Young+Adult+Lit

​**Young Adult Lit** is a genre of fiction and nonfiction that portrays an adolescent as the protagonist. Since "young adult literature is inherently amorphous, for its constituent terms “young adult” and “literature” are dynamic, changing as culture and society — which provide their context — change" (Cart, 2007). The subject matter and story-lines are typically consistent with the age and experience of the main character. Themes often focus on the challenges of youth, sometimes referring to this genre as "coming of age". As times have changed, so has the targeted demographic for this genre. What once was targeted at people between the ages of 13-18 "has expanded to include those as young as ten and (...) and as old as twenty-five" (Cart, 2007). The core of young adult literature is the ability for readers to see themselves within its pages, recognizing the developmental needs of the young adult. "By giving readers such a frame of reference, it also helps them to find role models, to make sense of the world they inhabit, to develop a personal philosophy of being, to determine what is right and, equally, what is wrong, to cultivate a personal sensibility" (Cart, 2007).

 Cart, Michael. "The Value of Young Adult Literature." //Young Adult Library Service Association (2008).// Web.  4 March 2010.

= Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. = by Judy Blume



Though written decades ago, __Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.__ remains one of the staple young adult novels of our culture. The themes of the novel continue to ring true with today's youth. The twelve-year-old heroine, Margaret, has a lot on her mind. As the daughter of a Jewish father and a Christian mother, she struggles to find her own faith. Margaret also is concerned with puberty⎯when she will get her period and when she will finally "fill out" her training bra. __Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.__ tells the tale of a girl's realistic coming of age, complete with first love, becoming comfortable in one's own body, and finding faith. It is listed in Time's "100 Best English Language Novels" and GoodReads.com's "Best Young Adult Books," and can be purchased at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

= Bloomability = by Sharon Creech

This quirky coming-of-age story takes place at an American school in Lugano, Switzerland. Domenica “Dinny” Santolina has lived as a nomad as she is dragged from place to place by her parents, but when she goes to live with her aunt and uncle, in Switzerland, her life begins to settle into a pattern, albeit one of the craziest patterns you’ll ever see. She has always seen herself as a tiny person in her own little world, cut off by her up-rootedness. Through the novel, she grows into her place among other people and, together with her new friends, she learns to navigate life and emotion. In Switzerland she meets a rainbow cast of characters of all personalities and nationalities from the stubborn, stuck-up Lila to Guthrie, an enthusiastic and spontaneous boy whose optimistic outlook endears him to everyone, but often clouds his judgment. The odd title comes from Dinnie’s friend Keisuke, a Japanese student who continually mangles English. “Bloomability” is his rendition of “possibility.” This book is an optimistic but honest celebration of life with all its twists, turns and possibilities and provides a hopeful glimpse of humanity and friendship at its best. This fun novel by the Newbery Award-winning author of //Walk Two Moons, Chasing Redbird,// and //Absolutely Normal Chaos// leaves the reader totally satisfied and, hopefully, a little more open to the “bloomabilities” of life. It is listed on GoodReads.com as one of the [|best tween books.].It is available at [|Amazon] and [|Barnes and Noble].

= A Great and Terrible Beauty = By Libba Bray //A Great and Terrible Beauty// is a dark, historical fantasy meant for older teens. Set in Victorian England and, briefly, India, the protagonist, Gemma Doyle, learns through visions and some desperate detective work that she has been caught up in a magical struggle inherited from her mother, who died in order to protect her. At Spence, the English boarding school that her mother attended as a girl, Gemma meets fiercely proud Felicity, dangerously beautiful Pippa and shy, intelligent Ann. Together the four girls enter a magical alternate world, beautiful on the surface but in reality twisted and malevolent, made so by the evil sorceress Circe. Gemma and her friends, with the help of Kartik, the mysterious gypsy who protects her, work to discover Circe’s true identity and the story behind her rise to power, so that the can defeat her before her magic spills into their world. The book is vivid in its images and artfully poetic in its language. It is more than a tale of magic, it is a gripping page-turner that is dark, mysterious an d delicious: spine-tingling, peopled with complex, layered characters and absolutely impossible to put down. The American Library Association listed it as one of the [|Best Books for Young Adults of 2004], a review on [|Amazon] calls it “one of the best reading investments I've made,” GoodReads.com lists it as one of the [|Best Young Adult Books], and TeenReads.com features it on the [|Ultimate Reading List]. It is available at [|Amazon] and [|Barnes and Noble].

