Emily Metz
FRMS 7331
Double-Entry Journal #1
Reading
1. Considerations for awarding
young adult literature (p.4-5)
- Two major awards given to
young adult literature are the
Edwards Award and the Printz
Award. The Edwards Award
bases their decision by
considering several questions
relating to message and
popularity, such as Does the
book(s) satisfy the curiosity of
young adults, yet help them
thoughtfully to build a
philosophy of life and Does
the book or book(s) serve as a
window to the world for
young adults? The Printz
Award, on the other hand,
focuses on literary merit and
quality, considering such factors
as story, setting, style, theme,
and design.
5. Pairing YA books to literary
canon (p. 12) Although young
adult literature should not be
solely regarded as a stepping stone
to better literature, using YA
novels in the classroom can help
students make connections and
critically think about topics and
themes found within more difficult
canonical texts.
Thinking
Its no surprise that there is a disparity
between what to consider when
awarding young adult literature when
no group has been able to clearly define
the genre itself. When reading the
questions for the Edwards Award, the
first thing that came to mind was a
question as to the makeup of these
committees. I cant see how an adult, or
any person for that matter, can decide
whether or not a book can satisfy the
curiosity of young adults or help them
answer their questions about their role
and importance in relationships, in
society, and in the world simply
because, in the very same breath, the
author discussed how diverse young
adults are! The questions seem rather
subjective, and the thoughts of the
committee can risk being out-of-touch
and ignorant if young adults arent
consulted throughout the consideration
process.
As a high school English teacher, I see
students all the time complain about
our canon texts. For some, after we
break it down in class, they get it and
start to appreciate it. Others, it is an
uphill battle from start to finish. In the
past year, I introduced book clubs for
the first time, and while I still included
canon texts, like Of Mice and Men, I also
included Walter Dean Myers Monster.
Monster was a hit! Everyone wanted to
be in the Monster group, and I had so
many students share that it was their
favorite book during our end of year
reflections. Next year, I would love to
pair Monster and some other YA texts
with To Kill a Mockingbird to help
students cross the bridge.
6. Problem novels: Contemporary
Realistic Fiction (p. 13) One of the
many genres of YA literature is
contemporary realistic fiction. This
genre can be known as the
problem novel because it uses
characteristics that mimic
problems and challenges many
young people face daily, such as
adoption, divorce, sexual
relationships, illness, alcohol/drug
abuse and suicide.
I laughed out loud when I saw that
contemporary realistic fiction was
labeled the problem novel, because
of how true it is! I feel like every time
this genre (or topics usually discussed
within this genre) are brought up, it is
the same conundrum: is this novel/tv
show/etc. doing more harm than good?
The very first thought my mind jumps
to is Netflixs adaptation of Thirteen
Reasons Why. It seems like everyone
has an opinion on whether or not the
show (and by association, the novel)
should be watched by young adults.
Personally, I believe it is important to
address these issues with young adults,
and if it takes a novel or tv show to do
start that dialogue, then we should
embrace it instead of sweeping it under
the rug. However, with interacting with
over 130 students at a time, I can see a
challenge in making sure that when
these topics are brought up that I am
addressing it the right way for every
student.