Genres for Young Adult Literature

1. Genres for Young Adult Literature Definition of genre Classes of genre How to approach them with young adults Betty Marcoux, Ph.D. Winter Quarter 2004

2. What is a genre? • Kind or type of literatures that has a common set of characteristics • Many differences and variables within a genre • Classification of literature by genre not always simple • Seen often as arbitrary • Way of organizing literature for readers • Literary elements may vary according to genre and within genre (ie: poetry vs sonnet/lyric poetry) Different genres have different emphases on different elements • More of a helpful guide than anything else – reader’s advisory concepts

3. Genre classes/types • Adventure • Mystery • Fantasy • Horror • True Stories • Romance • Sports • Science Fiction • Autobiographies/Biographies • Hobby

4. Genre classes/types (Carlson, 1984) • Sport stories • Animal stories • Stories of olden times • Science fiction • Stories of foreign cultures • Boys and cars • Adventure stories • Mystery stories • Vocational stories • Stories of moral/ethical dilemmas

5. Genre classes/types (Carter, 2000) • Too good to miss • Adventure • Animals • Family • Fantasy • Friendship • Historical fiction • Holocaust • Humor • Mtstery • Not quite human • Other lives • Quest • Romance • Short takes • Sports • Starting over • Survival • Suspense • War • Westerns • The writing life • Youth in trouble

6. Text classifications of YA Lit. • Realism • Life • Problems • Romanticism • Adventure • Mysteries • Supernatural • Humor • Fantasy • Science Fiction • Utopias and Dystopias • History • People • Places • Non-fiction • Information • Poetry • Drama

7. Top 10 Types of Characters 2002 • Characters like reader • Characters different from reader • Characters do or have done amazing things • Fantasy characters • Characters face tough issues • Animal characters • Sports figures • Musicians • Historical figures • Detectives

8. Harry Potter series Lord of the Rings series A child called it Holes Chicken soup for the teenage soul A walk to remember Left behind series Artemis Fowl His dark materials series The Giver Harry Potter series Lord of the Rings series Where the red fern grows A child called it The Outsiders To kill a mockingbird The Giver A walk to remember Hatchet Bible Top 10 Books-2002 Read for fun Ever

9. YA statistical evidence • 1997-2007: 13% increase of secondary school enrollment • YAs say they mostly like reading a lot and are advanced readers • 58% of YAs believe they “always read things that they are passionate about” • 54% read constantly for their own pleasure • 26% read what they are supposed to for school • 21% basically don’t read much at all • 55% read for fun • 54% read to learn new things • 42% read for school lessons • 30% read due to boredom/not anything else to do • 21% read and talk about books with friends • 19% don’t read because it is “boring” • 19% don’t read because they don’t have the time • 7% don’t read because it isn’t “cool” • 54% indicate they were read to a lot as a child • 34% indicate they were read to sometimes • 10% indicate they hardly ever were read to • 5% indicate they were never read to

10. Approaches to genres with YAs • Be aware that genre similarities/differences may or may not be helpful with reader’s advisory work • Works are popular for a time and then fade as they are replaced with more timely material • Some works become icons • A classic is “news that stays news”(Ezra Pound)

11. Librarian competencies for YA work • Leadership and professionalism • Knowledge of client group • Communication • Administration • Planning • Managing • Knowledge of materials • Access to information • Services

12. Magazine appeal to YAs • Capitalize on fads • Self-help • Social relevance • Special interests • Time commitment • Universal interest • Visual appeal

13. The Chocolate War • Author – Robert Cormier 1925-2000 • Often took news stories/life experiences and put them into a novel • Wrote from early in life to death • Often censored due to uncompromising depiction of real YA life • Books read by all ages • History of publications 1940-2000 • The Chocolate War – 1974 • I Am the Cheese – 1977 • After the First Death - 1979

14. Issues of the Chocolate War • Still a bestseller • Has been censored • Has won many awards/honors • Translated into 12+ languages • Treats evil and intimidation of YAs unlike many others since • Has a voice that comes through even though dark and foreboding • Moral focus – leads teen to consider their own feelings/ethics • Considered icon of YA literature

15. Graphic novels/comic books • Misunderstood medium • Close relatives – graphic novel usually larger version of comic book (long short story) • Story more visual than textual • Usually less substantive than regular novel format • Considered “a self-contained story that uses a combination of text and art to articulate the plot” ( K. Decandido, LJ 90) • Can be a single story or set of stories • Format is appealing to YAs as is visually oriented • Nonlinear format to the text – not unlike hypertext • Seen as more like real conversations • Develops characters through dialogue rather than narrative • Usually in paperback format • Usually in a series • Tend to tackle on the edge issues