Virginity in Young Adult Literature after Twilight PDF Download

Author: Christine Seifert
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442246588
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 175

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Book Description
Around 2005 something surprising happened in young adult literature: YA books became obsessed with presenting characters who wanted to have sex but couldn’t—at least not without losing something vital to their identity. Since the publication of Twilight, the YA market has been flooded with books that feature naive virgins finding true love. While some YA novels do present nuanced depictions of sex and of healthy sexual relationships, the fiction most popular with young adult readers presents adolescent girls as virginal sex objects waiting to be fulfilled by their love interests. In Virginity in Young Adult Literature after Twilight, Christine Seifert looks at an alarming trend in YA novels. Labeling this phenomenon “abstinence porn,” Seifert argues that these novels that fetishize virginity are harmful to readers. Like pornography, such works reduce female characters to objects whose sexual acts are the sole expression of their identities. Chapters in this book examine paranormal, dystopian, and contemporary romance, paying particular attention to recurring virginity themes or tropes. The book also provides an antidote by showing how some sex-positive teen novels provide more empowering messages to readers. Organized by genre, the books were selected for this study based on their popularity with teens. Exploring how messages about virginity are sustained and repeated from text to text, this book also calls out key reader reactions to demonstrate how they are responding to these messages. Featuring a list of discussion questions, Virginity in Young Adult Literature after Twilight will be a valuable resource for teachers, librarians, parents, and mature young adult readers.

Author: Patty Campbell
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442252391
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
In a time when almost any gritty topic can be featured in a young adult novel, there is one subject that is avoided by writers and publishers. Faith and belief in God seldom appear in traditional form in novels for teens. The lack of such ideas in mainstream adolescent literature can be interpreted by teens to mean that these matters are not important. Yet a significant part of growing up is struggling with issues of spirituality. The underlying problem, of course, is that there are so few writers who are willing to talk to teenagers about God, even indirectly, or who themselves have the religious literacy for the task. Spirituality in Young Adult Literature: The Last Taboo tackles a subject rarely portrayed in fiction aimed at teens. In this volume, Patty Campbell examines not only realistic fiction, but young adult literature that deals with mysticism, apocalyptical end times, and even YA novels that depict the Divine Encounter. Campbell maintains that fantasy works are inherently spiritual, because the plots nearly always progress toward a showdown between good and evil. As such, the author surmises that the popularity of fantasy among teens may represent their interest in the mystical dimensions of faith and the otherworldly. In this study, Campbell examines works of fiction that express perspectives from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. Distinguished YA novelist Chris Crowe provides a chapter on Mormon values and Mormon YA authors and how their novels integrate those values into their books. By looking at how spirituality is represented in novels aimed at teens, this book asks what progress, if any, has been made in slaying the taboo. Although most of the books discussed in this study are recent, an appendix lists YA books from 1967 to the present that have dealt with issues of faith. A timely look at an important subject, Spirituality in Young Adult Literature will be of interest to young adult librarians, junior and senior high school teachers, and students and instructors of college courses in adolescent literature, as well as to parents of teens.

Author: Brenna Friesner
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442272457
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 235

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Book Description
Throughout history, the verse novel has persisted as a modest but noteworthy literary subgenre, from classic works like Eugene Onegin to contemporary volumes by Vikram Seth, Dorothy Porter, and Derek Walcott. In particular, the verse novel has emerged as a popular form for young adult readers, such as the Newbery Medal winner Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. As this unique form continues to flourish, it merits closer examination. In The Verse Novel in Young Adult Literature, Brenna Friesner explores both the history and current use of the verse novel in teen fiction. Examining more than 220 titles written over the last few decades, Friesner discusses the verse novel’s evolution, analyzes key works, and considers how these novels can grapple with content that distinguishes them from traditional fiction. Though this study includes volumes written throughout history, its focus on contemporary novels further demonstrates the form’s relevance for today’s teens. By explaining its current popularity, this book acknowledges the verse novel’s potential to provide accessible, authentic stories for young adults to enjoy. The Verse Novel in Young Adult Literature will be of interest to librarians and teachers, as well as anyone wanting to learn more about this burgeoning aspect of young adult literature.

Author: Bryan Gillis
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 144224688X
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 195

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Book Description
Though discussing sexual material in novels aimed at the young adult market may make some individuals blush, the authors of such fiction often seek to represent a very real component in the lives of many teens. Unfortunately, authentic and teen-relatable information on healthy adolescent sexuality is not readily available, and sex education classes have had a minimal effect on positive sexual identity development. Consequently, young adult literature that contains sexual elements can play a critical role in addressing the questions and concerns of teens. In Sexual Content in Young Adult Fiction: Reading between the Sheets, Bryan Gillis and Joanna Simpson examine sexual material in canonical, historical, dystopian, romantic, and realistic contemporary fiction for teens. The authors begin with an exploration of sexual identity development and discuss the constructive influence that realistic representations of teen sexual behavior can have on that development. The authors provide a myriad of texts and examples that will help parents, teachers, and librarians better understand the positive role that sexual content in YA fiction can play in the socio-emotional and academic development of adolescents. The book concludes with an overview and analysis of censorship in the world of young adult fiction. In addition to providing a survey of sexual content in young adult literature, this book can help inspire adults to facilitate effective and responsible discussions about young adult fiction that contains sexual material. Featuring a "novels cited" and "works cited" bibliography, Sexual Content in Young Adult Fiction is an important resource that parents and educators will find particularly valuable.

