Rationales for Teaching Young Adult Literature

Rationales for Teaching Young Adult Literatureaddresses two related concerns. Teachers and students today are eager for quality literature to replace or supplement traditional fare. Yet finding appropriate modern reading materials can be a time-consuming chore. Furthermore, the very content that makes a work interesting and germane to adolescents will frequently open it to attack by parents or others in the community.

While no one book can be expected to provide complete...
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Rationales for Teaching Young Adult Literatureaddresses two related concerns. Teachers and students today are eager for quality literature to replace or supplement traditional fare. Yet finding appropriate modern reading materials can be a time-consuming chore. Furthermore, the very content that makes a work interesting and germane to adolescents will frequently open it to attack by parents or others in the community.

While no one book can be expected to provide complete solutions to these problems, Rationales for Teaching Young Adult Literatureis an invaluable resource for finding appropriate books and, when necessary, defending them against challenges. Twenty-five educators recommend proven novels, nonfiction works, and short story collections that adolescents enjoy. Contributors provide synopses, sample excerpts, and brief author biographies, along with activities and objectives for teaching the works. Also provided are ways to deal with potential challenges.

Comments from teenagers supplement many of the rationales. Selection guides categorize titles by theme and by age level. Finally, each rationale offers alternative and related titles. This is truly a book for everyone involved in the teaching of young adult literature.