Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism / Edition 3

by Michael Cart

Overview

Cart's authoritative survey is already a go-to text for students of literary studies, teachers, and YA staff. In this new edition he gives it a thorough update to make it even more relevant and comprehensive. Surveying the landscape of YA lit both past and present, this book

sketches in the origins of literature targeted at young adults;

shows how the best of the genre has evolved to deal with subjects every bit as complex as its audience;

closely examines teen demographics, literacy, audiobooks, the future of print, and other key topics;

includes updated treatment of best-selling authors like John Green, Suzanne Collins, and Veronica Roth, plus interviews with leaders in the field;

presents new and expanded coverage of perennially popular genre fiction, including horror, sci fi, and dystopian fiction;

offers an updated overview of LGBTQ literature for young adults, including Intersex;

covers such commercial trends as adult purchasers of YA books and the New Adult phenomenon; and

features abundant bibliographic material to aid in readers' advisory and collection development.

Cart's up-to-date coverage makes this the perfect resource for YA librarians who want to sharpen their readers' advisory skills, educators and teachers who work with young people, and anyone else who wants to understand where YA lit has been and where it's heading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838914625
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	09/01/2016
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Michael Cart is a nationally known expert in young adult literature, which he taught at UCLA before his recent relocation to the Midwest. A columnist and reviewer for ALA's Booklist magazine, he is also the author or editor of more than 20 books and countless articles that have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Parents Magazine, American Libraries, School Library Journal, and elsewhere. The former president of both YALSA and ALAN, he is the recipient of the 2000 Grolier Award and the first recipient - in 2008 - of the YALSA/Greenwood Publishing Group Service to Young Adults Award. He appointed and chaired the Task Force that created the Michael L. Printz Award and subsequently chaired the 2006 Printz Committee.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Part 1 That Was Then

1 From Sue Barton to the Sixties 3

2 The Sixties and Seventies 23

3 The Eighties-Something Old, Something New 41

4 The Early Nineties 55

5 The Rest of the Nineties 63

Part 2 This Is Now

6 A New Literature for a New Millennium? 81

7 Genre on the Agenda 97

8 Romancing the Retail 107

9 So, How Adult Is Young Adult? 131

10 Meanwhile, Back in the Real World 151

11 Reality Redux 163

12 Sex and Other Shibboleths 175

13 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Literature 187

14 Still the Controversies Continue 197

15 The Viz Biz 203

16 The New Nonfiction 223

17 Of Books and Bytes 233

References 249

Appendix 271

About the Author 277

Index 279

Editorial Reviews

"This fourth edition of Cart's guide to young adult literature has been updated, lengthened, and strengthened, making it practically indispensable ... Literature, education, and library youth services students will appreciate the accessible descriptions and logical progressions from subject to subject; practicing professionals will benefit from the sections regarding representation, risky behaviors, and LGBTQIAA+ literature. This greatly expanded edition belongs in most academic and professional collections."
— Booklist

From the Publisher

This updated and expanded second edition of Cart's already lively and comprehensive history of young adult literature (1996) is an essential resource. It is divided into two sections ("That Was Then" and "This Is Now"), and the author once again discusses the history and current moment to offer a broad and loving overview of the rich literature. Cart provides the historical context and earliest examples of books with teenaged protagonists, titles popular with teen readers, and, finally, the materials marketed specifically to young adults, from formulaic romance to edgier, grittier realism. He then moves on to considering how the field has changed in reaction to social, literary, and educational forces. Its evolution—from new awards and diverse subject matter to changing visual forms and electronic formats—rounds out this revision. Highly accessible and thorough, the text is a staple for any study of the canon. Students and newcomers to the conversation will appreciate Cart's experience and insight. And, once again, the books he mentions as examples will send readers straight to the shelves.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA

School Library Journal