- t DOCUMENT ItF. SUMP ED 024 674 TE 000 873 By- Davis, James E. Recent Trends in Fiction for Adolescents. Pub Date May 67 Note-6p. Journal Cit- English Journal;v56n5p720-24May1967 EDRS PriceMF-S0.25 HC-$0.40 Descriptors- *Adolescents, *English Instruction, Fiction, *Literature, *Novels. *Twentieth Century Literature To determine present trends in junior novels, researchers compared 23 novels written after 1959 with characteristics of junior novels written before thatdate. The following trends were identified: (1) The action in the majority of novels occurs over a fewmonths.(2)Simple and compound sentencesoften connected by "and" predominate. (3) The unrealistic success of heroes is giving way to success achieved with some difficulty. (4) Characters are fundamentally serious, complex, anddignified. (5) The ages of heroes and heroines vary from nine to middle age. (6) Although the middle-class standards of living are reflected in the majority of the novels, exceptions to this are frequently evident. (7) Profanity or allusions to sexual activity areseldom used. (8) Although the omniscient point of view predominates, experimentation(e.g., shifts in point of view within a novel) is taking place. (9) Didacticism is evident in most novels. (10) Themes reflect not only the adolescent's problems in growing up, but also some use of satire and the areasof racialtension, science fiction, and the depression years. Many of the recent junior novels are well-written and "are improving to the point that some of them may well survive as classics." (SW) U.S. DEPARTMENT Of HEALTH, EDUCATION 8. WELfARE OffICE Of EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS Of VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OffICE Of EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. ENO ISM SOUR bo 0 MAY 1967 Recent Trends in Fiction for Adolescents "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED James E. Davis BY 15a-4.4../2.1--g. ove-r-z- Associate Professor of English TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING Morehead State University UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE U.S. OFFICE OF Morehead, Kentucky EDUCATION. FURTHER REPRODUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM REQUIRES PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER." THIS article could more appropriatelythe junior novels are generally poorly Abe entitled "Trends in the Juniorwritten, but that others, including Stan- Novel Since 1959," but in light of theley Kegler and Stephen Dunning, have controversial nature of that title, a moreargued that they are improving in qual- euphemistic one was chosen. The firstity (English Journal, May 1964, p. 391). phase of this investigation was a study of Studies by Bertha Handlan, Richard the research conducted snd writtenAlm, Dorothy Petitt, William Evans, about the junior novel, especially unpub-Nathan Blount, and Dwight Burton were lished research, to discover some of itsalso consulted for background informa- main characteristics up to the year 1959.tion on both the characteristics of the Some of the studies bear later dates, butjunior novel and reactions to it. Infor- the selection of novels in them does notmation in these studies provided the basis go in to the Sixties. The second phasefor all comments here regarding the ju- was to select junior novels written sincenior novels which were written before 1959 to compare and contrast them with1960. To limit the number of books to those written before that date. be studied, a list of 88 books was Fe- Some of the questions to be answeredpared from authors suggested by Dwight were: (1) To what extent is the genre,L. Burton and John Simmons, Depart- if it is that, being perpetuated? (2) Whatment of English Education, Florida State changes in terms of themes and styleUniversity; Robert E. Shafer, Depart- have been taking place? (3) Is the juniorment of English, Arizona State Umver- novel still generally well-written? Re-sity at Tempe; Juanita Devette, Librar- garding the third question, it might beian,FloridaStateUniversity High pointed out that many critics, includingSchool; Agnes Gregory of the Florida Frank Jennings, who is quoted by Dunn-State University Library School. Books ing, in his study,1 have maintained thatfor You; Horizons Unlimited, Books in Print,thesemiannual"Junior Book lArthur Stephenson Dunning. A DefinitionRound-Up" inEnglish Journal, and of the Role of the junior Novel Based onScholasticBookServiceswerealso Analyses of Thirty Selected Novels. Unpub- lished doctoral dissertation (Tallahassee: Floridaconsulted. State University, 1959). The process of limiting the list to a 720 TRENDS IN FICTION FOR ADOLESCENTS 721 more realistic number for the purposesthe 23 novels studied here, this is also and scope of this study was quite diffi-true. The time is usually only a few cult. Books which appeared on moremonths. Of the two exceptions, Snow in than one list were retained along withthe River covers about 20 years, and books which were highly recommended,A Wrinkle in Time covers many light or seemed likely to show some newyears but only one earth day. Time