Authors for young adult literature often present their tales directly through the voice of the story narrators. However, Kashmira Sheth, in her "Boys without Names," seeks to present her tale, specifically the issue of child labor, through the use of frame stories which are recounted by two or more narrators. Through frame stories, the…

Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series (2005-2008) and Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" series (2008-2010) have been hugely successful and influential texts, both as best-selling literary works and as action movie franchises. (To avoid confusion, "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games" in this essay refer to the…

This article draws on my experiences of teaching "Stone Cold" to respond to a blog post suggesting that the novel holds little educational value. I argue that the novel's narrative style helps to foster criticality while its subject matter can help students see the relevance of literature to the world around them. Relating this to…

In 2004, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) concluded that "literature reading is fading as a meaningful activity, especially among younger people." How can educators continue to teach students about the power of literary response when the priority is for them to achieve proficiency on standardized tests, whose scores can only be narrowly…

Discusses how the writings of Robert Cormier have evoked a political world in which evil is neither an individual phenomenon nor a personality fault explainable by individual psychology, but a collaborative act between individuals and political systems. (HOD)

Describes the novels of Chris Crutcher--vital works which deal with young men, sports, and growing up. Points out the connections between Crutcher's background and his work. (ARH)

Compares the works of Horatio Alger and Edward Stratemeyer and probes the reasons for their success. (HOD)

In this article I question whether or not African American young adult literature serves as a primer for, and a version of, African American adult literature. Using the Black Aesthetic as my literary theory and the Coretta Scott King Award as the young adult canon, I note that while the content of adolescent literature is consistent with the…

Many authors of adolescent novels follow a formula when developing a pattern of action. The formula, however, is not predictable and may be one of action, humor, or ideas. (JH)

An award winning author discusses the making of his novel, "Raspberry One" and stresses the need for accuracy and honesty in historical fiction. (HOD)

Considers those aspects of "Kidnapped"--moral dilemmas, storyline, style--that might appeal to young people today. (HOD)

Discusses the history and literary value of young adult novels written mainly for adolescents. Topics covered include measures of quality; literary criticism and reviews; specific characteristics of young adult novels related to the elements of plot, characterization, dialogue, setting, point of view, and style; and critical standards. (nine…

Examines both ineffective and effective fiction about adolescent runaways. (RL)

Examines some of the individual works of Leon Garfield. (HOD)

Teachers' dismissal of Robert Cormier's books as "too depressing" suggests a lack of sound critical understanding of his work and a lack of faith in individual young people. The body of adolescent or young adult literature has come a long way in recent years. The writing has shown a much fuller range of literary quality and the content…