Young adult fiction facts for kids

Young adult fiction (often called YA) is a type of story written especially for readers aged 12 to 18. The idea of YA books became popular in the 1960s in the United States. These books cover many of the same topics as adult books, like friendship, love, and figuring out who you are. Stories that focus on the challenges young people face are sometimes called "problem novels" or "coming-of-age" stories. It's sometimes hard to tell where children's books end and adult books begin, as the lines can be blurry.

Librarians first created the idea of young adult fiction. They wanted to help teenagers find books that were a good step between children's stories and adult novels. This happened after World War II, when people started to see teenagers as a unique group. Even though YA books are for teens, a study in 2012 found that more than half of YA readers were actually adults!

What is Young Adult Fiction?

It can be tricky to define exactly what young adult fiction is because the idea of "young adult" and "literature" changes over time. However, most people agree on a few key things:

• For Teen Readers: These are books that young people, usually aged 12 to 18, choose to read on their own.
• Teen Main Character: The story often has a teenager as the main character.
• Relatable Problems: The plot focuses on problems and situations that teenagers can understand and relate to in their own lives.
• Teen Point of View: The story is often told from the perspective of a teen, showing their thoughts and feelings.

The Story of Young Adult Books

Some people say that young adult literature is an "American gift to the world" because it's a new and exciting type of story.

Librarians, especially those from the New York Public Library, were key in defining this new category. In 1929, the NYPL started sending out a list of "Books for Young People." Then, in 1944, a librarian named Margaret Scoggin changed her column's name to "Books for Young Adults," and the name stuck! At first, YA stories often focused on simple boy-meets-girl love stories. But in the 1960s, these novels started to explore the lives of teens more deeply. A famous example is S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders.

Early Beginnings

Title page from Sarah Trimmer's The Guardian of Education, vol. I, 1802

Long ago, children weren't seen as very different from adults. They often did the same work and read the same books. Teenagers weren't really seen as a separate group until around World War II. This changed as people learned more about psychology and society changed, for example, when child labor was stopped. With these changes, special clothes, music, movies, and books started to be made just for young adults.

However, even in 1802, a writer named Sarah Trimmer saw young adults as a distinct age group (from 14 to 21). In her magazine, The Guardian of Education, she used terms like "Books for Children" (under 14) and "Books for Young Persons" (14-21). These ideas are still used today!

Before the 1700s, there weren't many fun books written just for kids. Children read fables, fairy tales, and adventure stories, but these were for everyone, not just them.

Many classic books from the 1700s and 1800s, even if not written for young readers, became very popular with them. Authors like Daniel Defoe, Jonathan Swift, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain wrote stories that teens still enjoy.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, published in 1865, is a famous example. It helped change children's literature from being mostly about teaching lessons to being more about fun and entertainment. This story is loved by both kids and adults. Carroll first told the story to three young girls, including Alice Liddell, during a boat trip.

Some novels by Robert Louis Stevenson, like Treasure Island and Kidnapped, were first published in a weekly magazine for older children called Young Folks.

Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and its sequel, Huckleberry Finn, are classic adventure stories about young boys on the Mississippi River in the 1800s. Huck is about 12 or 13 years old.

The 1900s

Even though books like Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie series (published in the 1930s) existed, teachers and librarians were slow to accept books specifically for teenagers as a real genre.

In 1942, Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly, who was 17 herself, was published. Many consider it one of the first true young adult novels because its themes were so relevant to teenagers.

Other early examples include the science fiction novels by Robert A. Heinlein, written for a young-adult audience starting in 1947. These books were mainly for teen boys, though one, Podkayne of Mars (1963), featured a teen girl.

In the 1950s, The Catcher in the Rye (1951), though written for adults, became very popular with teens. Its themes of teen struggles and feeling alone became a big part of what young adult literature is about.

The Hobbit (1937) and Lord of the Rings (1954-5) by J. R. R. Tolkien are hugely successful fantasy novels. They are read by children and adults and are often found in the teen sections of libraries.

A Wrinkle in Time, written by Madeleine L'Engle in 1960, was rejected many times before it was published in 1962. Publishers thought it was "too different" and wondered if it was for children or adults.

The 1960s are seen as the decade when literature for teens really "came into its own." A very important example is S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders (1967). This novel showed a more realistic, sometimes darker, side of teen life that wasn't often seen in books then. Hinton wrote it when she was only 16, so it didn't have the nostalgic feel of books about teens written by adults. The Outsiders is still one of the best-selling YA novels ever.

Other popular books from the late 1960s and early 1970s included I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) by Maya Angelou and The Bell Jar (1963) by Sylvia Plath. Even though these were published as adult books, they dealt with teen feelings and experiences.

Authors like Philip Pullman and Neil Gaiman have praised British fantasy writer Alan Garner. His early work is often called "children's literature," but he doesn't like that label. Some critics say that for his books, the line between children's and adult literature doesn't really matter.

Judy Blume, author of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (1970), has made huge contributions to children's and young adult literature. Ursula le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) greatly influenced YA fantasy. Many reviewers have noted that its basic idea—a talented boy going to a wizard's school and making an enemy he's closely connected to—is also the idea behind Harry Potter.

As publishers started to focus on the teen market, more bookstores and libraries created special young adult sections. The 1970s to mid-1980s are sometimes called the "golden age" of young-adult fiction. During this time, challenging novels started speaking directly to teens' interests.

