Collected Wisdom: The Best Articles Ever Written on Young Adult Literature and Teen
Reading
Author(s): Richard F. Abrahamson
Source: The English Journal, Vol. 86, No. 3, Young Adult Literature (Mar., 1997), pp. 50-54
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/820646
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Collected Wisdom:
The Best Articles Ever Written
on Young Adult Literature
and Teen Reading
Richard E Abrahamson
ack before the 0. 1.Simpson trial I "You will find the most satisfaction in
thought I wanted to become a being a college professor. But, if you truly
lawyer. I can't remember now what feel the need for a change, our second rec-
pushed:me over the edge to search ommendation is that you start your own
for a new career: another faculty business where you specialize in selling one
meeting, another set of papers to thing-perhaps Persian rugs."
grade, or another newspaper article My Lexus dream awoke to the realities
on what was wrong with American of an old Honda, and the Persian rug career
education. Or maybe it was simply became a family joke. As in, "Come on, Dad,
mid-life crisis, and I knew a red, another set of papers to grade can't be that
convertible, sports car wasn't going bad. You could be selling Persian rugs." Or,
to do the trick. At any rate, I wanted to "I wouldn't have to look for a summer job if
The author change from being the English educator I'd Dad had opened up the Persian rug store!"
been all my working life. I loved that career counseling experience.
highlights the I put a considerable amount of money I found it both reassuring and liberating to
Oest articles down for two days of aptitude testing and find that what I'd chosen to do with my life
on YA lit from career counseling to see what I ought to be was a good fit. I began to look at my teaching
1912 to the now that I'd grown up. For sixteen hours I career with new eyes and a new enthusiasm.
tried putting wooden blocks together; bun- Though no one had ever said it to me before,
present.
gled exercises in paper folding; took manual I guess I always knew I loved learning a lot
dexterity tests; gave writing samples; an- about one thing. I admire folks who know
swered vocabulary tests; participated in in- much about lots of things, but I like a tighter
terviews, and generally had a wonderful focus. I enjoy the fact that my job requires me
time. to focus my attention on one branch of litera-
My days of testing ended with a one- ture-the young adult novel. While I don't
hour session with a career counselor who pretend to know all there is to know about
talked me through the results of my tests young adult literature and the reading lives of
and finished with her recommending the teenagers, I love trying to know as much
two jobs in which my tests showed I'd findabout it as I can, and I love passing that infor-
the greatest satisfaction. As she talked, vi-mation on to the students I teach.
sions of my new life flashed through mySELECTING THE ARTICLES
head. There I was in my Lexus talking on
Shortly after my career counseling se
the car phone giving advice to Sandra Day
sion, I taught a graduate seminar on you
O'Connor and Alan Dershowitz. My profes-
adult literature. I wanted the teachers in tha
sorial uniform of L. L. Bean Hush Puppies
class to know everything they could about t
and chinos gave way to custom-tailored
scholarship in the field. My goal was to h
power suits. My cigars were from Cuba.
us all read every article ever written abo
"What all these tests tell us," she con-
young adult books and the reading lives
cluded, "is that you'll find the most job satis-
teenagers. I wanted the students to be e
faction in a career that requires you to know
posed to the scholars in the field, their wri
a lot about a little. You love specializing in
ings, the history of young adult literature, a
one area and knowing all there is to know
about that area. the thoughtful uses of books for adolesce
in middle school and high school classroom
50 March 1997
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In that first seminar, we divvied up the ceived much attention in the library world
journals in the field from English Journal to and would have, I believe, been selected by
School Library Journal to the Journal of Read- my students. Since a couple of the articles
ing to specific issues of state journals such as the students selected were written by me
Arizona English Bulletin, Connecticut English and two co-authors, I struggled with the
Journal, and many more. Each student was issue of whether or not I should leave them
assigned two journals that they were to out. In the end, I decided to leave the cita-
scour for articles related to young adult liter- tions in and let the reader decide if the arti-
ature and teen reading. We looked through cles are worthy.
