Today's teachers bemoan the fact that their students, immersed in a media culture, appear to be uninterested in reading works typically assigned in traditional language arts classrooms. However, the incorporation of young adult novels has served to engage even reluctant learners with their young adult protagonists dealing with familiar themes and settings. Yet what about marginalized students, those from rural areas in Appalachia? This paper explores the rationale for using Appalachian authors and/or novels (young adult, "classic," and popular) with Appalachian characters and themes, alongside language arts classics, to expose Appalachian youth, particularly those students from rural areas, to literature which reflects their culture and concerns. The works I suggest using are listed in three groupings: conformity and rebellion, class conflict, and multiculturalism and include Sharyn McCrumb, Barbara Kingsolver, Chris Holbrook, and Fred Chappell. The paper includes an appendix with other suggestions for Appalachian work to be used in units typically presented in high school language arts courses. (Contains 6 notes.)