Young Adult Literature Essay Example for Free

Young boastful books EssayIn our experiences as teachers or media specia hears, m whatsoever of us have noticed the akin phenomenon adolescent manlikes often tend to enjoy literature less than their female counterparts. Of course, as middle develop and high school teachers and media specialists, we have no control over the early reading experiences or nurture a male child receives, and since the patterns of reading behavior have been established long before he reaches our schoolroom, it may seem impossible to help him run an avid reader. But it is not impossible. In fact, aid a male become an enthusiastic reader may be as simple as offering a kind of literature that will engage him with intriguing plots, fast-paced action, and characters who not single catch his interest, but who mirror the life that he is living.Recent critical studies of the subject matter and themes of juvenility prominent literature have included foc intents on the presentation of female gender r oles (Hayn Sherrill, 1996), readers responses to the portrayal of racial minorities (Chevalier Houser, 1997), and literary attention to teenagers struggles with spirituality (Mendt, 1997). However, little direct, specific attention has been given to writers portrayals of adolescent male characters in fiction or non-fiction.Nevertheless, the growing canon of adolescent literature has produced a rich base of fiction that both(prenominal) portrays and appeals to all types of males. Researchers have shown that introducing YA literature to males improves their reading ability (Ballash 1994). These findings, however, have as well pointed out the mold that many teachers hold against YA literature. Since its inception, generally holded to coincide with the 1967 publication of Hintons The Outsiders and Zindels The Pigman, young adult literature has fought an uphill interlocking to be given some of the classroom space normally reserved for the classical canon.According to Christenbur y (1995), its use is limited nearlyly to higher elementary and middle school grades, where it is included in curricula as an motivator for poor readers. In this case, the strongest argument for using young adult literature- its readability and high interest level- is also the strongest argument that critics use for not including it in the highest grades. It is my argument that YA literature, because of its range of authors and story types, is an appropriate literature for all adolescent male, whether he be a prepubescent fourth grader, or a college-bound senior who inevitably compelling material that speaks to him.Aidan Chambers, author of challenging YA fiction and a critic of childrens literature, maintains that every group ineluctably its own literature (Chambers 1996). According to Chambers, adolescents constitute a minority in our modern society, and like any minority, adolescents need a literature to call their own. Chambers even goes so further as to consider adolescent s an oppressed group that needs to shed its shackles. To help with the process, Chambers began writing thought-provoking fiction and plays for his teen students in England, even before Hinton and Zindel emerged on the scene. While not as militant in their pressure level that adolescents receive special attention as Chambers, others have noted a need for young adults to draw with the protagonists in the discussions they read (Small 1980).In his study published in Literature In The tributary School, Applebee (1993) notes that most of the books in the literary canon where not intended for, and do not feature, adolescents. However, the only two books of the twentieth century books to crack the canonical top ten, Salingers Catcher in the Rye and Lees To Kill A Mockingbird, both feature adolescent protagonists. Literary theory and criticism have labeled these books with their stamp of approval, and their appeal, for many readers, is far greater.Why? One answer lies in the fact that t he adolescent male characters, Holden Caufield and Jem, mirror social, emotional, and spiritual conflicts that our male adolescents are facing. As Hipple, Comer, and Boren (1997), Monseau (1994), and Small (1980) suggest, reading adolescent literature can play a world-shattering role in the emotional and mental health of an adolescent. As teachers, we need to find books that help our young males become more literate. The question for teachers and media specialists is this Which books are good choices, ones that will draw in young adult male readers?What follows is a short list of young adult novels with male protagonists, sorted by theme. It is probably that many of these books are already on the shelves of middle and high school classrooms, and in students home collections. The list is intended as a beginninga resource that might offer teachers and media specialists a glimpse at the transmutation of young adult books that they can recommend specifically to adolescent males. The result might be that the males become readers in todays middle and high school classrooms, and