Author: Rebecca Maldonado
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1475860110
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 175

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Book Description
Arts Integration and Young Adult Literature: Strategies to Enhance Academic Skills and Empower Student Voice combines two research-based concepts, arts integration and the use of young adult literature, to provide activities and instructional strategies to boost students’ communication, reading, and thinking skills, while utilizing a variety of art integrated methods with a diverse range of young adult literature to enable high school literacy teachers to harmonize art and young adult literature into their curriculum

Author: Joni Richards Bodart
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442230827
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
Young adults live in a violent culture, so trying to protect them from the world they live in is not only futile but can also be dangerous. No matter their ethnicity, social class, or economic status, teens must know how to survive the perils that may await them. Most teens understand this, and they want books, television shows, and films to reflect the reality of their world—the bad along with the good. In They Hurt, They Scar, They Shoot, They Kill: Toxic Characters in Young Adult Fiction, Joni Richards Bodart examines works of fiction that feature characters who threaten the psychological and physical well-being of teens and their friends and families. In this companion volume to They Suck, They Bite, They Eat, They Kill, the focus is on individuals who prey on the vulnerable: bullies, manipulators, torturers, sexual predators, and sadists. The novels and stories discussed in this volume feature adult criminals or predators who look for young people to ensnare; school personnel who interact with students in harmful ways; teens who bully others in order to hide their own fears and weaknesses; and parents, siblings, and others who mistreat family members. Arranged in five sections that cover such topics as bullies, school shootings, and monsters at home, this volume analyzes the most important and well-written series and titles for teens. They Hurt, They Scar, They Shoot, They Kill will help parents, teachers, and other adults understand the value of these titles and the benefits of reading them, so they will be less likely to forbid them to their teens or challenge library collections for carrying them.

Author: Joel Shoemaker
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442257199
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 247

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Book Description
Pete Hautman is an author who likes to tackle big ideas—from addiction and psychosis to the nature of belief and what the world is coming to—in his fiction for teen readers. In novels like Mr. Was, Sweetblood, Invisible, Rash, and the National Book Award winner, Godless, Hautman leavens his exploration of these big ideas with humor while showing that he understands how overwhelming such matters can be. As Hautman himself says, “It’s complicated.” In Pete Hautman: Speaking the Truth to Teens, Joel Shoemaker looks at the life and work of an author whose young adult fiction represent a wider breadth of subject matter and interests than is typically found in any single author’s young adult novels. Chapters in this book explicate individual novels such as Godless and Eden West which focus on religious issues and teens, while time-travel conundrums are explored in Mr. Was and the Klaatu Diskos trilogy, and three books look at teens who play poker for very high stakes. Other works discussed in this study are examples of realistic contemporary fiction: How to Steal a Car, Blank Confession, and two books that take very different approaches to the matter of teens and falling in love, The Big Crunch and What Boys Really Want. Shoemaker’s interviews with the author and several family members provide opportunities for unique insights into Hautman’s work, drawing clear connections between his life and his writings. Pete Hautman: Speaking the Truth to Teens will be of interest to librarians, scholars, and the author’s many fans.

Author: Kathleen Deakin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442249978
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
In a very short time, John Green has become an icon of young adult literature. His first novel, Looking for Alaska (2005) won the Michael Prinz award, Paper Towns (2008) received an Edgar Allan Poe award, and in 2014, Time magazine named him one its 100 Most Influential People. The Fault in Our Stars reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and the film adaptation was a worldwide hit. John Green: Teen Whisperer looks at the work of a versatile author whose works have fast become must-reads for teens and adults alike. After providing a biographical sketch of the author, subsequent chapters focus on different “types” of Green’s writing: radio broadcasts, blogs, vlogs, YouTube videos, and, of course, his novels, including An Abundance of Katherines (2006) and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010). This volume concludes with an interview of Green and a unique final chapter that considers not only the young adult view of his work, but an adult perspective as well. Based on extensive research, this book captures the diverse elements of Green and his work: predictable, but surprising; stable, yet enigmatic; aloof, but deeply caring; hip, but homespun; irreverent, but deeply spiritual. Exploring why his writing reaches both teens and adults, John Green: Teen Whisperer will be of interest to librarians, scholars, and the author’s many fans.

Author: Jayashree Kamblé
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317041941
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 553

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Book Description
Popular romance fiction constitutes the largest segment of the global book market. Bringing together an international group of scholars, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction offers a ground-breaking exploration of this global genre and its remarkable readership. In recognition of the diversity of the form, the Companion provides a history of the genre, an overview of disciplinary approaches to studying romance fiction, and critical analyses of important subgenres, themes, and topics. It also highlights new and understudied avenues of inquiry for future research in this vibrant and still-emerging field. The first systematic, comprehensive resource on romance fiction, this Companion will be invaluable to students and scholars, and accessible to romance readers.

Author: Christine Seifert
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1402260512
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 351

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Book Description
"We wanted to know what makes a good kid good and a bad kid bad. Can you blame us for that? We found an astoundingly, marvelously simple answer: The brain isn't so much a complicated machine as it is a crystal ball. If you look into it, you will see everything you want to know." -Dr. Mark Miliken, senior researcher at Utopia Laboratories Who will it be? Will the head cheerleader get pregnant? Is the student council president a secret drug addict?