A bit of background on young adult literature (YAL)

The category, young adult literature ( YAL), as distinct from other forms of literature can be traced to the mid-twentieth century. Certainly, teenagers were reading literature prior to the twentieth century but they weren’t seen as a distinct marketing audience with clearly defined literary criteria. Many topics were considered inappropriate for young readers, such as sex, drugs, violence, etc. By the mid fifties, these once taboo topics started to make their way into literature aimed at a teenage audience, books like, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume explored female puberty or M.E. Kerr’s, Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack! which examined dysfunctional family dynamics. Stories like these were written specifically with a teenage audience in mind and with teenage main characters set in realistic situations that were relatable.

Since the sixties the number of YAL titles published has exploded, and the last decade has seen the biggest expansion. In 1997 there were 3,000 new YAL titles published. Twelve years later that number jumped ten times to 30,000. In 2009 the market share for YAL exceeded $3 billion. Many researchers and reviewers argue that there is a link between increased rates of adolescent reading and the number of YAL published titles to the phenomenal success of the Harry Potter series. The wake of Harry appears to be contributing to high levels of adolescent reading and has produced many new captivating series, such as the Hunger Games as well as introduced young readers to old stories, such as the Hobbit. (Grady, 2011)

In order to be considered YAL must first and foremost be true to its indented audience. Other central features of YAL are:

• written for young people, ages 11-18.
• a main character that is a teenager
• the plot and main events are relate to teenagers
• the dialogue is authentic to teenagers
• the point of view “reflects an adolescent’s interpretation of events and people” (Tomlinson & Lynch-Brown, 2010)

References:

Grady, D. B. (2011, August 1). How young adult fiction came of age. The Atlantic, Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/08/how-young-adult-fiction-came-of-age/242671/
Tomlinson, C., & Lynch-Brown, C. (2010). Essentials of young adult literature. (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson.