young adult literature

Provides personal and professional data on famous individuals from such fields as sports, entertainment, literature, science, business, and politics.

The start of the twenty-first century has been a new golden age of young adult literature. In their literary quality, their variety, and their innovative nature, these books are not only the best of a splendid new millennium, they are-- compared with other decades-- the best of the best.

An analysis of the literary genre that focused on adolescent girls and evolved between the 1960s and 1980s considers the achievements of such authors as Beverly Cleary, Lois Duncan, and Judy Blume, in a collection of essays in which contributing writers remember the ways in which favorite books changed their lives.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the best-selling book written by author Stephen Chbosky (published in 1999), which was followed by his screenplay (the popular movie for which was released in 2012), is to today’s young adults what J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye was to teens of decades past. In poignant, knowing language and characterization, Chbosky captures the joys, anguish, confusion, and once-in-a-lifetime experience that is adolescence. Find out about the book, the movie, and the engaging author in this singular account about how one man wrote a story that has become an emotional touchstone for a generation.

Although still in the early stages of her career, Kiera Cass has enjoyed the kind of success most writers only dream of. After publishing her first novel, The Siren, in 2009, she went on to write The Selection, a dystopian young adult novel set in a future version of the United States in which girls are selected by lottery to compete for the position of Princess. Although she had had no luck at all in finding either an agent or a traditional publisher for The Siren, The Selection landed her, in short order, an agent and a three-book deal with a top publisher. Cass fans and newcomers alike will enjoy reading this biography of an exuberant but down-to-earth young author.

Her books fly off the shelves, and throngs of fans flock to the theatres to see Cassandra Clare's stories and characters brought to the silver screen. Although Clare writes for a young adult audience, her best-selling novels continue to enchant readers of all ages. Readers will learn about Clare's childhood and early work history and how they have shaped her writing. Writing tips and suggestions from Clare encourage and guide aspiring writers. Insights into Clare's writing practices and even her musical preferences offer an entertaining and memorable read about one of the best-selling YA authors writing today.

This book describes the life and career of Walter Dean Myers, who writes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry portraying the lives of African American men and boys struggling with important life choices in hostile environments.

With today's digital natives, educators face new challenges in guiding young adults to discovery of the critical thinking and enjoyment that comes from lifelong literacy not to mention simply reading simply for pleasure. For anyone seeking to hone their skills as a guide to YA reading, Latrobe and Drury give you a theoretical basis for your programming with cogent explanations of eight critical theories of literature.

Enhance your historical fiction collection - and its popularity with readers and value in the classroom - with this wide-ranging guide. After discussion of various aspects of the genre (its importance, history, criteria for evaluation, and methods of presentation), the author takes an in-depth look at 80 of the best historical fiction novels published for this age group in the last 10 to 15 years. For each title there is a brief introduction discussing setting, historical background, and point of view; a list of characters; a detailed plot summary; and ways to introduce the book to students, including important passages for reading or retelling. This versatile tool, written by a recognized expert in children's literature, can be used for readers' advisory, curricular support, title selection, and collection development.