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Young adult fiction is literature written for teenagers, with themes that resonate with adolescent readers. The Young Adult Library Services identifies the age group as 12-18. YA novels cover themes such as first love, peer pressure, and race relations, and some edgier themes like substance abuse and sexuality. These novels are often used as teaching tools in schools. The lines between children’s literature and adult fiction can blur, so parents should supervise their children’s reading materials.
Young adult fiction, often called YA, is literature written primarily for a teenage audience. Although readers of various ages appreciate young adult literature, some organizations have attempted to officially identify the age group. Young Adult Library Services (YALSA), for example, labels these readers as tweens and adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18. The themes within young adult fiction are designed to resonate with teenage readers. Despite predominantly adolescent themes, the lines of young adult fiction often blur with those of children’s literature and adult fiction.
YA novels feature themes and storylines relevant to preteens and teenagers who encounter life situations typically unfamiliar in childhood. Such themes can include first love, peer pressure, and race relations. Some themes are considered edgier, such as sexuality, alcohol and drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, abusive relationships, and homelessness, and are often delivered by teenage storytellers. Regardless of plots and themes, most YA novels include a setting that teenagers can relate to. Such settings could include school, an after-school hangout, a first job, a sports field, or any combination of places that teens frequent.
Generally, teenagers are able to identify easily with adolescent themes within young adult fiction, which may be why many teachers use YA novels as teaching tools. Typically, any school-taught YA novel includes a teenage protagonist who faces an internal or external struggle related to morality, beliefs, or the meaning of life or its surroundings. Some classic examples of such young adult literature taught in school include JD Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye,” Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” and William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies.” Of course, more contemporary examples crop up from time to time. For example, the beginning of the 21st century saw the “Harry Potter” books gain popularity as teaching tools in middle and high schools and colleges.
Often, the lines on either side of young adult fiction can get blurred. For example, some young adult novels might include themes relevant to younger children, or they might include themes relevant to adults. Sometimes, they may include topics relevant to both age groups. For this reason, it is important for parents of younger children to supervise their children’s reading materials. While coming-of-age novels might include elements that seem appropriate for young readers, like identity and family issues, parents might find some elements, like substance abuse and sexuality, too intense for the time.
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