Children's
Literature Studies at EMU
|Department
of English Language and Literature|Pray-Harrold Hall|Ypsilanti,
MI|48197|
Winter
2009 CHL584 Adolescent Literature
Instructor: Dr. Annette Wannamaker
Office Hours: Mon/Wed 12:15 – 2 p.m.
and Wednesdays 5-6:30 p.m.
Students also are encouraged to make appointments and to email
with any questions: awannamak AT emich DOT edu
Course
Description: Adolescent Literature (also called Young
Adult Literature) is often referred to disparagingly as “problem
novels,” and sometimes thought to consist mostly of
poorly written, melodramatic stories featuring fifteen-year-old
heroine addicts, anorexics, or gang members. This genre is
often derided as either lowbrow fluff not worthy of critical
attention, or as offensive, inflammatory material not suitable
for young people. Kay Vandergrift writes, “Young adult
literature is often thought of as a great abyss between the
wonderfully exciting and engaging materials for children and
those for adults - just as young adults are often ignored
in planning library facilities and services. There is, however,
a wealth of fiction created especially for teens that deals
with the possibilities and problems of contemporary life as
experienced by this age group.” There are, indeed, wonderfully
exciting, complex texts in this genre, which have increasingly
gained critical attention from literary and cultural critics.
This
course will explore the history of, characteristics of, benefits
of, and problems surrounding this ambiguously defined genre.
Many experts disagree about how to define Adolescent Literature,
how to distinguish it from children’s literature and
adult literature (for example, where do the Harry Potter books
fit when they are read and enjoyed by members of all three
age groups?). There is even disagreement about what to call
the literature (juvenile or adolescent or young adult). Furthermore,
how do we define the adolescent, and how do our definitions
of young people (what we believe them to be or what we believe
they should become) affect the literature we write for them?
Who defines the genre (scholars, teachers, publishers, readers?)
and what is at stake in the various definitions? For example,
some scholars claim that adolescent literature as a genre—and
even the use of the terms adolescent or teenager to refer
to a distinctly separate stage of life—is a recent invention
tied to the development of contemporary capitalism and the
construction of young people as consumers. If this is the
case, then is adolescent literature necessarily a postmodern
form? In its mass-marketed forms it is at times quite conventional
and formulaic, but the better works of Adolescent Literature
are often sites of experimentation with subject matter and
literary form that blur and test borders between genres. For
example, graphic novels, especially Japanese Manga, are currently
very popular with American teenagers, as are novels in verse,
hypertexts and other visual media.
Which
texts are the young people in our communities currently reading?
Which texts are chosen for them by teachers, parents, and
librarians, and which texts do they choose for themselves?
What tools can we use to better understand these texts, their
benefits, their drawbacks, and their influence? How, when,
and why should these texts be taught to young people? This
course provides a forum for intense reading, discussion, and
exploration of the texts and issues associated with adolescent
literature.
Required
textbooks and works of fiction:
Cart,
Michael. From Romance to Realism: 50 Years of Growth and
Change in Young Adult Literature. New York: HarperCollins,
1996.
Trites,
Roberta Seelinger. Disturbing the Universe: Power and
Repression in Adolescent Literature. Iowa City: U of
Iowa Press, 2000.
Various
articles and critical essays on Electronic Reserve at the
EMU Halle Library.
Hinton,
S.E. The Outsiders.
Cormier,
Robert. The Chocolate War.
Angelou,
Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Anderson,
Laurie Halse. Speak.
J.D. Salinger. The Catcher in The Rye.
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Gaiman,
Neil. Preludes and Nocturnes
Yang,
Gene. American Born Chinese.
Anderson,
M.T. Feed.
Alexie,
Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian.
Block,
Francesca. Weetzie Bat.
Meyers, Stephanie. Twilight.
Reading
and Assignment Schedule:
Wednesday
Jan 7: Introduction to course
Before the course begins read essays on e-reserve and book:
Bushman,
John H. “Young Adult Literature in the Classroom—Or
is it?” The English Journal 86.3 (March 1997)
35-40.
