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=media type="custom" key="6419575" align="center"= media type="custom" key="6428635" align="center"media type="custom" key="6428623" align="center"media type="custom" key="6428625" align="center" =__What is Young Adult Literature?__= The majority of YA stories portray an adolescent as the protagonist, rather than an adult or a child. The subject matter and story lines are typically consistent with the age and experience of the main character. The settings of YA stories are limited only by the imagination and skill of the author. Themes in YA stories often focus on the challenges of youth and coming of age themes. YA novels are usually under 20,000 words in length. == = = Though once dismissed as a genre consisting of little more than problem novels and romances, young adult literature has, since the mid-1990’s, come of age as literature. Further evidence is the extraordinary number of critically acclaimed adult authors who have begun writing for young adults – authors like Michael Chabon, Dale Peck, Julia Alvarez, T. C. Boyle and Joyce Carol Oates.

Young Adult Literature is often described as “developmental.” The unique genre recognizes that young adults are beings in evolution, in search of self and identity; beings who are constantly growing and changing, making the transition from childhood to adulthood. That period of passage called “young adulthood” is a unique part of life, distinguished by unique needs: physical, intellectual, emotional, and societal in nature.

By addressing these needs, young adult literature is made valuable not only by its artistry but also by its relevance to the lives of its readers. =__Characteristics of Young Adult Literature__= Books that are considered to be Young Adult Literature are stories that are meant to be appealing to adolescents, but what does one usually see when looking at Y/A Literature?
 * It should deal with the age of the reader and should be interesting for their reading level.
 * Should look at contemporary world perspectives.
 * Protagonist is around the age of the reader.
 * Deals with issues of growing up. Such topics can include: sex, drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, family problems, sexual orientation, romance, suicide and death.
 * "Coming of Age," in which the themes deal with maturity and growing out of adolescents into adulthood.

== = = Most of the characteristics that fall into Young Adult Literature oppose the traditional Christian values that our nation was build upon, thus these books are constantly being challenged to ban them.

=__Brief History of Young Adult Literature__=

In 1802, Sarah Trimmer first defined young adults as a distinct group. Then, in 1885, Mark Twain’s work //Huckleberry Finn// created what is described as a defining moment in young adult literature. As a single genre however, Louisa May Alcott’s //Little Women// aided in defining this category of literature. Young adult literature is described as literature written for or about young adults, and in the case of S.E. Hinton’s //The Outsiders,// sometimes even by a young adult. In 1919, the first Young Adult librarian, Mabel Williams, was appointed as Supervisor of Work with Schools at the New York Public Library. This important event only served so solidify young adults as a distinct group separate from children and adults. However, it wasn’t until 1937 that the earliest documentation of the term “Young Adult Literature” was used. Written by an anonymous author, //Go Ask Alice// opened up a darker side of young adult life that was touched on earlier in 1968 in //The Outsiders//. The truth that was exposed in both of these novels created new dimensions of young adult literature. It was also in the 1970s that young adult paperbacks started being published, giving more adolescents the opportunity to connect with characters going through the same coming of age crises that they were. However, during the Regan administration, funding decreased significantly. When libraries struggled with their budgets, young adult librarians were the easiest positions to cut. Companies like Barnes and Noble and Borders overtook small stores. Knowledgeable librarians were cut from their positions, and replaced by cheap labor, which cheated the young adult population out of valuable information. However, these setbacks did not destroy young adult literature. More diversity within the category is flourishing. Hispanic, gay, lesbian, and African-American topics and authors are more prevalent in young adult literature now, which opens up many more doors for the modern adolescent. =media type="custom" key="6428671"= Why Young Adult Literature is Important to Read Controversies with Young Adult Literature History and Evolution of Young Adult Literature

__Sources:__
Blasingame, James. //Books That Don't Bore 'Em: Young Adult Books That Speak to This// //Generation//. New York: Scholastic, 2007. Print.

Morano, Wendy. “Brief History of Young Adult Literature.” N.d. MS.

Proukou, Katherine Kim. “Young Adult Literature: Rite of Passage or Rite of its Own .” //BNET//. N.p., Summer 2005. Web. 22 June 2010. [].

Manning, Lee M. //Qualities of Young Adult Literature.// //Education.com.// 2006, pg. 9-10. Web. 20 June 2010. []