every issue of every journal from the first What I know is that if you are an advo-
issue of English Journal to the latest that came cate for using young adult literature, you'll
in. Every article that dealt with YA literature find much here to nourish your soul. If you
was distributed to the class. Each week was find yourself having to defend young adult
spent talking about the merits of the articles books in the classroom, you'll find powerful
we had read the week before. We wanted to ammunition here as well.
build a collection of writings that included, As for me, I'm still struggling to know a
in our view, the best pieces ever written on lot about a little, and I haven't given up the
young adult books and the reading of ado- idea of selling Persian rugs. Have you ever
lescents. The last few classes of the semester noticed at conventions of educators the
names like Early, Carlsen, and Donelson booths that get the most business in exhibit
filled the air along with arguments about halls are the ones that sell sweaters with ap-
historical importance and practical class- ples on them and t-shirts that say "If You
room uses. In the end, the class picked some Can Read This Thank a Teacher." Look for
25 articles that they agreed represented the me at the next NCTE convention. I'll be the
best they had found through 1988. guy in the booth selling sets of young adult
Recently, I taught the course again to a books wrapped in matching Persian rugs.
new crop of veteran English educators and
A RATIONALE FOR YOUNG
librarians. I gave these new graduate stu- ADULT LITERATURE
dents the collection of best articles from the
These articles look at the underpinnings
first seminar. Their job was to read them all of why young adult literature is important
and go after the new articles that had been and examine the stages of reading maturity
written since 1988. This second group of that youngsters go through.
professionals added some new pieces to the
Bates, Herbert. 1912. "The School and
original collection, but the bulk of the arti-
cles named as best the first time around Current Fiction." English Journal 1.1:
15-23.
came out best again.
One of the first articles to develop the
The seminars I'm describing were two of
idea of reading ladders. Bates argues for
the most enjoyable classes I've taught in
wide reading and self-selection of books
twenty years of university teaching. Students
by teens.
walked away knowing the best scholarship
Popkin, Zelda E 1932. "The Finer Things
in the field. I have a growing collection of
letters from the seminar participants who of Life." Harpers 164 (Apr.): 602-611.
tell me they continue to go back to our col- Discusses the futility of telling youngsters
what they must "like" to be cultured.
lection to write their own articles; to require
that their own college students read certain Popkin says we ought to ask students
selections; to pass out pertinent pieces to what they want to read and value those
their colleagues at in-service presentations; responses.
Carlsen, G. Robert. 1954. "Deep Down Be-
or to earmark specific articles for discussion
in English department meetings in middle neath, Where I Live." English Journal 43.5:
schools and high schools when decisions 235-238.
about literature are being made. One of Carlsen's first articles meshing
What I offer you in this article, then, is
teen reading interests with Havighurst's
an annotated bibliography of the pieces that developmental tasks.
made the best list in these seminars. I've
added only one new title since it has re-
English Journal 51
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Early, Margaret J. 1960. "Stages of Growth
The results of a five-year study in the
growth of reading taste are offered up
in Literary Appreciation." English Journal
49.3: 161-167. with humor and specific titles. Hughes
An important piece that delineates the documents teen readers' growth in dis-
stages we go through in becoming maturecrimination and taste over years of wide
readers moving from "unconscious enjoy-reading that included series books and
ment" to "self-conscious appreciation" popular
to juvenile fiction.
"conscious delight." Hinton, Susan. 1967. "Teen-Agers Are for
Carlsen, G. Robert. 1965. "For Everything Real." New York Times Book Review (27
There Is a Season." Top of the News 41.2: Aug.): 26-29.
103-110. The nineteen-year-old author's critique of
An elegantly written article about reading books written for teens is coupled with
stages and the reading interests of young her plea that YA writers need to respect
adults ages sixteen to twenty. their readers.
Donelson, Kenneth L. and Beverly A.
_ 1974. "Literature Is." English Jour-
nal 63.2: 23-27. Haley. 1973. "Adolescent Literature: You
Sets out the reasons literature is impor- Mean that Garbage Written for Kids Who
tant in our lives and discusses the satis- Can't Read?" Clearing House 47.7:
factions we derive from reading. His 440-443.