Hale,
Lisa A. and Chris Crowe. “I hate Reading If I Don’t
Have To”: Results from a Longitudinal Study of High
School Students’ Reading Interests.” The ALAN
Review 28.3 (Spring/Summer 2001) 49-56.
Trites,
Roberta Seelinger. Disturbing the Universe: Power and
Repression in Adolescent Literature. Iowa City: U of
Iowa Press, 2000. Note: A few portions of Trites’ book
are matched with some of the readings listed below. I would
like students to read the entire book, though, ideally before
the term begins.
Beginnings
of a genre:
Wednesday
Jan 14: Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders.
Also
read chapters in textbooks and on web:
Cart: Chapters
1 and 2 (pages 3-74)
Trites: Chapter
3 “The Paradox of Authority in Adolescent Literature”
Reading linked
to website: Skim the S.E.
Hinton web site “bio”
and “FAQ”
Wednesday
Jan 21: Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War.
Also
read chapters in textbooks, essay from e-reserve, and on-line
material:
Cart: Chapter
3 (pages 75-97)
Trites “Do
I dare disturb the Universe?” Adolescent Literature
in The Postmodern Era.” (pages 1-20).
Keeling, Kara.
“’The Misfortune of a Man Like Ourselves’:
Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War as Aristotelian
Tragedy.” The ALAN Review 26.2 (Winter 1999)
9-12 on e-reserve.
Reading linked
to website: interview
with Cormier
Classic
Y.A. lit in dialogue with contemporary:
Wednesday
Jan 28: Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings.
Wednesday
Feb 4: Anderson,
Laurie Halse. Speak.
Also
read from
e-reserve:
O’Quinn,
Elaine. “Between Voice and Voicelessness: Transacting
Silence in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak.” The
ALAN Review 29.1 (Fall 2001) 54-58 on e-reserve.
Pipher, Mary.
“Saplings in the Storm.” Reviving Ophelia:
Saving the Lives of Adolescent Girls. New York: Ballantine
Books, 1994.
Wednesday
Feb 11: J.D. Salinger. The Catcher in The Rye.
Also
read: Holden Aging Gracelessly essay at
Wednesday
Feb 18: Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being
a Wallflower.
Monday
Feb 23 and Wednesday Feb 25 – Winter Break – No
classes
Defining
the genre:
Where is the line between Y.A. lit and adult lit and between
Y.A. lit and children’s lit?
Wednesday
March 4: Gaiman, Neil. Preludes and Nocturnes
(the first book in The Sandman series) and Yang, Gene. American
Born Chinese.
Contemporary examples representing
various genres:
Wednesday
March 11: Episode 1, Season 1: “Buffy the Vampire
Slayer”
Essay
No. 1 due: Classic Y.A. Lit in dialogue w/ contemporary
Y.A. Lit
Wednesday
March 18: Film: Heathers
Seminar
Paper Proposal Due: 1-page summary plus bibliography
of research. Submit on-line by e-mailing one word file with
your last name as the title.
Wednesday
March 25: Anderson, M.T. Feed
Note:
Annette is flying out of state for a conference Wednesday,
so this class will need to be held on-line. We'll discuss
details as the date approaches.
Wednesday
April 1: Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True
Diary of a Part-time Indian.
Wednesday April 8: Block,
Francesca. Weetzie Bat.
Wednesday April 15: Meyers, Stephanie. Twilight.
Seminar
Paper Due
The paper must be typed, error-free, 12-16 pages, and written
in MLA style. It will be graded on the quality of the writing,
the research conducted, the ability to apply theoretical concepts
to a discussion of literature/culture, and on the student’s
ability to use evidence to build a focused, arguable thesis.
Specifically, the writing will be evaluated based on audience
awareness, organization, correctness, adherence to MLA citation
guidelines, the quality and thoroughness of research, and
on the effective use of substantial evidence to build a convincing
argument or interpretation. The paper also must demonstrate
a comprehension (through application) of some of the concepts
discussed during the term: in other words, a “seminar
paper” should demonstrate what one has learned over
the course of the seminar (semester-long class).
