For Friday's assignment, we will be reading
"The Power of Young Adult Fiction" from
The New York Times'
Room for Debate forum. In this forum, you will find a short
introduction to the issue and then links to different authors'
commentary on the issue. There are seven different authors, so make
sure to click on each one and read each article, or click on the links
here:
Patricia McCormick
Joel Stein
Emma Allison
Sharon G. Flake
Lev Grossman
Matt De la Pena
Beth Yoke
Each
of these authors has a unique perspective on young adult fiction.
Which author did you find most interesting or compelling? Why?
And finally, just for fun, here is a little e-card for Joel Stein :)
I liked how the majority of the authors had positive things to say about young adult fiction. They all gave several reasons why many people read young adult novels. I found it interesting how Joel Stein was the only one who was against older people reading young adult books, and that they should be reading books that are meant for adults.
ReplyDeleteJoseph S.
I found that all of the authors that supported the idea of reading young adult titles were more compelling and had a better argument than the author who said we should act our age, and read accordingly. I'd rather see more people read a book that they can connect with so that they get involved in the story and find a deeper meaning out of the plot when they close the book, and even revisit the book and find another connection they didn't make the first time.
ReplyDeleteScott N.
I really liked Patricia McCormick's point that young adult authors are doing some of the most daring work out there. I find this to be quite true actually. If you would have told me a few years ago that I would enjoy a book about people having to fight to the death because of their government, I would have called you crazy. However, I really liked "The Hunger Games" and the complexity of the emotions that are brought to life. It was indeed a daring book.
ReplyDeleteJustin H.
I also think that that young adult authors have to be daring. If they weren't daring about their stories they would not hold our attention. Being young adults we are too busy to read something that is just going to put us asleep.
DeleteMarissa Winter
I liked Patricia McCormick's the best. She gave a new perspective that I didn't think about before. She wrote of how young adult authors needed to go outside the box and create something that hooks the reader from front to back because teens and young adults are so busy and have such short attention spans, comparative to adults, that those novels have to keep their attention.
DeleteAllyson Brough
I agree with you Justin, I love the Hunger Games. I do not like violence whatsoever but I really enjoy the Hunger Games because it is about so much more. I love the complexity of the story and how it keeps me on edge. I am so glad Suzanne Collins was brave and wrote this book! It shows that she is willing to take risks and explore the powerful world of writing.
Delete-Natasha Pruhs
This was the most interesting article so far. All the others we have read said that we need to read this or that, we don't read enough, but most of the Authors in this reading told us the benefits of having young adult fictions in the book shelves. It keeps people reading, most people feel a connection to the readings and the authors take risks and make it possible for their readers to keep in touch with them on social media. One thing I didn't agree with was what Joel Stein said. As far as I know I didn't know books had an age limit, if they did then parents wouldn't read to their children because that would not be an appropriate book to read at their age. I feel like I do have a connection to young adult fictions because they are so strong and powerful in meaning and they are never boring to read.
ReplyDeleteKasandra Hernandez
I agree with the majority of the authors, in that young adult fiction has a definite value. I think that those of us who read novels as a child or teenager and really connected with them can pick those same books up now and revisit some of the adventures and emotions that we experienced years before. I would argue that this is a valuable connection, not just to our childhood memories, but to something many of us lose as we age: our childlike imagination.
ReplyDeleteSalome T.
I agree with all of the authors except Joel Stein. I think that fiction books captivate you from beginning to end. It's easy to relate with the characters and you want to find out their mysteries, thoughts and their relationships with the other characters. It was proven that teenagers that read fiction books for fun are more proficient readers and also it has said that the more likely people will be more empathetic and look at things from a different point of view. I think that Joel Stein does not have a good argument.
ReplyDeleteAlexis Smith
My favorite author in these articles was Lev Grossman. "Bottom line, there's one thing that young adult novels rarely are, and that's boring." He said that perfectly. Young adult fictions grabs my attention and holds it throughout the story. I don't get bored with it. When I think about Stein's article a question comes to my mind. Why would he knock young adult fiction if he hasn't tried it?
ReplyDeleteMarissa Winter
Are fiction books read the most out of all the categories? If so, why?
ReplyDeleteAlexis Smith