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Graduate School of Education ED 666 Young Adult Fiction

Dr. Lawrence R. Sipe

PURPOSE AND GOALS OF THE COURSE This course aims to acquaint students with the ever-expanding body of literature written for young adults and to consider some of the theoretical and pedagogical issues it raises. If you think back to what you read for your high school English classes, the chances are that the reading selections were drawn from what is informally called the “junior canon.” In other words, you probably read literature written for adults that the compilers of anthologies and curricula deemed suitable for adolescents. From Shakespeare, you may have read Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, or Julius Caesar since these are considered the “easier” of his plays. You may also have read such standbys as Of Mice and Men, or The Old Man and the Sea. What you probably did not read to any great extent (at least “officially” as the requirement for a course) was literature written especially for teenagers: young adult fiction. In the last thirty years or so, YA fiction has grown to be an important part of children’s literature. It occupies a somewhat precarious niche, wedged between literature written for children and literature written for adults. Thus, it is hard to define and even harder to theorize about. Nevertheless, some of the most inventive, provocative, and stimulating fiction written today is YA fiction; so there is a justification for taking an intensive and thoughtful look at it. When you finish the course, you will have the beginnings of an understanding of this type of fiction that should make you more confident in choosing and using it.

COURSE READINGS You will be doing a lot of reading for the course. The bulk of the reading is the novels themselves: you will be reading at least two dozen during the semester. As well, you will be reading some research dealing with teenagers and their responses to young adult fiction, and the ways in which it is used in classrooms. There are also conceptual and theoretical articles that aim to increase your critical understanding of these novels, and thus to refine your own literary taste and judgment. There is also a required textbook for the course, Essentials of Young Adult Literature (Tomlinson and Lynch-Brown, 2nd edition, 2011). Abbreviated T&LB. The readings that are not part of the textbook will be given to you. The required texts of young adult fiction for this course (some will be read by the whole class, and some by half of the class) in the order in which they are read are:

Call Me Maria (Judith Ortiz Cofer) Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson) Inexcusable (Chris Lynch) Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (Rachel Cohn & David Levithan) Rainbow Boys (Alex Sanchez) () Godless (Pete Hautman) Endgame (Nancy Garden) () Under the Wolf, Under the Dog (Adam Rapp) Tomorrow When the War Began (John Marsden) Tenderness (Robert Cormier) Bucking the Sarge () Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging (Louise Rennison) () How I Live Now () Feed (M.T. Anderson) Blood & Chocolate (Annette Klause) Fallen Angels (Walter Dean Myers)

These books have been ordered from the campus bookstore for your convenience. However, you could borrow them from a library or buy most of them from the young adult section of a bookstore, amazon.com, or barnesandnoble.com.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Do all the readings so that you can participate fully in discussion.

2. Attendance in a course like this is critical because our knowledge will be socially constructed as we discuss the texts and issues. If you know that you're going to be absent, I'd appreciate an e-mail or phone message. More than one absence will seriously affect your learning.

3. Read at least 10 YA novels, in addition to the novels in the required list above. Keep a response log, in which you list the title, author, publishing information, and a brief (half a written or typed page) response. Please keep this brief. The novels may be on the same theme or by the same author or you may choose a variety of authors or genres. They may not be the same as the novels you read for the author presentation (assignment 4 below). They may relate to the topic you choose for your paper, but they don’t have to. Note: You must include at least one piece of nonfiction (biography or informational book); and one anthology of poetry for young adults (Read the textbook, chapters 6 & 7, respectively.) You must also read at least one novel by Chris Crutcher and one novel by an African American YA author other than Walter Dean Myers. See the textbook for recommendations. Due on the next-to-the-last class session, but you obviously need to do this cumulatively, as you read.

4. Read at least 2 novels by one author of YA fiction, and find out something about his or her life and work. These novels can’t overlap with the required novels or the 10 novels you read for assignment # 3. Then prepare a one-page handout about this author, which includes the following parts: (1) biographical information; (2) annotated list of books, including publishing information and a one sentence description; (3) critical commentary; and (4) list of the sources of your information. Make enough copies of your handout for each member of the class and two for me. I will comment on one and return it to you, retaining the other for my files. The handout must be one page only, though it may (and most likely will) be printed on both sides of the page. Sign up to present your author to the class in five minutes (you will be timed). Do not repeat or read information on your handout; tell us stuff that is not there. You will probably want to bring some books by the author for your fellow students to examine. Due when you sign up to present. You’ll sign up the first or second week of class, and presentations will begin the third week of class.

