Growing Up in Theory

As soon as I started reading this article, the fact that YA literature lacks a wide criticism base the way children's and adult fiction do, resonated with me. Starting this class, I found that trying to define parameters for this type of writing is awkward, simply because there is not enough study about it, in the same way fiction for other age groups. This is unfortunate, because as Karen Coats points out, these books have a profound effect on how a teen begins views him- or herself through different sociological lenses -- gender, ethnicity, etc. As a historian, this type of writing deserves more attention because it often reflects how the youth perceived themselves or were perceived by others, as different types of issues affect different generations.

I kind of liked the idea of seeing YA lit as a transition towards more challenging adult works. As the author points out, a young reader could make better sense of issues or characters if they are more relateable. Why it is not valued in the same transitionary function as children's literature serves seems odd and somewhat illogical. Coats' description of relevant works in YA literature shows the value in allowing teens an outlet to explore issues of sexuality, identity, moral challenges, social conformity in mostly articulate ways and often through different perspectives. To me, this adds to its sociological and/or psychological developments of teens. On the other hand, I can somewhat see why not all YA literature is taken very seriously. Coats uses the example of popular Chinese novels that are criticised for being unsophisticated, entertaining, and not of value to add to the country's literature. Still, totally discounting its social value among young Chinese people seems wrong too.

Putting some thought into what kinds of themes separate children's literature from its YA counterpart is one way to start encouraging more academic thought for the writing in general. Although some writing may be better than others, it nonetheless presents value for librarians trying to reach out to teens and providing interesting material that they can identify with.