The Reading Nook

7th Grade English/Library
Young Adult Books

DUE DATE FOR KARP ENGLISH 2007
Please post before Friday, November 30th

Post your reaction to your YA book on The Reading Nook. You will post at least two paragraphs. First, incorporate the points on the list below into a coherent and well-supported paragraph, showing your readers why or why not your title qualifies as a YA novel.
Then, discuss how you liked the book, and most importantly, why. Talk about these literary aspects: the characters, the theme, the language, the setting, the style, the plot, and anything that makes or breaks the book for you.

You should demonstrate your ability to analyze both the book and your own literary response.

** Please DO NOT write a summary of the story. **

What Makes a YA Book

Scholars in the field have defined YA Novels by containing one or several of the following elements and themes:

o The main character is a teenager.
o The events are told from a first-person point of view of a teenager.
o Events and problems in the plot are related to teenagers.
o Dialogue reflects teenage speech, including slang or curse words.
o The teenage main character is usually perceptive, sensitive, intelligent, mature, or independent.
o The novel is short, rarely more than 250 pages.
o The main teenage characters tend to take matters in their own hands and try to resolve conflicts themselves.
o The main characters have become more mature by the end of the novel.
o The main character becomes self-aware and responsible for his/her own life.
o The story tends to make the reader uncomfortable, rather than happy, and thus challenges the reader’s minds and sensitivities.

These are some themes that are associated with many YA Novels:

o Alienation from one’s society or group – being an outcast
o Survival or meeting a challenge – either physically or psychologically
o Social and or political concerns about racial, religious, or ethnic issues
o Social concerns about AIDS, teenage pregnancy, violence, divorce, substance abuse, family conflicts, etc.
o Dealing with death
o Dealing with political injustice
o Dealing with peer pressures and self-perceptions
o Dealing with sex/sexuality
o Rite of Passage – Coming of Age – Maturity – Deeper Understanding of the Society or Life
o Offering a sort of escapism

Grading Rubric: Total of 10 Points

0-3 points will be given based on your ability to analyze the book according to the elements specified in What Makes a YA Book section.

0-3 points will be given based on your ability to analyze why you like or dislike the book.

0-2 points will be given based on your ability to follow these instructions.

0-2 points will be given based your spelling and grammar.

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