Wednesday
April 22: Final exam: The final exam will help students
to practice for the M.A. exam. Students will be asked to answer
one essay question in one hour, which will be evaluated on
both its depth and breadth (students should demonstrate a
breadth of knowledge and an ability to analyze material in
depth).
Writing
Assignments/Grades:
Classic
Lit in Dialogue w/ contemporary Y.A. Lit 200 points
Seminar Paper: 12-16 page researched essay 600 points
Final Exam: In-class essay 200 points
Total:
(940-100=A; 900-939=A-; 870-899=B+; etc.) 1000 points
Some
General Policies:
Attendance
Policy: The official English Department policy is
that students who miss two weeks worth of a class should expect
to fail that course and should probably drop. The Children’s
Literature Program policy is that graduate students should
never (almost never) miss classes. Therefore, graduate students
in our Program are allowed one “excused” absence.
For each absence after one, the student’s course grade
will drop one letter grade. (Note: missing two classes in
a class that meets once a week means you’ve missed two
weeks worth of class! See department policy above.) Keep this
in mind as you plan your schedule for the term.
Politeness
Policies: Part of my job as a professor is to create
a learning environment where students feel safe, respected,
and able to get the most out of their learning experiences.
I promise to treat all students with respect, but also must
work to maintain a structured learning environment where student
learning is the top priority.
Be
on time. When you come to class late, it is disruptive
to everyone around you. It is rude. If you cannot make it
to my class on time (6:30 p.m., not 6:32 p.m.) please drop
the course.
Turn
off your cell phone. It is not okay for your cell
phone to ring, vibrate, chirp, or chime in any classroom.
If you are expecting a very important call (your wife is about
to have a baby, for instance) you can talk to me before class
to let me know that your cell phone will be on. Otherwise,
please turn it off.
No
laptops. Some students take notes on laptops, but
too many students use their laptops to poke one another on
Facebook, to check email, or to play World of Warcraft during
class. Only students with a documented learning disability
are allowed to use laptops during class.
Examples
of Some Critical/Auxiliary Texts that could be used for course
research:
Agosto, Denise
E., Sandra Hughes-Hassell, and Catherine Gilmore-Clough. “The
All-White World of Middle-School Genre Fiction: Surveying
the Field for Multicultural Protagonists.” Children’s
Literature in Education 34.4 (December 2003) 257-275.
Appleman, Deborah.
Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary
Theory to Adolescents. New York: Teachers College Press,
2000.
Aronson, Marc.
Exploding the Myths: The Truth About Teens and Reading.
Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2001.
Bauerline, Mark
and Sandra Stotsky. “Why Johnny Won’t Read,”
The Washington Post. Tuesday, January 25, 2005, p.
A15.
Beers, Kylene.
When Kids Can’t Read, What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann, 2003.
Bilz, Rachelle
Lasky. Life is Tough: Guys, Growing Up, and Young Adult
Literature. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2004.
Brinkley, Ellen.
Caught off Guard: Teachers Rethink Censorship and Controversy.
Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999.
Brown, Joanne and
Nancy St. Clair. Declarations of Independence: Empowered
Girls in Young Adult Literature, 1990-2001. Lanham, Maryland:
Scarecrow Press, 2002.
Bruhm, Steven and
Natasha Hurley, Eds. Curiouser: On the Queerness of Children.
Minneapolis: University of Minneapolis Press, 2004.
Bushman, John H.
“Young Adult Literature in the Classroom—Or is
it?” The English Journal 86.3 (March 1997)
35-40.
Carey-Webb, Allen.
Literature and Lives: A Response-Based, Cultural Studies
Approach to Teaching English: Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2001.
Cart, Michael.
From Romance to Realism: 50 Years of Growth and Change
in Young Adult Literature. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.
----. Gay and
Lesbian Literature for Young Adults. Lanham, Maryland:
Scarecrow Press, 2004.
Coats, Karen. “Abjection
and Adolescent Fiction.” Journal for the Psychoanalysis
of Culture and Society, 5.2 (Fall 2000) 290-306.
-----. Looking
Glasses and Neverlands: Lacan, Desire, and Subjectivity in
Children’s Literature. Iowa City: University of
Iowa Press, 2004.
