Bøker i Studies in Young Adult Literature-serien

Donna Jo Napoli has received acclaim for her young adult works and is especially known for her historical novels and her retellings of myth and fairy tales. In this full-length critical study, Hilary S. Crew integrates criticism and biographical information to illuminate Napolis many novels, as well as other writings by Napoli such as her essays on writing for young people and her book, Language Matters.A comprehensive critical analysis of 19 novels, Donna Jo Napoli: Writing with Passion provides an understanding of how Napolis life and profession as a professor of linguistics influences her writing for young adults. The novels analyzed in this study include Napolis retellings of such fairy tales and myths as The Magic Circle, Zel, Bound, Beast, and Sirena; novels whose stories are drawn from religious and traditional sources such as Song of the Magdalene, Breath, and Hush; such historical works as The Smile, Daughter of Venice, and two novels set during WWII, Stones in Water and Fire in the Hills; and her most recent book for young adults, Alligator Bayo. An interview with Napoli concludes this significant resource for those working with young adults.

This book shows how authors of young adult literature use the creation of names for people, places, events, inventions, animals, and imaginary concepts as one of their most important literary techniques. Chapters address how authors use names to stretch readers' emotions, to reveal ethnic values and differences, to create 'other worlds,' and to establish tone. Other chapters focus on how authors use names to help readers remember who is who, such as J. K. Rowling in the Harry Potter books, or to communicate separate messages to adults and to young readers, as exemplified by Richard Handler in the Lemony Snicket books. Names and Naming in Young Adult Literature equips readers with the interest and the skill to make similar observations about names and naming when they read other books. Looking at the names an author has chosen to use is a wonderful first step in introducing readers to the concept of literary criticism as something to help readers get more pleasure and information from their reading. Public and school librarians, college instructors of young adult literature, teachers of creative writing, high school English teachers, and anyone else who is interested in young adult literature will find this book extremely interesting.

Teen readers have always been fascinated by monsters, but lately it seems like every other young adult (YA) book is about vampires, zombies, or werewolves. These works are controversial, since they look at aspects of life and human nature that adults prefer to keep hidden from teenagers. But this is also why they are so important: They provide a literal example of how ignoring life's hazards won't make them go away and demonstrate that ignorance of danger puts one at greater risk.In They Suck, They Bite, They Eat, They Kill: The Psychological Meaning ofSupernatural Monsters in Young Adult Fiction Joni Bodart examines six different monstersvampires, shapeshifters, zombies, unicorns, angels, and demonsin YA literature. Bodart first discusses the meaning of these monsters in cultures all over the world. Subsequent chapters explore their history and most important incarnations, comparing the same kind of creatures featured in different titles. This volume also contains interviews with authors who provide additional insight and information, and the bibliography includes a comprehensive list of titles featuring the various monsters.Analyzing the most important and well-written series and titles for teens, They Suck, They Bite, They Eat, They Kill will be useful for parents, teachers, and anyone else hoping to understand why teens want to read books in this genre and what some of the benefits of reading them might be.

Since her first book, Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, was published in 1978, Robin McKinley has enchanted young adult readers for more than thirty years. This study is the first in-depth analysis of McKinleys works, including her award-winning books The Blue Sword (Newbery Honor, 1983) and The Hero and the Crown (Newberry Medal, 1985). In Robin McKinley: Girl Reader, Woman Writer, Evelyn Perry examines McKinleys novels and short stories as grouped into three categories: those set in Damar, which introduce and develop the rich geographic, social, political, and linguistic history of McKinleys secondary world; the retellings of folk and fairy tales, which reveal not only McKinleys encyclopedic knowledge of source stories but her respectful and highly literate approach to their contemporary adaptation; and her other works, less easily categorized but generally most recent, written for more mature readers, and featuring a diverse set of influences from vampires to homeopathy. Perry also explores the feminist articulation of character and social settings that are dominant themes running through McKinleys works.Anyone interested in Robin McKinley and her work, including secondary and post-secondary students, faculty, and librarians, will find Robin McKinley: Girl Reader, Woman Writer a valuable resource.

This text provides a literary and/or cultural context for each of Wolff's novels for young people, discusses the characters in terms of the plot and style, analyzes particularly literary elements as appropriate, and summarizes critical response.

This book looks at how popular young adult literature fetishizes virginity. Christine Seifert examines how and why so much romance and dystopian fiction-the two most popular genres in YA lit-have focused on what she calls "abstinence porn"-a phenomenon that has broken out since the appearance of Twilight on the market.

In a series of probing, innovative essays, Marc Aronson explores the true potential of Young Adult literature and revels in the passion of its readers he exposes the real problem with teenagers and reading: adult myths, projections and blind prejudices.