For 16 years, a university teacher educator has been teaching a course on adolescent development using novels, memoirs, and case studies instead of the customary college textbook. Novels have included such award-winning works as Angelou's (1969) "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", Wolff's (1989) "This Boy's Life: A Memoir", Salinger's (1979) Catcher in the Rye, and Satrapi's (2003) Persepolis. Using Rosenblatt's (1978, 2005) transactional or reader response theory, I supplement readings with articles, discussions, field experiences, and writing assignments. Students report an appreciation for the use of literature and how the text provides the opportunity to see and study an adolescent in a real-life context. (Contains 1 table.)