"Flow Chart of Developing Concerns in The authors discuss "five good reasons
Literature" blends Early's reading stages why teachers need to know adolescent lit-
work with his own, making it the most erature from firsthand acquaintance."
important graphic in the YA field. Engdahl, Sylvia. 1975. "Do Teenage Novels
Ross, Catherine Sheldrick. 1995. "If They Fill a Need?" English Journal 64.2: 48-52.
Read Nancy Drew, So What?: Series Book A noted author of science fiction makes
Readers Talk Back." Library & Information an articulate case for the importance of
Science Research 17.3: 201-236. the young adult novel.
The newest, and perhaps the best, re- Janeczko, Paul B. 1976. "Seven Myths
search on the history of series books and About Adolescent Literature." Arizona
the importance such books play in our English Bulletin 18.3: 11-12.
reading lives. From "Adolescent Literature Is a Danger-
THE DIMENSIONS OF YOUNG ous Teaching Tool" to "Adolescent Litera-
ADULT LITERATURE ture Will Never Be 'Great' Literature,"
The authors in this section examine Janeczko explodes seven myths about YA
what young adult literature is, its legitimacybooks.
as literature, and its value to teenage readers.
Nelms, Ben. 1980. "Adolescent Literature as
Thurber, Jr., Samuel. 1905. "VoluntaryLiterature." Iowa English Bulletin 29.2: 3-7.
Reading in the Classical High School beautifully written article that demon-
A
From the Pupil's Point of View." The Schoolstrates young adult books provide a valid
Review 13.1: 168-177. literary experience for teen readers and
Thurber is 1905's Nancie Atwell. He ought to be dealt with as real literature.
stopped teaching books students disliked
Nilsen, Don L. E and Alleen Pace Nilsen.
and asked them to bring in the books 1982. "An Exploration and Defense of the
they read outside class. Each student was
Humor in Young Adult Literature." Jour-
given a book record to record titles read
nal of Reading 26.1: 58-65.
and reactions. He collected the records,
The Nilsens make the case that teens want
made suggestions, and comments and and need humor in the books they read
and offer scores of titles that tickle the
discussed the works of Alger, Henty, and
Oliver Optic in English class. funny bone.
Mearns, Hughes. 1926. "Bo Peep,Mertz,
Old Maia Pank and David A. England.
Woman, and Slow Mandy: Being Three 1983. "The Legitimacy of American Ado-
Theories of Reading." The New Republic
lescent Fiction." School Library Journal
48 (10 Nov.): 344-346. 30.10: 119-123.
52 March 1997
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The authors describe ten characteristics Peck, Richard. 1978. "Ten Questions to Ask
of realistic adolescent fiction from struc- about a Novel." The ALAN Newsletter 5.3:
ture and form to thematic and content 1,7.
qualities. YA author and former English teacher
Probst, Robert E. 1986. "Mom, Wolfgang, Richard Peck recommends ten great
and Me: Adolescent Literature, Critical questions for teachers to ask teens about
Theory, and the English Classroom." Eng- books. Peck gives educators an "ulterior
lish Journal 75.6: 33-39. motive" or rationale for each question.
In this fine article, Probst tackles the Ley, Terry C. 1979. "Getting Kids Into
question "Can YA Literature Work with Books: The Importance of Individualized
Modern Critical Theory?" Reading." Media and Methods 15.7:
22-26.
Hipple, Ted. 1992. "Young Adult Literature
and the Test of Time." Publishing Research _ 1979. "How To Set Up and Evaluate
Quarterly 8.1: 5-13. a DIR Program." Media and Methods 15.8:
Hipple argues that a "generation" for a 21-24, 52.
young adult novel is four or five years Ley's first article provides the rationale for
since that is the time span during which setting up a free reading program in sec-
teens might read a particular YA book. ondary English and reading classrooms.
Using that definition, he examines the lit- The second article gives teachers the
erary qualities that make books like The "how-tos" from finding good YA books to
Outsiders and The Chocolate War classics. evaluating the individualized reading
program.
