Books in the Studies in Young Adult Literature series

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.

Although the United States prides itself as a nation of diversity, the country that boasts of its immigrant past also wrestles with much of its immigrant present. While conflicting attitudes about immigration are debated, newcomersboth legal and otherwisecontinue to arrive on American soil. And books about the immigrant experienceaimed at both adults and youthare published with a fair amount of frequency.In Immigration Narrative in Young Adult Literature: Crossing Borders, Joanne Brown explores the experiences of adolescents as portrayed in young adult novels. Her study features protagonists from a wide variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds in order to provide a complete discussion of the immigration experience of young adults. In this volume, Brown analyzes young adult novels that portray various aspects of the immigrant experiencejourneys to the shores of the United States, the difficulties of adjustment, and the tensions that develop within family units as a result of immigration. Brown also examines how ethnicity, religion, and country of origin affect the adolescent characters adjustment to their new country, as well as the process of moving from social outsiders to accepted citizens.This thoroughly researched book includes theories of adolescent development and perspectives on immigration itself applied to the literary analyses. It also offers a framework for anticipating the success of young immigrants and relates this analysis to the novels Brown discusses. With an appendix of additional novels for further reading, this book will be a useful resource for librarians and teachers of adolescent literature, as well as for students, both those born in the United States and those who are immigrants themselves.