trend. Preference was also given to booksmoved forward in most of the books by authors who had been dealt with pre-Petitt reviewed, as it does in all the books viously in studies of the junior novel tostudied here, except A Wrinkle in Time, see what changes had occurred in thewhere "tessering" makes it a little hard content and style of long-established ju-to say. nior novelists. Admittedly, the process One of the important matters of style, oflimitation,thoughnecessary, wasespecially in terms of the audience for highly unscientific. A list of the 23 novelswhich these novels are written, is sen- finally chosen appears at the end oftence length. Petitt's observation (p. 338) this article. that the adolescent novels were written predominantly in simple and compound THESE 23 novels were reviewed insentences most often connected by 'and" -I- several areasfor the most part areasstill seems to hold true, although the suggested in one or more of the studieswriters are by no means confined to consulted. The areas include: time, sen-compound and simple constructions. tence length, hero's success, treatment of According to Dunning (p. 65), the life, age of protagonist, mores and livinghero of the junior novel is usually suc- standards reflected,use of profanity,cessful in solving the problems which treatment of sex, point of view, didacti-confront him or in reaching the goal he cism, thematic concerns, and contempo-has set for himself. Sometimes this suc- raneity.2 cess is achieved easily, and sometimes Dorothy Petitt3 says that the actionwith great difficulty. Success does not in most of the novels she studied oc-come easily in any of these 23 books! curred in a year or less (p. 314). In 21 ofThe trend seems to be, happily, away from the unrealistic easy success. This is 21n addition to the kudies from which I quotevery closely connected with treatment in thisarticle,I have also investigated theof life in the books. Alm's "honest por- following: (1) Nathan S. Blount. The ?ct of Selected Junior Novels and Selected Adulttrayal of human life"4 (p. 598), Dunn- Novels on Student Attitudes Toward theing's "pretend to treat life truthfully" "Ideal" Novel. Unpublished doctoral disserta-(p. 61), and Burton's "fundamentally ser- tion(Tallahassee:FloridaStateUniversity, ious, presenting characters who are com- 1963). (2) William Howard Evans. A Com- parison of the Effects of a Superior Juniorplex people with dignity"5 (p. 65), are Novel and Silas Marner on the Ability ofcertainly continued in these 23 novels. Tenth-Grade Students To Read the Novel. Un- Among his Recommended Novels, publisheddoctoraldissertation(Tallahassee: Alm found heroes and heroines to be Florida State University,1961).(3)Berthaabout the saint age-17. Among his Not Hand Ian. A Comparison of the Characteristics of Certain Adolescent Reading and the Quali- ties of the Books They Read. Unpublished doc- 4Richard S. Alm. A Study of the Assumptions toral dissertation (Minneapolis: University ofConcerning Human ExperienceUnderlying Minnesota, 1945). Certain Works of Fiction For and About Ado- aDorothy J. Petitt. A Study of the Qualities lescents.Unpublisheddoctoraldissertation of Literary Excellence Which Characterize (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1954). Selected Fiction for Younger Adolescents. Un- aDwight L Burton. Literature Study in the published doctoral dissertation(Minneapolis: High Schools (New York: Holt, Rinehart and University of Minnesota, 1961). Winkon, 1954). 722 ENGLISHJOURNAL , Recommended novels, he found two age carpet. He could forgive her anything. groups: (1) 14-15 and (2) 19-20. In my (p. 113) study there are many exceptions to this: Roosevelt Grady has a hero nine years Although there are only one or two old. Sergeant Williams, in Silence Overkisses in Almost Like Sisters, Victoria, Dunkerque, is in his late thirties. Georgethe 17-year7old, becomes jealous of her is ten and Raymond 11 in Raymond andmother when Pietro, the Italian graduate Me That Summer. Hosteen Storm, instudent who has been dating Victoria, Lord of Thunder, is probably in his mid-kisses Mrs. Logan happy New Year. twenties, though his age is not stated.Victoria causes quite a scene. At the end The title character in Jamie is 12. Theof the story, Mrs. Logan is going to characters in Snow in the River aremarry an old family friend, and she and middle-aged by the close of the novel,her fiancee go off to have dinner leaving and none of their teen-age experiencesVictoria alone with Pietro in the apart- is recounted. ment. Admittedly, this is pretty mild and Dunning says that "most junior novelsreflects no trend. reflect the mores and living standards of Petitt observed that junior novels were the upper middle class"(pp. 64-65).told either by a first-person narrator, Sociallyandeconomically,fortunate athird-personomniscientobserver- families.are still treated in the main, butanalyst, or an effaced narrator (p. 319), there are enough exceptions to indicatewhereas Burton says that they are told a trendSavage Sam, Roosevelt Grady,almost invariably from an "omiscient" Raymond and Me That Summer, Bristlepoint of view (p.