A Reflection on YA Lit

The end of the semester is upon us once again and, as classes wrap up and final papers are turned in, I find myself wondering how it is possible for semesters to go by so quickly. Re-reading my original blog post, back in the days when I had no idea what I was doing, I thought it appropriate that I should spend a brief moment reflecting on the last four months. I was uncertain of my YA lit class for the first couple of weeks. I am not an education major and some aspects of the class dealt with issues that are relevant to those pursuing a career in teaching English to teens. However, I quickly came to enjoy the class and I would save my YA reading for my "fun" homework, the homework I would do on Thursday evenings when I couldn't bring myself to do any other work. Furthermore, I have learned a lot from this class and I will share some of that with you.

First of all, my knowledge of YA literature has increased exponentially. Before I had no idea what YA lit encompassed. Now, I feel that I have a much better grasp on the genre, even as I recognize the boundaries are a little blurry. My appreciation for YA lit has also grown. I have been fortunate enough to read some truly great novels, novels that deal with difficult topics. YA lit doesn't avoid the dark side of growing up or the hard situations that teens often deal with. It is not mere over-simplified sugar-coating of important issues. Rather, many authors have taken great risks, and continue to do so, pushing the boundaries of our thought. For this, I am grateful.

Secondly, I have gained a deep appreciation for all those on the front of the YA lit "movement." There are a lot of great, hard-working authors, librarians, critics, and teachers out there who deserve our praise and gratitude for the flourishing of YA lit and the increased interest it has rightfully been given. The enthusiasm with which many teachers have embraced YA literature and the risks some have taken in bringing innovative ideas to the classroom is truly remarkable. The effects that such a shift could have on the willingness of students to read are potentially great. The growth of YA lit is exciting and it would not have been possible without all those who devoted themselves to raising awareness as to its merits.

Lastly, there are going to be some very good English teachers teaching the next generation. The enthusiasm that my teacher-to-be classmates displayed and their interest in being the best teachers possible is amazing. I was blessed with some very good teachers in my day and sometimes a good teacher makes all the difference. Seeing so much willingness to teach and help students among my classmates makes me smile because I know that there will be many teens who benefit from their commitment. Even though I am not an education major, they taught me a lot about being invested and enthusiastic about whatever it is I end up doing.

I know that I will keep reading YA lit along with all the other reading I do. The stories are engaging and explore themes that remain revelevant to my own life. Besides, I take pleasure from reading YA and see no reason to stop doing something that I love.

Exciting News

Maizy and Sundance (Sundance is the one that looks like he could eat her)

Hey friends! My family recently welcomed into the home a new puppy and so I thought I would share her with you. At first, Sundance did not know what to think of her and so employed the aloof tactic, basically ignoring her and refusing to acknowledge her existence. However, he seems to have resigned himself to the fact that she is not leaving and has decided to make the best out of the situation. So now the two are friends. We decided to name her Maizy, and by "we" I mean my dad. For about one day we called her Nala. However, my dad apparently can't remember Nala and kept calling her Nola. He complained it was too hard to say and made an administrative decision to change it to Maizy. I ask myself, a.) has he never seen Lion King, and b.) how is Maizy any easier to remember? Well, for those of you who like the movie Uncle Buck you may remember that Maizy was the name of the little girl. I prefer to associate it with the fact that she looks like the color of a maize (or corn) field. This naming debacle, I am forced to think, is what happens when I am not at home to supervise things. I left Sunday evening to drive back to school and her name was Nala. I receive an e-mail Monday night saying the name has been changed due to extenuating circumstances. However, I am forced to remember that I named Sundance and no one liked it at first and now it is generally recognized as the best and most appropriate name ever. So, I can only hope that Maizy turns out to be an equally good choice.

Alcoholism, Disillusionment, and Trying to Survive

I just finished reading A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles. The novel won the Delacorte Press Prize, a prize given to the best first novel for young adults by an author. In fact, the book was Quarles's Master's thesis for graduate school--a pretty great read for a Master's thesis.

I fondly remember being a teen and enthusiastically anticipating every weekend my parents left my brother and me alone at home. It was glorious. An entire weekend to do whatever we wanted, as loud and as late as we wanted, with no one to demand quiet. We loved every minute of it. While this set up is fairly great for two days, being left alone for months is not. This is exactly what the Donovan children face when their mother loses her job and retreats to her bedroom, only to emerge to go to the store for more alcohol. All of the sudden, 15-year-old Katherine is running a household and, along with 14-year-old Douglas and 13-year-old Tracy, trying to keep life normal for their 8-year-old sister Alisa. However, as food runs out, laundry piles up, and bills go unpaid, things seem to be slipping out of Katherine's control. On top of everything else, Alisa, a big fan of C.S. Lewis, begins to obsess over finding the door to Narnia so that Aslan can cure her mother. Terrified that to alert any adult to their situation would result is Child Services contacting their distant father and sending Alisa, who has different father, to a foster home, the three struggle to keep up appearances as things begin to unravel. As the situation declines, a kindly religion teacher tries to help, but Katherine is determined to keep him away. In a moment of desperation, she makes a decision that could cost the man his career only to realize that she desperately needs his help.

A Door Near Here is a poignant reflection on the damage that alcoholism inflicts on children of alcoholics left to fend pretty much for themselves. However, it also deals with spiritual struggle. Katherine, like many teens and adults, does not believe in God. When Alisa tells Katherine that Aslan is the "king of the animals and children in all the worlds...like God." Katherine thinks, "Hopefully more reliable than God." She is disillusioned by God, a legitimate sentiment for someone whose life is falling apart despite her best attempts to keep her family functioning. When she meets Mr. Dodson, the new religion teacher, she describes him as a religious fanatic due to his belief in God, which he associates with Alisa's belief in Aslan. In the heat of their discussion, in which Mr. Dodson shared his childhood nightmare of having an alcoholic father who beat his mother, Katherine exclaims "But you say that you believe in God? How did God let that happen? If there is a God, how come he didn't fix your family? How come he didn't save your mother from your father?" Mr. Dodson falteringly responds that God gave us free will, and that it is not that God leaves us alone, God just doesn't fix everything. Katherine, however, refuses to relent, ending the conversation by stating that "It doesn't help to believe in God. We have to help ourselves." This is a common sentiment, one which most every individual raised in a faith tradition asks at one point or another. The problem of evil and suffering in our world is an immense stumbling block to any belief in a benevolent deity. One need only look at the headlines of a newspaper to see that the amount, intensity, and duration of suffering in our world is horrendous. Where is God in ethic strife or sever malnourishment or the homeless man on the corner of Grand and highway 40? This "spiritual crisis" or disillusionment, or even just an overwhelming realization of suffering, is a common human experience that is often neglected in young adult literature. In fact, this is the first YA novel that I have read where the theme even surfaces. Yet, often the high school years are the time for such questioning and criticizing of accepted beliefs. That this novel addresses the topic at all is refreshing and, quite frankly, authentic. Despite the increased secularization of the world, we still live in a primarily religious society where the majority of people affiliate with some group or another, or if not, remain influenced by the religions surrounding them. It is a topic that deserves more space.

This novel engaged these issues without focusing on them as the central plot so don't get turned off by my preaching. Really, the spiritual crisis is ancillary to the bigger issue of trying to survive on one's own with no money and no parents. It is, as School Library Journal writes, "heartbreaking and beautifully written." I read it in one sitting because I had to know what happened.