= The Gossip Girl Series = By Cecily Von Ziegesar

// __“__ XOXO, Gossip Girl.” // This is the sign off for the mystery gossip blogger in the __Gossip Girl__ Book series. __Gossip Girl__ by Cecily Von Ziegesar is a fictional series set New York City. The series chronicles the lives of the young, rich and fabulous girls of Constance Billard School for Girls, a private school on New York’s Upper East Side. The 13 books in __Gossip Girl__ Series details the lives of Blair Waldorf and Serena Van Der Woodsen and their friends. Serena and Blair fight over Nate Archibald, a stoner lacrosse player from St. Jude’s School for Boys. Nate always ends up going back to Blair, which is fine with Serena because she has no problem catching the attention of men. Along the way in the series we meet a plethora of colorful characters including Dan Humpry the strving poet from the wrong side of the tracks, Vanessa Abrams the punk rock emo film maker, and Chuck Bass the flamboyant antagonist that prides himself in causing trouble on the Upper East Side. Drama, Romance, sex, drugs, rock and roll, cheating, girl fights, and Ivy league college applications, all these things are reported on the Gossip Girl Blog, no one knows who the Gossip Girl gossip blogger is, but she has the inside dirt on everyone and everyone lives in fear because no one knows when she’s going to report on them. The Gossip Girl Book series has inspired two Spin off series __The It Girl__ and __Gossip Girl: The Carleys__, As well as a graphic novel __Gossip Girl: For Your Eyes Only__. The __Gossip Girl__ book series has also been adapted into a popular television series by the same name on the //CW Network//. The series available at [|Amazon] and [|Barnes and Noble] = List of Books in the //Gossip Girl// Series: =


 * //- Gossip Girl //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: You Know You Love Me //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: All I Want Is Everything //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: Because I'm Worth It //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: I Like It Like That //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: You're the One That I Want //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: Nobody Does It Better //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: Nothing Can Keep Us Together //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: Only in Your Dreams //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: Would I Lie to You? //**


 * // -Gossip Girl: Don't You Forget About Me //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: It Had To Be You //**
 * // -Gossip Girl: I Will Always Love You //**

= Speak = by Laurie Halse Anderson



__Speak__ is a very provocative novel. The protagonist, Melinda Sordino, is a high school freshman. She is outcast after an incident at an end-of-summer party, where she calls the cops and gets the party "busted." Abandoned by her friends and hated by everyone else, she is completely alone. But she has a secret, one which would destroy the image she has constructed, and she cannot bring herself to speak it aloud. __Speak__ was listed in GoodReads.com's "Best Young Adult Books" and was adapted into a film in 2004, starring Kristen Stewart. The novel is available for purchase at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

= = = = = = = = = **The Hunger Games** = by Suzanne Collins

__The Hunger Games__ is a young adult novel set in the future. Where the ruins of North America smolder, the corrupt nation of Panem now stands. The nation is divided into twelve districts, each with its own specialty. The Capitol rules over the districts using cruelty and fear to prevent an uprising like the one that resulted in the total destruction of District 13. One of the Capitol's most effective methods of torture is known as the Hunger Games. One random girl contestant and one random boy contestant from each district is required to participate each year. The twenty-four contestants fight to the death in a huge woodland arena. Getting your name drawn at the Hunger Games reaping is basically a death sentence. The district that wins gets temporary respect and supplies from the Capitol. Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen-year-old living in District 12, the poorest of all the districts. Her father was killed in a mining accident and her mother rendered useless crippling depression. When her father died years before, Katniss assumed responsibility of taking care of her mother and younger sister, Prim. She illegally hunts with her friend Gale to support both families. Even though it is Prim's first year to be eligible for the Games, her name is drawn. Desperate to ensure her sister's safety, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Will she survive the Hunger Games? Will she be the last one standing of twenty-four contestants? This riveting novel is a true tribute to GIRL POWER and should be recognized as an integral piece of young adult literature. GoodReads.com calls __The Hunger Games__ one of the [|Best Young Adult Books], and TeenReads.com lists it on the [|Ultimate Reading List]. It is available at [|Amazon] and [|Barnes and Noble].

J.K. Rowling
The __Harry Potter__ series begins as a child’s story and evolves into a deep, dark, and complex world of witchcraft and wizardry, in which the characters, particularly the women, experience the same oppression that individuals experience in our world today. The series follows the life of Harry Potter, a white, male, young adult and his classic hero’s journey to defeat the most evil wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort. The novels grow with Harry, advancing in diction and vocabulary, as well as underlying themes and symbols, as he proves himself time and again through saving the elixir of life from Voldemort, preventing Voldemort from rising to power as the heir of Slytherin, saving his wrongly convicted god father from death, winning the Tri-Wizard Tournament and witnessing Voldemort’s rebirth, preventing Voldemort from obtaining tools to gain more power, retrieving bits of Voldemort’s soul to destroy, and finally defeating Voldemort for good.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

What I learned from this is that "young adult" is a vast genre. It includes many different locations and sorts of people, but there are similar themes, the most common of which being "coming of age." Young adult novels always follow a young person through some sort of personal growth, a journey where they begin somewhat naive and emerge experienced. A common location for many young adult novels are schools, simply because pre-teens and teenagers spend a majority of their time there. Young adult novels are not "watered down" books for children; they are smart, provocative, and complex. The main difference is simply the age of the protagonist and the sorts of issues pertinent to that age.

By: Christina Jumic