An Analysis of Texts

Over the course of the semester we have had two major textbooks, the first being Teri S. Lesesne's Reading Ladders and the second being a packet of five chapters from as many textbooks. The two main textbooks have been further supplemented by topical articles that were handed out during the course of the class. Overall, I have to say that all of the material did a good job of presenting information to us, especially the packet of chapters which had to try and cover a number of subjects all very important to the field of young adult literature. The following is a brief analysis of each of these pieces and what elements made them successful and what about them are less than helpful, with the intent to guide others toward similar material for use in the classroom.

The first of our textbooks was Reading Ladders, again by Teri S. Lesesne, and this was actually not something that was used until about the middle of the semester. Unlike the packets that were collected and that dealt directly with the books one would encounter in the field, Reading Ladders was focused on helping to structure how students could engage in a series of works all with some sort of shared theme. The book started with why the field of young adult literature was worth pursuing, creating arguments for the value of the texts that fall under the category. Then came a chapter on the elements that play into how lifelong reader is built, followed by a chapter on motivating students to be readers, and finally how to bring it all together to turn students lifelong readers. The last three chapters finally got to the construction and implementation of the reader ladder methodology.

Reading Ladders works well as a guide for English teachers, because it gives compelling arguments for making use of YA lit, offers the strategies needed to try and create students who are going to be excited to read, and how to build them up and reinforce themes and lessons that will be important in understanding the structure of future books that can be encountered in later grade levels and in college. It is an easy read in and of itself, with Doctor Lesesne using a wonderful voice to hook the reader in and feel like she is talking straight to you. The information is clearly laid out and it quickly referenced, especially if you are the sort who likes to make use of sticky notes and highlighters.

As for the packet, I think this needs to be discussed on a chapter by chapter basis to get the most out of each piece. After all, these were not chapters pulled from the same text book and so they are going to each have a different feel. For reference purposes, I will include the title of the work and the chapter for others who wish to track down the texts being discussed. It should be noted that each of these chapters was used as part of a Socratic Seminar, as I discussed in a previous posting, and that these seminars would draw points from the text to support statements. The combination helped in enhance the conversation, though there were times when the group disagreed with the packets. Most notably, it was with the fifth section, on graphic novels, but I will speak more on that when I get to it.

First is Essentials of Young Adult Literature by Carl Tomlinson and Carol Lynch-Brown and it is the first chapter of the second edition. This section was set up to introduce the reader to the idea of understanding young adults and the literature that is aimed at them. It provides a nice historical point of view, including a timeline dating back to 1892 with the formation of the Committee of Ten and continuing to 1989 with publication of Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block. The chapter makes a case for the value of young adult literature, much like Reading Ladders, and it is useful for getting a handle on the field. There are plenty of suggestions for good literature and the chapter is not too long, so it is good for someone who has to work quickly. This was a welcome addition to the packet and a good way to start things off.

The second piece of the packet is from Literature for Today's Young Adults by Alleen Pace Nilsen and Kenneth L. Donelson and it is the eighth edition. The reading is called “Contemporary Realistic Fiction: From Tragedies to Romances” and it is the fourth chapter of the book. The chapter is as long as the title and to say that this was something of a struggle to get through is being too kind to the chapter. The simple fact of the matter is that this chapter seeks to talk about every genre that is represented by YA lit and that means that it had to be long; in fact, having to use the entire chapter for a single discussion was less than ideal. This sort of thing is a short essay all on its own and should be treated that way.

Each section can help to inform the reader on the specific topics of young adult literature and there are a staggering number of suggested readings. It is a wonderful resource and if there is a chance to get the chapter on its own then I suggest you take it. It will prove to be a useful guide and can provide some books to get students started, while providing a starting point for further investigation in to the field. Connecting books that you like to others within the same genre is easy, using those suggested or by taking a couple of the ones you like and heading off to see what others on the Internet are doing with the texts. One thing that I would be remiss in not mentioning is that the tone of voice for the chapter is likable and so it does make the reading go down a little easier.

