The document provides information about young adult literature, including its definition, genres, and characteristics. It discusses how young adult fiction was developed to ease the transition from children's books to adult literature. It focuses on defining and providing characteristics of three common genres in young adult literature: humor, mystery, and adventure. Examples of popular young adult books in each genre are also listed.

1. OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, at least 85% of the learners
will be able to:
oIdentify young adult literature and its three genres;
oExplain the difference between humor, mystery and
adventure;
oAppreciate the importance of humor, mystery and
adventure in young adult literature.

3. • Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for
readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is
targeted to teenagers, approximately half of YA readers
are adults.
• The subject matter and genres of YA correlate with the
age and experience of the protagonist. The genres
available in YA are expansive and include most of those
found in adult fiction. Common themes related to YA
include friendship, first love, relationships, and identity.
Stories that focus on the specific challenges of youth are
sometimes referred to as problem novels or coming-of-
age novels.
• Young adult fiction was developed to soften the transition
between children's novels and adult literature.

5. Stories are told from the viewpoint of young people.
Most young adult fiction is told from a first person
perspective and is written from the eyes of a young adult.
There may be multiple perspectives or plot lines in a single
work, but they will all most likely be told from the
perspective of a teenager. Essentially, teenagers like to
read about other teenagers. Even if the story doesn’t
necessarily center on a young adult, it will often be told
from a youngster’s perspective.
For example, you could easily argue that “To Kill A
Mockingbird” is really an adult story that revolves around
Atticus and Tom Robinson’s court trial, but since the story is
told from the perspective a Scout, a young girl, young
adults relate more easily to the tale

6. Young adult stories often get rid of all adult
figures.
•This often allows the young adult to shine in
center stage and receive credit for all the work
they accomplish throughout the story.
•Adults are often missing or only play a minor
role. An incredible number of stories eliminate
any and all adult figures, take Lord of the Flies
for example. Certainly, the boys in the story
would not have started hunting one another had
an adult figure been around to guide and lead
them.
•If, by chance, an adult does figure into the story,
they are rarely a parent of one of the characters.

7. •Young adult literature is fast-paced.
• Many teens struggle to read for enjoyment at all,
let alone willingly plow through a lengthy novel on
their own initiative—of course, the Harry Potter
series was a ground-breaking work on this front.
• Most young adult fiction is quick to read and quick
to develop. In order to accomplish this task, the
young adult genre is often marked by a limited
number of characters and narrative events.
• Furthermore, the language flows naturally and
changes and develops with the current times—
popularity in speech and trends is often important
in young adult fiction.

8. Young adult literature includes a variety of genres
and subjects.
While they often refer to it simply as “fiction,” the
genre is really more than that. Young adults take
interest in non-fiction, poetry, drama, science fiction,
historical fiction, and even graphic novels, to name
just a few.
In fact, all types of literature are now being written to
appeal to a young adult population. Teens’ tastes
vary just as much as adults; they like to read about a
variety of subjects and issues in a number of different
literary forms.

9. On the same front, young adult authors can feel
comfortable writing about other cultures or
customs.
Certainly, teens’ interest is piqued by learning
about a different experience. In part, that’s one of
the greatest values of literature—learning about
places and people unlike you.
Teens recognize that they can thoroughly
immerse themselves in expanding their horizons.
Indeed, educational research shows that the
teen years are a great time, developmentally, for
teens to learn about life outside of themselves.

10. Young adult books are optimistic and characters
make worthy accomplishments.
 Adults often get turned off by a teenaged
protagonist that acts like they know more than
adults, but in fact this is a major appeal to teens.
The ability to succeed on their own terms and in
their own way really appeals to young adults. In
fact, change and growth is perhaps the most
common theme appearing in young adult
literature.

11. All works of literature in this genre explore
the theme to some extent. In most cases, the
protagonist loses innocence as part of the
passage from childhood to adulthood.
This gaining of maturity would, potentially,
affect them for the rest of their lives. The
inherent need to learn, grow, and overcome
appeals to teens of all ages.

12. Young adult novels deal with real
emotions.
At a time in life when hormones often rule, teens
take particular interest in emotions and want to see
them accurately represented in the fiction they
read.
Often books deal with similar emotional struggles:
acquiring more mature social skills, achieving
emotional independence from parents and other
adults, developing a personal ideology and ethical
standard, achieving a masculine or feminine sex
role, etc.
By following the development of these feelings in a
fictional character, teens are often able to work out
their own angst and emotional struggles.

13. HUMOR
According to arbitrary rules of comedy that
comedians/comic writers break all the time, a
comic plot is one that continues to escalate, or
“raise the stakes,” until it is fundamentally resolved
in some manner, and ends with the general success
of the protagonist, often (but not necessarily)
romantically.
Young adult humor book is one in which some
comedic device, whether it’s a classic trope like the
ol’ mistaken identity trick, or something more
complex, like a plot that relies a lot on situational
irony, takes up most of the plot.
The plot can still include romance, fantastical or
science fiction elements, tragedy, etc.

