Where does YA literature come from?

1. Where does YA literature come from? Dr. Betty Marcoux LIS 566 Winter Quarter 2004

2. Historical Timeline of YA Literature • Civil War = Children or Adult • 1904 – first time definition of other than the two categories started (Appleton, 1904) • 1920 – adolescents seen as a separate generation (Forisha-Kovacz, 1984) • 1948 – “Adult Books for Young People” list began • 1958 – YALSA established in ALA • Still concerned about age categories • 1966 – Best Books for Young Adults starts • “I am coming more and more to the conclusion that adolescent literature is whatever any adolescent happens to be reading at any given time.” (Holland, 1991)

3. Historical Timeline of YA Literature • 1930-1940s – first books began to appear that were specifically for YA reading. • Sue Barton, Student Nurse (Boylston, 1930s) • Cherry Ames, Student Nurse (Grossett, 1943) • The Iron Duke (Tunis, 1938) • Seventeenth Summer (Daly, 1942) • Going on 16 (Cavanna, 1946) • 1975: 10 favorite novels of high school youth -8 published as adult books. (Holland, 1991) • Catcher in the Rye Go Ask Alice • The Outsiders To Kill a Mockingbird • A Separate Peace Jonathan Livingston Seagull • Lord of the Flies Of Mice and Men • Bright & Dark The Exorcist • The Chocolate War – (Cormier, 1974)

4. Historical Timeline of YA Literature • Criticism of YA literature • “slick, patterned, rather inconsequential stories written to capitalize on a rapidly expanding market” (Alm, 1955) • “the stuff of adolescent literature, for the most part, is mealy-mouthed, gutless, and pointless” (Jennings 1956) • 1960s – rise of realism in novels • 1967 – Carlson categorizes YA in three areas: • Early adolescence (11-14, grades 5-8) • Middle adolescence (15-16, grades 9-10 • Late adolescence (17-18, grades 11-12) • 1970s – Golden Age of YA literature (popularity) • 1980s – Back to reality - multiculturalism - and to romance • 1990s – realistic problem novels at risk • Formula driven • Video/movie driven • Electronic interests • YA fiction not endangered – rather it is its readers that my be endangered • 2000s – format driving content; lowered buying power/funding

5. Possible definitions of YA literature • “In the main, these authors deal with an adolescent’s relationships with others his own age, with his parents and other adults, and with such worries as deciding upon and preparing for a job, ‘going steady,’ marrying and facing the responsibilities of adulthood.’ (Alm, 1955) • “Perhaps the single theme most sought by the young adult is the book that details the movement of a character from adolescence into early adult life.” (Carlsen, 1973) • “the great American theme in the final third of the 20th century has been the tribalizing of the young.” (Peck, 1994)

6. Definitions of YA literature • Definable? • Literature = all works of imagination which are transmitted primarily by means of the written word or spoken narrative – that is, in the main, novels, stories, and poetry. (Townsend, 1980) • YA is ever changing as ideas and understandings and attitudes evolve.

7. Working definition for this course • From text (Nilsen/Donelson): Young adult literature is any book freely chose for reading by some 12-20 and is not necessarily distinguished by publishing house distribution. • NOT necessarily the publisher’s age range that is important. • Issues and approach is more important