The third selection is from Young Adult Literature: Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation by Katherine Bucher and Kaavonia Hinton. This is another chapter 4, this one called “Protecting Intellectual Freedom” and we used it in our discussions on the importance of intellectual freedom and determining what should be available for students to read. Without going very far into that discussion, my class was heavily against any sort of censorship and believe that it was the responsibility of parents to tell students what they could and could not read and not the school. This overwhelming majority seemed to be something that Dr. Adams was less than thrilled with, because it kept us from considering the other side of the coin; ah, the utter assuredness of youth.

The chapter itself presents the issues revolving around intellectual freedom and the troubles that schools and teachers can face based on what is on their shelves, in the library and in the classroom, and the sorts of reading that teachers assign to their students. It is an interesting chapter that does a good job of informing the reader on what sorts of issues they can face as a teacher or librarian who is faced with this sort of thing, including the actions that schools may take, parental rights, a historical look at censorship, and the different ways in which access to materials can be controlled—this included things like censorship and the inclusion or exclusion of materials and the use of behind the counter books and restricted sections of the library. It is a good chapter for those who are interesting the issues at hand, as I am sure that this is something that all teachers will need to face at one point or another, and offers some good strategies on dealing with the situation. Certainly, this is a must for any library studies major.

The fourth section is chapter 8 of Literature and the Young Adult Reader by Ernest L. Bond and it focuses on poetry. I personally found this to be the second most interesting chapter of the book because, quite frankly, I am a terrible poet. This chapter goes over the importance of poetry in curriculum, the ways in which students and teachers can approach poetry, and the sorts of things that young adult readers would identify with in terms of poetry. It was a great chapter to use because it makes for a wonderful guide to the world of poetry and gives those of us who view it as a weakness a fighting chance at giving the genre the respect it deserves. The inclusion of poetry and suggestions for further reading were very useful here because, much like the other chapters, it provides a place for students and teachers to start. The examples are very helpful and can be good ways to enhance lessons all on their own. Make sure to take notes on the strategies that Bond employs in this work!

The final chapter is probably my favorite in terms of subject and it also comes from Young Adult Literature: Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation. This time it is done by Katherine Bucher and M. Lee Manning and it is the tenth chapter entitled “Exploring Other Formats: Comic Books, Graphic (comic-format) Novels, and Magazines”. If the title was not enough of a hint, the chapter takes a look at some of the controversies that surround the inclusion of comic books and magazines as part of the curriculum of a class. The chapter further explores the values of the medium, discusses some of the advantages that are offered as springboard to further reading, and suggested reading. Now as I said before, there was some interesting debate in the Socratic Seminar for this chapter, mainly focused on the use of comic books as a springboard to other forms of literature.

There was some discussion by the class as to whether or not the tone of the chapter was appropriate because, while it is offering reasons to make use of comic books and magazines in the classroom, it seems to still be treating the material as lesser when compared against traditional novels. As readers have no doubt gathered by now after reading through my blog, I am a big fan of the field and absolutely believe that this is a medium that is worth exploring. The interplay of words and pictures, the way they are drawn and colored, and the framing on the page all help to tell the story. There were those in the circle, myself included, who felt that comic books get a bum rap and they have a lot to offer. Those who doubt me should take a look at Batman: Noel, Asterios Polyp, The Watchmen, and The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes. Then we can talk about the merits of the medium.

Finally there were a number of supplementary articles presented throughout the course, but I have failed to keep a hand on any of them. I will say that, while I certainly agree that they are a great way to present an in-class reading and to find topical news stories and facts, there was not a whole lot that I found interesting in the articles that we read over the semester. In fact, I can only remember a few details about any of them. Now I think that has more to do with the nature of the class and the overall excellence of our reading packets; the news stories couldn't compare. I will say that one of the early articles did have an interesting exercise attached, where we were asked to look for flaws and inconsistencies in the story and tear it apart. It was a gratifying exercise and it felt good to know that the class had some very discerning readers.

And so those were the texts we covered. I hope that some of them have proven helpful to you and that you will find some good information if you decide to pursue them. Again, I heartily suggest that you take advantage of “Contemporary Realistic Fiction: From Tragedies to Romances” just for the shear number of books it presents and, if you are like me, the Poetry chapter is a good one!