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 a Mexican American teen boy; a fantasy novel about how baking can truly be life-saving; a poetic novel about the realities of gun violence in a Black neighborhood; and a graphic novel depicting immigration from a Korean teenage girl’s perspective. 

Required texts:  Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds; Almost American Girl by Robin Ha; American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott; Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins; A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher and additional critical articles and essays about YA literature.

Coursework: reading journals; leading discussion groups; two papers; one creative project.  No exams or quizzes.