I ♥ YA Books

When Harry Potter first became wildly popular, around 1999 with the Prisoner of Azkaban, I had just graduated from college and spent some time working in a bookstore and clerking in a public library.  At that time, I remember reading an article about the fact that the publisher was printing two different versions of the paperbacks: one for kids, and one with a plain cover for adults. I found it odd that there was enough money to be had in such an enterprise, but there definitely was.  

The root of such a situation? The belief that people should be embarrassed to read YA (young adult) fiction. Why?

YA is too easy
YA is too soft
YA is childish
YA is not real reading. 

I am here to tell you that all of these are wrong. 

First, I firmly believe that there is a book for every reader, and what anyone reads is none of my business.  

I do not care about your "reading level".
I do not care about what is considered "good literature".
I do not care about what issues are covered in the books you are reading.  
All of that is none of my business. 

Second, when we look at the "best" that that YA has to offer, these are books that tackle issues with a level of honesty and passion that is often missing from non-YA.  

• Long before people were willing to be open and honest on issues of gender, adolescence, and the issues facing young girls, Judy Blume was unflinching in her approach in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. 

• Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry dealt with issues of race, segregation, institutional racism, fear, and family in a way that made these very real issues accessible to young people.  I still remember when I read this book in school, vividly imagining the young kids being run off the road by the bus and the visceral anger I felt at the situation that seemed so huge and completely unfair.

And this list could go on endlessly: 

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: fear, doubt, faith, loyalty and forgiveness
• Anne of Green Gables: Family, adoption, loss, bullying, education, self-empowerment, gender
• Lord of the Flies: Power, government, control, standing up for yourself, standing up for what's right, powerlessness, shame, isolation

That doesn't even begin to discuss the treatment of underrepresented and marginalized populations.

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an unflinching look at the lives and issues of Native Americans and the consequences of the reservation system. (As a side note: this is one of the books people most frequently want banned, but that is another day's blog.)

• Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese deals with growing up Chinese-American in San Francisco, tackling issues of identity for the children of immigrants. 

• Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan follows the life of a young Mexican farm worker during the Great Depression.  Set in California, this book deals with issues of personal identity, national identity, poverty, humanity, and cultural respect. 

• Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower deals with LGBT issues with honesty, humor, and boldness.  It is one of a growing number of LGBT YA that finally begins representing a traditionally overlooked group. 

So, lets say that it mattered what issues are being dealt with or what tough topics are analysed, YA books make the grade.  They deal with everything.  YA lit talks about issues that much of non-YA lit tries to avoid or gloss over.  

Plus, YA books are fun! They are funny and irreverent; they can be sarcastic or witty.  They can also break your heart. But they can also bind it back together again. 

I  ♥ YA Books.