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From: Maryann Schneider <marysmuse>
Date: Mon, 05 May 2003 12:06:39 -0400
honest literature that deals with subjects our young adults are facing. I hope it's partly because we've been doing our job better in promoting quality realistic literature.
Jean, I agree. My fear is not that teens will be exposed to controversy, but that they will be over-exposed to depictions that play to the senses and make certain subjects seem more interesting and main-stream than they are. Books that sensationalize teen sex and controversial issues like rape and homosexuality do teens the same disservice that MTV does by portraying stars who are heavily made up, skinnier every year and appear to wander in and out of sexual relationships as casually as changing clothes as 'normal'.
Should we push the boundries of what's considered 'normal'? Well, authors who've come before have done just that, and we laud their work as literature today. My question is, are we considering that what we write today will be tommorow's literature? Generations to come will be influenced by what we write today. What's considered 'edgy' now may soon be tame, and lay the foundations for the next level.
-Mary
"I am only one - but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." -Helen Keller
Message Follows---From: "Jean Casey" Reply-To: "Jean Casey" To: , Subject: Re: [ccbc-net] YA History Date: Mon, 05 May 2003 10:39:40 00
As one who does remember that far back, I think that the YA novel as we know it now, really didn't hit its stride until the early 70's. I remember as an undergraduate('65i) that "kiddie lit" (I apologize for the term, but that's what it was THEN) covered all lit for children through their teens. There was no separate class offered for YA lit. Anyway. The books I remember as being controversial, in addition to "Catcher" were things like Judy Blume and 17th summer. Things that are a) now considered truly children's lit or b) Things that are now tame by comparison to what we're discussing here.
It is interesting to me how many books that were cutting edge YA in the 70's have now found their way to middle school acceptability . The problem with this seems to be that placement all too often is determined by
"readability" with no consideration for developmental readiness for the age group. A pet peeve for me is when wonderful books like Whirligig by Fleischman and others are out of the high school curriculum because of a
"low" reading level, when they should be there because of content. (I think every kid in driver's ed should read this book!)
Enough ranting. The point is that our society has become much more accepting of honest literature that deals with subjects our young adults are facing. I hope it's partly because we've been doing our job better in promoting quality realistic literature.
Jean
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Received on Mon 05 May 2003 11:06:39 AM CDT
Date: Mon, 05 May 2003 12:06:39 -0400
honest literature that deals with subjects our young adults are facing. I hope it's partly because we've been doing our job better in promoting quality realistic literature.
Jean, I agree. My fear is not that teens will be exposed to controversy, but that they will be over-exposed to depictions that play to the senses and make certain subjects seem more interesting and main-stream than they are. Books that sensationalize teen sex and controversial issues like rape and homosexuality do teens the same disservice that MTV does by portraying stars who are heavily made up, skinnier every year and appear to wander in and out of sexual relationships as casually as changing clothes as 'normal'.
Should we push the boundries of what's considered 'normal'? Well, authors who've come before have done just that, and we laud their work as literature today. My question is, are we considering that what we write today will be tommorow's literature? Generations to come will be influenced by what we write today. What's considered 'edgy' now may soon be tame, and lay the foundations for the next level.
-Mary
"I am only one - but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." -Helen Keller
Message Follows---From: "Jean Casey" Reply-To: "Jean Casey" To: , Subject: Re: [ccbc-net] YA History Date: Mon, 05 May 2003 10:39:40 00
As one who does remember that far back, I think that the YA novel as we know it now, really didn't hit its stride until the early 70's. I remember as an undergraduate('65i) that "kiddie lit" (I apologize for the term, but that's what it was THEN) covered all lit for children through their teens. There was no separate class offered for YA lit. Anyway. The books I remember as being controversial, in addition to "Catcher" were things like Judy Blume and 17th summer. Things that are a) now considered truly children's lit or b) Things that are now tame by comparison to what we're discussing here.
It is interesting to me how many books that were cutting edge YA in the 70's have now found their way to middle school acceptability . The problem with this seems to be that placement all too often is determined by
"readability" with no consideration for developmental readiness for the age group. A pet peeve for me is when wonderful books like Whirligig by Fleischman and others are out of the high school curriculum because of a
"low" reading level, when they should be there because of content. (I think every kid in driver's ed should read this book!)
Enough ranting. The point is that our society has become much more accepting of honest literature that deals with subjects our young adults are facing. I hope it's partly because we've been doing our job better in promoting quality realistic literature.
Jean
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Received on Mon 05 May 2003 11:06:39 AM CDT