14. CHARACTERISTIC OF A HUMOR
YOUNG ADULT BOOK
Again, this is nearly impossible to pin down,
but generally speaking, a YA book that is
categorized as “humor” should make you laugh
(or, at least, make a good number of people
laugh, since comedy is subjective). Common
themes might include situational or dramatic
irony; black humor or dark humor surrounding
death, disease, or plague; failed romantic
attempts; main characters repeatedly making
similar mistakes; wordplay; and satire or
parody.

15. LIST OF HUMOR YOUNG
ADULT BOOKS
• Confessions of a High School Disaster by Emma Chastain
• Bossypants by Tina Fey

16. • The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
• An Abundance of Katherines
• My Lady Jane

17. • Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
• Beauty Queens

18. • It's Kind of a Funny Story
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid

19. BOSSYPANTS
• Bossypants is an autobiographical comedy book
written by the American comedian Tina Fey. The book
topped The New York Times Best Seller list, and
stayed there for five weeks upon its release. As of
November 2014, the book has sold over 2.5 million
copies since its debut, according to Nielsen BookScan.
Additionally, Fey's Grammy nominated narration of the
audiobook has sold over 150,000 copies on
Audible.com. A paperback reprint edition was released
in January 2012, from Reagan Arthur Books, an imprint
of Little, Brown. The front cover features hand model
and actor Joe Rosario.

21. DEFINITION
• The definition for teen mysteries seems to be slightly less strictly
defined as in comparison to their adult counterparts. First, there
is usually “something” to solve. Generally, it is a crime, but in
some cases it can be a secret that is not necessarily illegal or
punishable by law. For example, why someone killed themselves
or discovering that someone is cheating in a contest or academic
endeavour. Also, while adult mystery novels usually have
detectives at work at solving mysteries, in teen novels it is often
an average teen with an inquisitive nature–someone who is a
true amateur.
• Teen mysteries are similar to their adult counterparts, however,
when it comes to the plot unfolding. The clues are presented to
the main character(s) and to the reader, and steps are taken as to
get more information to discover the how, what, why, who, and
sometimes even the where and when. Ultimately, we are given
the final reveal at the end of the novel.

22. CHARACTERISTICS
• Mysteries for teens present a puzzle or secret that lead readers
(and usually protagonists) to gather clues presented in the story
to solve the puzzle or learn the secret by the end of the book.
Usually mysteries for teens involve a lot of action and are fast
paced. However, recently we have seen a trend of psychological
mysteries written for teens that are slower paced with a plot
that reveals the true nature of someone or something that
happened.
• Teen mystery novels can cross genres. The most common are
contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction, and
supernatural fiction. Suspense as a genre is closely aligned with
mysteries and are at times one in the same. In recent years, we
have seen the rise of mysteries presented in a series where the
protagonist is the same character throughout the series. Finally,
most mysteries for teens have an ending that is resolved and
tied up neatly, even in the individual titles in a series.

23. LIST OF MYSTERY YOUNG
ADULT BOOKS
• A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
• Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
• Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Manisca

25. TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET
By: Karen M. Mcmanus

30. DEFINITION
• Adventure fiction usually involves the main character going
on a quest or journey and experiencing extreme
conditions. The adventure may or may not involve history
but has plenty of action. Some adventure fiction could also
involve elements of mystery, dystopia or fantasy.
• Adventure stories feature physical action and courageous
heroes who save others from danger or impending doom.
The adventure genre of fiction is fast-paced and usually
centers on a protagonist in a dangerous or risky situation.
Adventure fiction overlaps other genres, such as romance,
spy thrillers, military adventures and Westerns. Science
fiction novels always contain elements of adventure.

31. CHARACTERISTICS
ACTION AND EXCITEMENT
Adventure novels typically have fast-paced, action-packed
plot lines. Stories about epic journeys or epic tales -- often
involving a mixture of adventure and fantasy -- have slightly
slower plot lines that culminate with a thrilling climax or a
series of climactic events.
COURAGEOUS PROTAGONIST
Adventure-genre protagonists are traditionally male, but that
trend is changing as writers choose brave, assertive females to
fit the role.

32. • Heroes in adventure stories often face life-and-death
scenarios that test their willingness to sacrifice their own
lives -- if need be -- for the sake of the greater good.
Adventure stories contain a sense of urgency, so
protagonists must accomplish their goals or missions in a
short period of time,
• Dark Moods
• Adventure fiction tends to have a dark, foreboding mood
with an expectant tone because readers don't usually
find out if the protagonist survives until the end of the
story. Some adventure genre authors incorporate humor
into their stories to soften the mood,

33. • Evil Adversaries
• Antagonists in adventure novels tend to be
extremely evil, so readers desperately want
the hero or heroine to defeat them.

37. The Lost Hero
by: Rick Riordan