In the 1980s, YA literature began to explore more difficult topics that were once considered off-limits. At the same time, there was a renewed interest in romance novels for young adults.

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first book in her seven-book series, was published in 1997. The series was praised for being complex and mature, attracting many adult readers too. While the first few Harry Potter books might not be strictly YA, their huge success helped bring back young adult literature and made fantasy a leading genre in the field. This trend continued with The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. By the end of the decade, new awards like the Michael L. Printz Award and Alex Awards were created to celebrate excellent writing for young adults.

Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials (1995–2000) also became very popular. The first book, Northern Lights, won a major award for children's books.

The 2000s and Beyond

Today, young adult fiction continues to grow and include many different types of stories. These include graphic novels (like comic books), fantasy, mystery fiction, romance novels, and even specific types like cyberpunk (stories about future technology) and contemporary Christian fiction.

A survey of popular YA books taught in American classrooms between 2013 and 2018 included titles like Speak, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The Giver, and The Outsiders.

Common Themes in YA Books

Many young adult novels are "coming-of-age" stories. These stories show teens changing into adults, working through personal challenges, and learning to be responsible. YA books offer a fun reading experience and help young people understand real-life situations and problems in ways that are easier to grasp. They also show how society works.

Studies of YA novels from 1980 to 2000 found many common themes. The most frequent ones were friendship, getting into trouble, romantic interests, and family life. Other common themes relate to growing up, like figuring out your own identity, understanding life and death, and being an individual.

Types of Young Adult Books

Some of the most common types of YA books are contemporary fiction (stories set in the present), fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and romance. Books that mix different types of genres are also very common in YA.

Problem Novels

A "problem novel" is a type of story that focuses on and comments on big social issues. In YA, these books often show issues like difficult family situations or other challenges teens might face. S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders (1967) is a famous example of a YA problem novel. After it was published, problem novels became very popular in the 1970s.

Librarian Sheila Egoff explained why problem novels are important for teens:

• They show real situations that readers might be going through, which can be helpful.
• They are interesting and new, even for those who haven't experienced these issues.
• They have mature storylines that appeal to a teen's desire to grow up.

A classic example of a problem novel is Go Ask Alice, published in 1971. It's written like a young girl's diary. More recent examples include Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

How YA Fits with Other Books

The line between books for children, young adults, and adults can be blurry. Young readers have always enjoyed stories from all different sources. This line has changed over time depending on what society and culture were like.

Books for readers aged 8–12 are called "middle grade fiction." Some books originally written for adults are also enjoyed by teens, and vice versa, like the Harry Potter series. Examples of middle grade series include Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan and Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.

Examples of young adult novels include the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, and the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.

Middle grade novels are usually shorter and have simpler themes than YA books. YA novels are for ages 12–18 and deal with more mature and complex topics. Middle grade books usually have main characters between 10 and 13, while YA novels usually have main characters from 14 to 18.

YA Books in the Classroom

YA books are often used in classrooms to make reading more interesting for students. Studies show that using YA can be very helpful. Because YA fiction is written for teens, some believe it connects more to students' social and emotional needs than classic literature. Using YA in classrooms can lead to:

• Students being more interested and motivated to read.
• Increased self-confidence and personal growth.
• A stronger desire to read similar books.

Students who read YA are more likely to enjoy literature and have better reading skills. YA also lets teachers talk about difficult topics with their students. For example, a 2014 study showed that using Laurie Halse Anderson's novel Speak helped discussions about important social issues. It's important to use diverse books in the classroom, especially when discussing sensitive topics, so that all students feel included.

Young adult literature can also be a stepping stone to classic books that are traditionally read in schools. One idea is to pair YA literature with classic works to help young adults understand them better. For example, you could read Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series alongside the Iliad or the Odyssey. Or, you could pair Stephenie Meyer's Twilight with Wuthering Heights. When talking about identity, you might pair Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter with Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

Challenges and Criticisms

Difficult Topics

Some people have concerns about YA fiction including topics like same-sex relationships or gender identity. Some groups have also criticized YA books for violence or strong language. Fantasy YA books are sometimes criticized for religious reasons, like the debates over the Harry Potter series or Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. There have also been criticisms that some YA authors are not sensitive enough to different communities or use ideas from other cultures without proper understanding.

Not Enough Diversity

Historically, English language young adult fiction has not had many main characters who are people of color, LGBT, or disabled. In the UK, from 2006 to 2016, 90% of best-selling YA books featured white, able-bodied, straight main characters. The number of authors from diverse backgrounds has also been low.

Many believe that diversity is important because it encourages children from different backgrounds to read and helps all children understand the world accurately. In the mid-2010s, more attention was given to diversity. In the years that followed, diversity numbers seemed to improve: one survey showed that in 2017, a quarter of children's books were about minority main characters, which was a big increase from 2016.

Other Criticisms

Some critics argue that young adult fiction can be too similar, especially popular books that become big hits. They say these books might follow certain rules set by the media industry. For example, some have pointed out similarities between Harry Potter and other well-known heroes.

Another concern is that some people fear YA fiction will replace classic books in schools. Also, because YA is a newer genre and there are many different quality levels, it sometimes struggles to be seen as valuable as classic literature.

See also

In Spanish: Literatura juvenil para niños