1. Young Adult
Literature
Many people look down on
YAL because they see it as
“easy” or believe it is not as
“intellectual” or “valuable” as
classical literature. However,
YAL plays an important and
valid part in the development
of teen readers today.

2. How do we get teens reading?
We all know the stereotype of teenagers as unwilling readers and the
establishment of SparkNotes as a replacement for literature actually
being read in classrooms… but what if there were something that
teens liked to read?
Enter Young Adult Literature. There is a vast amount of YA authors that
work today, and the numbers are only growing. Teens have access to
hundreds of books that speak to them and that grab their interest
now. These books focus primarily on issues of identity and crisis—which
is exactly what teens are going through in their stage of life. They have
an opportunity to connect with their own hidden issues and feelings as
well as with the world around them through this literature, and by
making the conscious choice to read these books, it serves as an “in”
to different and more complex genres later on in life.

3. YAL in Education
Penny Kittle, a high school English
teacher in New Hampshire,
focuses on integrating all different
kinds of literature into her
curriculum so that students are
motivated to read. Her method?
Individual student reading. She
meets students where they are,
often providing YA novels as a
stepping stone for them to begin
reading more challenging works.
Students read individual novels as
a way to increase their reading
stamina and prepare them for
college.
http://www.pennykittle.net/

4. Popular YAL Authors
Although many YA authors are
becoming more popular because of
the movie adaptations of their novels,
these authors listed below have great
resources on their sites and have
written some excellent literature in
recent years.
John Green:
http://johngreenbooks.com/
Laurie Halse Anderson:
http://madwomanintheforest.com/
Suzanne Collins:
http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/
Veronica Roth:
http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.co
m/

5. Conclusion
Young Adult Literature is growing in popularity,
among teachers and students alike. Many of
these literary works center around deep issues
such as death, family, friends, rejection, doubt,
and identity—much like many novels written for
adults do. We must stop looking down on YAL
as a “degenerate” form of literature and see it
for what it truly is: a vehicle for students to
connect with life experiences and humanity
while developing a love of reading and
literature.

6. Assignment
 Find another YA author not listed on this presentation and
explore their website. Do they have a strong online
presence? Is their website user-friendly? Write a short
review of their site and the resources available on it, and
select one novel of theirs that you would like to read.