Daniels, Harvey.
Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-Centered
Classroom. York, MA: Stenhouse, 1994.
Daniels, Harvey
and Bizar, Marilyn. Methods that Matter: Six Structures
for Best Practice Classrooms. York, MA: Stenhouse, 1998.
Gaughan, John.
Reinventing English: Teaching in the Contact Zone.
Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Heinemann, 2001.
Hale, Lisa A. and
Chris Crowe. “I hate Reading If I Don’t Have To”:
Results from a Longitudinal Study of High School Students’
Reading Interests.” The ALAN Review 28.3 (Spring/Summer
2001) 49-56.
Hogan, Walter.
Humor in Young Adult Literature. Lanham, Maryland:
Scarecrow Press, 2004.
Jago, Carol. Classics
in the Classroom: Designing Accessible Literature Lessons.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2004.
Jenkins, Henry,
Ed. The Children’s Culture Reader. New York:
New York University Press: 1998.
Latham, Rob. Consuming
Youth: Vampires, Cyborgs, and the Culture of Consumption.
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2002.
Lesesne, Teri S.
Making the Match: The Right Book for the Right Reader
at the Right Time, grades 4-12. York, MA: Stenhouse,
2003.
McGillis, Roderick.
The Nimble Reader: Literary Theory and Children’s
Literature. New York: Twain Publishers, 1996.
Molin, Paulette.
Native American Characters and Themes in Young Adult Literature.
Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2004.
Morgan, Linda O.
“Insight Through Suffering: Cruelty in Adolescent Fiction
about Boys.” The English Journal 69.9 (December
1980) 56-59.
Myers, Mitzi. “’No
Safe Place to Run To’: An Interview with Robert Cormier.”
The Lion and the Unicorn 24 (2000) 445-464.
Niday, Donna and
Dale Alexander. “Standing on the Border: Issues of Identity
and Border Crossings in Young Adult Literature.” ALAN
Review 27.2 (Winter 2000) 60-64.
O’Quinn,
Elaine. “Between Voice and Voicelessness: Transacting
Silence in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak.” The
ALAN Review 29.1 (Fall 2001) 54-58.
Osgerby, Bill.
Youth Culture. New York: Routledge, 2004.
Pipher, Mary. Reviving
Ophelia: Saving the Lives of Adolescent Girls. New York:
Ballantine Books, 1994.
Pirie, Bruce. Teenage
Boys and High School English. Portsmouth, N.H.: Boynton/Cook
Publishers, 2002.
Probst, Robert.
Response & Analysis: Teaching Literature in Secondary
Schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2004.
Rosenblatt, Louise.
The Reader, the Text, and the Poem: The Transactional Theory
of the Literary Work. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois
University Press, 1978.
Rosenblatt, Louise.
Literature as Exploration. Fifth Ed. New York: Modern
Language Association, 1995.
Schwartz, Gretchen.
“Graphic Books for Diverse Needs: Engaging Reluctant
and Curious Readers.” The ALAN Review (Fall
2002).
Smith, Michael
W. and Jeffrey Wilhelm. “Reading Don’t Fix
No Chevys”: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men. Portsmouth,
N. H.: Heinemann, 2002.
Trites, Roberta.
Disturbing the Universe: Power and Repression in Adolescent
Literature. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2000.
-----. Waking
Sleeping Beauty: Feminist Voices in Children’s Novels.
Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1997.
Vandergriff, Kay
E. Mosaics of Meaning: Enhancing the Intellectual Life
of Young Adults Through Story. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow
Press: 1996.
Way, Niobe and
Judy Y. Chu, Eds. Adolescent Boys: Exploring Diverse Cultures
of Boyhood. New York: New York University Press, 2004.
Yearwood, Stephenie.
“Popular Postmodernism for Young Readers: Walk Two
Moons, Holes, and Monster,” The ALAN
Review, 2002, 29.3, 50-53.
Zipes, Jack. Sticks
and Stones: The Troublesome Success of Children’s Literature.
New York: Routledge, 2002.
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