With its current emphasis on the diversity of American society, Young Adult Literature is a rich, varied genre as well as an extremely popular and profitable part of the publishing industry.  This course will examine many facets of YA literature that have defined the genre in the past decade, including a coming-of-age novel about an immigrant Mexican family; a poetic novel about the realities of gun violence in a Black neighborhood; a graphic novel depicting immigration from a Korean teenager's perspective; a fantasy novel that incorporates photography.  Required texts:  I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez; Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds; Almost American Girl by Robin Ha; Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins; Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs; and additional critical articles and essays about YA literature. Coursework:  reading journals, discussion board, two papers, and one creative project.  There are no exams or quizzes.