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.  In this Diversity Intensive course we will examine many facets of YA literature that have defined the genre in the past decade, including a novel about a teen mother who embraces her African and Latina heritage through cooking; a romantic comedy about a camp for queer teens; a fantasy novel about how baking can truly be life-saving; a novel about a teen basketball star overcoming stereotypes about Middle Easterners; and a graphic novel depicting immigration from a Korean teenage girl’s perspective.  

Required texts:  With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo; Almost American Girl by Robin Ha; Camp by L.C. Rosen; A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher; Here to Stay by Sara Farizan; and additional critical articles and essays about YA literature. 

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