5. One major piece of writing, 15-20 pages, which can assume several forms. Due at the last class session. Read T&LB chap 9, 10, and 11 for background. Options include: a. Text-based paper. A critical reading of a piece of young adult fiction. Begin with a "close reading," also paying attention to your own emotional/aesthetic experience. Then widen your consideration to some of the theoretical perspectives we've discussed in class. Use these in making your interpretive moves. If you choose this option, you may begin with your personal response to the book, but you must also go beyond it. b. Issues paper. Choose an issue or concern that has arisen for you and develop an exposition of some approaches to that issue. The issue may be quite broad to begin with (for example, the issue of gender in relation to young adult fiction; some aspect of the ideology inscribed in YA fiction; race/ethnicity as a factor in response to YA fiction; gay/lesbian issues and YA fiction); you then need to narrow it so that you can adequately deal with it in the space of the paper. c. Theoretical paper. What do you think are the theoretical underpinnings of a definition of young adult fiction? What have others written about this, and what do you propose? This would involve not only seeking out readings in addition to the ones in the bulkpack, but also thinking critically and analytically about the novels you’ve read, so as to provide salient and convincing examples. d. Mini-study. If you have access to a classroom, audiotape and transcribe one or several discussions teenagers are having about a piece of YA fiction. Try your hand at analyzing this discourse. Then use this analysis to write about some important pedagogical, theoretical, or critical issues in YA fiction. e. Another substantial topic or approach of your own choice, or a combination of any of the above. Please speak with me about this early in the term. Schedule an appointment and come loaded for bear. You must have a good idea of what you want to do and be able to explain it clearly and persuasively. f. Another (completely different) option is to write a piece of fiction suitable for young adults. It would probably take the form of a short story or the first chapter of a novel. Attempting such a piece of writing would give you a new appreciation for the art of the authors you will be reading. It would also be a way of trying out new narrative and stylistic techniques we discuss in the course.

At the last meeting of the course, there will be an opportunity to talk about your project with each other. The paper must be typed and there must be a complete list of references. The latest edition of the APA (American Psychological Association) manual is a good resource. The length depends on how tight and dense your writing style is. Remember that this is the major piece of writing for the course and that a considerable part of your grade will depend on it.

I may accept late assignments, but marks will be deducted at my discretion. As well, late assignments will receive no comments. See the GSE statements about academic integrity, including plagiarism. There are strict penalties for violation of these policies.

Grading for the course: 20% author study and presentation 20% response log 50% major paper 10% class attendance and participation

WEEKLY COURSE TOPICS

Date Topic & Novel Bulkpack Readings 1 January 18 Syllabus 2 January 25 Family/relationships T&LB chap 1; Aronson; Wissman (Community) Call Me Maria 3 February 1 Family/relationships 2 (Abuse) T&LB chap 2; O’Quinn; Koss & Speak OR Inexcusable Teale 4 February 8 Family/relationships 3 T&LB chap 3; Azmitia, et al. (Romance) Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist 5 February 15 Family/relationships 4 (Sexuality) Crisp; Interview with Sanchez; Rainbow Boys Jenkins 6 February 22 Fitting In 1 Probst; Hunt A Step from Heaven 7 1 Fitting in 2 Wortley Godless OR Endgame March 8 NO CLASS (spring break) 8 March 15 Teens in Schools/Institutions Kornfeld & Prothro Looking for Alaska OR Under the Wolf, Under the Dog 9 March 22 Thriller/Adventure Head Tomorrow, When the War Began AND Tenderness 10 March 29 Humor No readings Bucking the Sarge OR Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging 11 April 5 Graphic Novel Format T&LB chap 8; Gomes & Carter; American Born Chinese Boatright; Griffith 12 April 12 Futuristic Fiction/Science Fiction T&LB chap 4; Guerra How I Live Now OR Feed April 19 NO CLASS 13 April 26 Horror/Supernatural NOTE: Response logs due. Blood and Chocolate No readings 14 May 3 Historical Fiction T&LB chap 5 Fallen Angels (Dean Myers)