is a champion for eliminating the phenomenon of "white sale", especially in fantasy. At the BookExpo America 2004 convention, Le Guin criticized the industry by saying,
"Please consider that 'what sells' or 'does not sell' can be self-fulfilling prophecy If black, Hispanic, Indian, East and West black children do not buy fantasy - which they mostly do not - is it because they do not ever seen themselves on the cover? "
There are some high profile examples of white-washing in YES, including Justine Larbalestier's novel in 2009 Wild . In the novel, the protagonist is described as an African American with "natural diaper hair that he uses and short." Advanced reader copies (ARC) show a white cover model.
There are also instances where the publisher will choose to overstate the various novel features to make it look more alien.
Awards
Various young adult fiction awards are presented each year, and marks outstanding teenage literature.
- The Michael L. Printz Award is a tribute to a book that shows literary excellence in young adult literature. It's named for the school librarian Topeka, Kansas who has long been an active member of the Young Adult Library Service Association.
- The William C. Morris Debut Award was first given in 2009, honoring the debut book published by first-time writers for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature. The first William C. Morris Award was awarded to Elizabeth C. Bunce for A Curse Dark as Gold .
- Margaret A. Edwards Award was founded in 1988, honoring an author, as well as a specific part of his work, for a significant and lasting contribution to the literature of young adults. The annual award is administered by YALSA and sponsored by the School Library Journal magazine. It recognizes the work of authors in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and answer questions about their role and interests in relationships, communities, and the world. The The Alex Awards are awarded annually to ten books written for adults with special appeal to young adults. The winning title is selected from the previous year's publication. The Alex Awards are first awarded each year starting in 1998 and became the official ALA award in 2002.
- Odyssey Award honors the best audiobook producers produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States. Managed in conjunction with the Library Services Association for Children.
- The YALSA Prize for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best published nonfiction book for young adults (ages 12-18) during 1 November - 31 October of the year of publication.
- The Coretta Scott King Award is awarded annually to outstanding African American writers and illustrators of books for children and young adults.
- Ezra Jack Keats Book Award is given annually to talents that appear in children's books whose books celebrate originality, diversity, and family.
- Stonewall Book Award is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Roundtable of the American Library Association and a reward book that has tremendous advantages over the LGBTQ experience.
- Jane Addams Children's Book Awards are awarded annually to children's books promoting the causes of peace, social justice, world community, and gender equality and all races.
- American Indians in Children's Literature award the best books in Comics and Graphic Novels, Board Books, Picture Books, Middle Class Books, and For High Schools. There is a separate awards category for books written and/or illustrated by Natives and written and/or illustrated by non-originals.
- AmÃÆ' Â © ricas Book Award for Adult Literature Children and Young recognize fiction, poetry, folklore, and US non-classic fiction depicting Latin America, Caribbean, or Latinos in America States of State.
- The Asia/Pacific American Award for Literature respects individual work on Asia/Pacific America and their heritage, based on literature and artistry. Awards are awarded in the categories of Child Literature, Young Adult Literature, and Picture Books.
See also
References
External links
- "In defending the flat-girl books", by Lianne George, Macleans , 15 October 2007. Archived April 3, 2012 at the Wayback Machine..
- "New Trends in Youth Fiction: Buring Reading: Parents Reminded that Books are More 'Sex and City' than Nancy Drew", by Janet Shamlian, NBC News , August 15, 2005.
- "Now and Forever : The Power of Sex in Young Adult Literature," by Tanya Lee Stone, VOYA , February 2006.
- NPR: Multicultural Books Offer Different Reading Experience Michel Martin interviewed President ALA Loriene Roy, July 19, 2007.
- "Young Adult Fiction: Wild Things," by Naomi Wolf, The New York Times , March 12, 2006.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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