beyond.Young bighearted Literature for Reluctant Male Readers temper and Adventure StoriesPaulsen, Gary. Hatchet (1987).Brian is flying to Canada in a two-seater airplane. When the pilot dies mid-flight, Brian has to land the plane himself. He is then faced with surviving the wilderness using only his wits and a hatchet. Cross, Gillian. On The mete (1985).This novel tells the dramatic story of Tug, who is kidnapped by ruthless terrorists, and whose mother is a powerful newspaper publisher. Hobbs, Will. The large(p) Wander (1992). Clays uncle is missing. To find him Clay embarks on a big wander into the canyons of Arizona. Rylant, Cynthia. The Islander (1998). Orphaned Daniel lives a dull life with his grandfather on an island in British Columbia- until the day a mermaid appears on the shore. identity StoriesHinton, SE. The Outsiders (1966).This is the classic story of Pony Boy trying t o find his identity while staying loyal to his gang, the Greasers. Cormier, Robert.The java War (1974).Jerry Renault refuses to participate in his private schools traditional chocolate sale, turning teachers and students alike against him. Philbrick, Rodman. Freak the justly (1993).Max is too huge to be normal, and Kevin, though brilliant, is labeled a freak because of his physical deformity. These two outcasts form a team to go on adventures within their own hometown. Chambers, Aidan. jump on My telling (1982).Hal, a shy but bright kid, is arrested for dancing on the grave of his friend, Barry. As the novel unfolds, Hal reveals his reasons for acting this bizarre ritual. A challenging novel, but one that repays the readers effort.Sports StoriesCrutcher, Chris. Ironman (1995).Beau is a superb suspensor who rejects popular sports and his father in order to become a tri-athletic ironman. Lipsyte, Robert. The Contender (1967). To lose the drugs and thugs of his Harlem neighborho od, Alfred takes up boxing, a sport that teaches him more than how to beat up someone. Weaver, Will. Striking Out (1995). Five years after his brothers death, he-goat leads his family out of mourning because of his newly discovered prowess at baseball. Myers, Walter Dean. Hoops (1981). Lonnie Jacksons basketball skills are acknowledge by a former pro who teaches him about the game, and about the incredible pressures that go along with it.music genre StoriesLowry, Lois. The Giver (1993).Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a futuristic world where everyone is perfectly content. So is he, until his visions lead him to be elect as Receiver, the one person who knows the truth. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings (1965).This is the epic tale of Frodo the hobbits quest to save heart Earth from evil. Avi. Wolfrider (1986). Andys life is turned upside down when an anonymous caller claims to have killed someone. Cormier, Robert. Tenderness (1997). It is touchy to cause readers to sympathize with a serial murderer, but Cormier does just that when Eric Poole goes on a hunt for tenderness. historic StoriesWeisel, Elie. Night (1982).The Holocaust is seen by means of the eyes of young Weisel, who survived the ghettos and concentration camps as a teenager. This short book is certainly not for adolescent readers exclusively, but a powerful addition to secondary school classroom libraries. Denenberg, Barry. An American Hero The True Story of Charles A. Lindberg (1996). Lucky Lindy was many thingsaviator, grieving parent, fighter pilot, and Nazi sympathizer. Here all aspects of this complex mans life are presented with a fair, even hand. Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels (1988).When Perry cant escape Harlem by going to college, he goes off to war in Vietnam. Works CitedApplebee, A. Literature In The Secondary School. NCTE, 1993.Ballash, Karen M. Remedial High School Readers Can Recover, Too Journal of Reading. May 1994.Chambers, Aidan. Tell Me Children, Reading, And Talk. S tenhouse, 1993.Chevalier, M. and Houser, N. Preservice Teachers Multicultural Self-Development through Adolescent Fiction, Journal of Adolescent Adult Literacy, March, 1997.Hayn, J. and Sherrill, D. Female Protagonists in Multicultural Young Adult Literature Sources and Strategies, The ALAN Review, Fall 1996.Hipple, T. Comer, M. and Boren, D. Twenty Recent Novels (and More) about Adolescents for Bibliotherapy, Professional School Counseling, Oct 1997.Mendt, K. L. Spiritual Themes in Young Adult Books, The ALAN Review, Spring, 1996.Monseau, Virginia R. Studying Cormiers Protagonists Achieving Power through Young Adult Literature, The ALAN Review, Fall, 1994.Small, R. C. The Young Adult Novel as a Mirror of the Teenage World, Texas Tech Journal of Education, Winter, 1980.Young Adult Literature CitedAvi. Wolfrider. Collier Books, 1986.Cormier, R. Tenderness. Delacorte, 1997.Cormier, R. The Chocolate War. Dell, 1974.Chambers, A. Dance on My Grave. Harper and Row, 1982.Cross, G. On the Edge. Holiday House, 1985.Crutcher, Chris. Ironman. Greenwillow Books, 1995.Denenberg, Barry. An American Hero The True Story of CharlesA. Lindberg. Scholastic, 1996.