Using Young Adult Literature in the English Classroom

by John H. Bushman and Kay Parks Haas

Book Overview

This practical methods book provides future middle and high school English teachers with the direction they' ll need to choose adolescent literature and to develop ideas for teaching it. Using a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0131710931
• ISBN13: 9780131710931
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Pearson
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.6" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

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Using Young Adult Literature in the English Classroom

This book is an excellent introduction to young adult (YA) literature for the 7th-12th grade English curriculum. It establishes a valid and informative argument for using YA literature based on the developmental theories of Piaget and Inhelder, Robert Havighurst, and G. Robert Carlsen. Bushman and Haas argue that adolescents are interested in reading stories that relate to their own experiences or involve issues they face. Such interest results in emotional and cognitive responses, which in turn fosters a positive attitude towards reading. YA literature, accordingly, supplies all these needs. This book's structure and extensive discussions on various topics provide essential foundational information upon which English teachers can assess its value in the classroom. For example, it has a section which discusses the features of YA novels, such as plot, character types, key themes, and points of view. It provides a practical framework for teaching YA literature in that it offers teaching strategies and activities which are designed to develop critical thinking skills. Many different YA novels are discussed in relation to various topics throughout the book and several novels are discussed at length. One important section, of many, discusses the important connection between reading and writing and literature's role in providing the context in which to learn to write. It suggests many writing activities which will aid the students in not only synthesizing their ideas about what they read, but also in developing their writing skills. In my opinion, the book's weakest section is the one discussing "Young Adult Literature as a Bridge to the Classics" (166). This section has a very limited discussion on integrating YA literature with the classics. Many more suggestions on this topic would be helpful because many districts still require the teaching of classics as part of the curriculum.