1. Young Adult Fiction A Mini Lesson by Deborah S. Mosley EDIT 6340

2. Definition • Literature intended for a reading audience between the ages of 13 and 18. • Includes novels, short stories, books on tape, and e-books.

3. Characteristics • Protagonist is a young adult dealing with the issues of growing up and becoming an adult. • Situations may be fantasy or science fiction, but the struggles are realistic. • Characters, plots, and themes are well-developed and involve the intricacies of life.

4. Realistic Historical Fantasy Mystery Traditional (folktales, fairy tales, myths, epics) Science Fiction Speculative (Science Fiction and Fantasy) Picture Books Horror Graphic Genres of Young Adult Fiction

5. Selection Criteria • Literary Merit – theme or ideas are coherent and relevant for the intended audience. • Authority- qualifications and abilities of creators. • Appropriateness – content is appropriate for the audience for which it is intended. • Scope – the material supports or supplements the curriculum. • Accuracy – facts are impartial and opinions are clearly stated as such. • Durability – literature is of lasting quality. • Reputation of Author. • Value to Collection. • Intellectual Content and Presentation.

6. Personal Criteria Suggestions • Read reviews. • Know your community (YAF titles are those most often challenged). • Read as many titles as possible; talk to your students who have read what you haven’t. • Have students/teachers suggest titles. • Be sure that your collection reflects the cultural diversity.

7. Favorite YAF Authors

8. YAF Awards • John Newbery • Coretta Scott King • Edgar Allan Poe Best Juvenile Mystery • Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction • Michael L. Printz Award • Georgia Book Award • Americas Award

9. Instructional Uses • Engages students in recreational reading. • Supports the curriculum in multiple content areas. • Meet new GPS standard requiring 24 books per student per year. • Create a life-long love for reading.

10. Follett Corporation 2233 West Street River Grove, IL 60171-1895 800.621.4345 www.follett.com Bound to Stay Bound 1880 West Morton Rd. Jacksonville, IL 62560 800.637.6586 www.btsb.com PermaBound Books 617 E. Vandalia Road Jacksonville, IL 62560 800.637.6581 www.permabound.com Baker and Taylor, Inc. 2550 West Tyvola Road, St.300 Charlotte, NC 28217 800.775.1800 www.btol.com Vendors

11. Have students create a “favorite book” bulletin board. Allow students to give book talks on morning or afternoon school-wide news. Give students the opportunity to write book reviews for newsletters or bulletin board. Create favorites book lists and make available to students. Encourage teachers to give book talks in their classrooms. Create a school-wide love of reading program. Publish award nominees and encourage students to read and have a school wide vote. Ways to Get the Word Out

12. Links to Lists of YAF titles • The Alan Review – Cool Books for Tough Guys • The Easy Book List • Girl Zone – Into Words • New York State Reading List for High School Students • YABO – Young Adult Books Online • YALSA – Booklists • YALSA – Outstanding Books for the College Bound

13. Resources • Booklists and Book Awards. Young Adult Library ServicesAssociation. March 30, 2005. www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists. • Temple, Charles; Martinez, Miriam; Yokota, Junko; and Naylor, Alice. (2002). Children’s books in children’s hands: An introduction to their literature, 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. • Van Orden, Phyllis and Bishop, Kay. (2001). The collection program in schools: Concepts, practices, and information sources, 3rd ed. Englewood, CA: Libraries Unlimited. • Young adult fiction reading lists. (2005). LookSmart Directory. March 30, 2005. http://search.looksmart.com.