Small, Jr., Robert C. 1992. "The Literary
Abrahamson, Richard E and Eleanor
Value of the Young Adult Novel." Journal If ou are an
of Youth Services in Libraries 5.3: 277-285. Tyson. 1986. "What Every English
Teacher should Know About Free Read- advocate for
Building on the work of Mertz and Eng-
land, Small develops a list of literary char- ing." The ALAN Review 14.1: 54-58, 69. using young
acteristics of young adult novels and
Here are the results of ten studies on the adult
suggests that YA books be judged for effectiveness of free reading from the pio-literature,
quality using these standards. neering work of Lou LaBrant to Bruce Ap- you'll find
pleby's dissertation on individualizedmuch here to
USING YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE
reading to articles on how to set up such
IN THE CLASSROOM nourish your
a program by Ken Donelson and Bensoul.
Chelton, Mary K. 1976. "Booktalking: You
Nelms.
Can Do It." School Library Journal 22.4:
Probst, Robert E. 1987. "Adolescent Litera-
39-43.
ture and the English Curriculum." English
One of the best ways to share YA books
Journal 76.3: 26-30.
with teens is to booktalk the novels. Chel-
Probst proposes a restructuring of the lit-
ton's rationale and practical guide for
erature curriculum taking into account
booktalking is still the best article written
the work of Carlsen, Rosenblatt, Hav-
on this proven method of sharing books
with teen readers.
ighurst, and Kohlberg. Such a curriculum
would include both adolescent literature
Small, Jr., Robert C. 1977. "The Junior and more traditional literature.
Novel and the Art of Literature." English
Abrahamson, Richard E and Betty Carter.
Journal 66.7: 56-59.
1991. "Nonfiction: The Missing Piece in
Small argues that you wouldn't start
the Middle." English Journal 80.1: 52-58.
teaching a youngster how an engine
The authors document the importance of
works using a 747 airplane as a model.
nonfiction in the reading lives of young
You'd start with something easier. With
adults and provide 25 titles that have
that in mind, he cites YA novels and activ-
proven popular with middle school read-
ities to use in teaching the art of literature:
ers in reading/writing workshop class-
plot, setting, theme, characterization, and rooms.
dialogue.
English Journal 53
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CENSORSHIP AND THE YOUNG Readers & Writers. Donald R. Gallo, ed.
ADULT NOVEL
Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.
These three articles ought to be required
This respected author of young adult
reading for every English teacher and librar-
novels talks about the restrictions censors
ian working today. try to place on writers. He also takes a
Donelson, Kenneth L. 1974. "What To Do at his own self-censorship when he
look
writes for teens.
When the Censor Comes." Elementary
English 51.3: 403-409.
Note
Donelson discusses seven assumptions
I want to thank all the students who were in
about censorship that are as true today
those as
two seminars and make special mention of
they were in 1974. He then proposes a list
four who worked extra hard and cared most
about
of things English teachers ought to do be-this project: BeBe Hood, Lee Kobayashi,
fore the censor comes. Kylene Beers, and Teri Lesesne.
All the Carlsen essays can be found in Liter-
Peck, Richard. 1986. "The Genteelature
Un- Is ... : Collected Essays by G. Robert Carlsen
shelving of a Book." School Library Journal
edited by Anne Sherrill and Terry C. Ley. The
32.5: 37-39. cost is $10 (postage included) payable to Au-
burn University. Send to: Dr. Terry C. Ley, Dept.
The writer's firsthand account of meeting
of Curriculum & Teaching, 5040 Haley Center,
a censor who successfully had a book of
Auburn University, AL 36849-5212.
Peck's removed from the library prior to
Richard E Abrahamson teaches at the University of
his author visit. If you can have a favorite
Houston. With Betty Carter, he is the co-editor of the
article on censorship, this is mine. tenth edition of Books for You (1988, Urbana, IL:
Cormier, Robert. 1992. "A Book is Not a and author of Nonfiction Books for Young
NCTE)
Adults: From Delight to Wisdom (1990, Phoenix,
House: The Human Side of Censorship."
AZ: Oryx Press).
Authors' Insights: Turning Teenagers Into
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