Date

12-6-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Young adult literature largely influences the cultures and the lives of young people; often these popular young adult novels become well-known as they are made into movies and are in high demand. These novels are not just for young adults; these texts can be read at any age and have accessible themes that many people can relate to. However, in this research, young adult literature will be discussed in terms of how these novels affect children, mostly from ages ten to eighteen, as many of the characters in these texts are a similar age to them. Young adult literature (YA lit) is not just any book that would be read in a secondary education classroom. Novels that are considered classics, like perhaps Lord of the Flies or Oliver Twist, might be about children, but they are either not written for children and therefore not considered young adult literature. While older classics of course have literary merit, and much can be learned from them, this research will focus primarily on more recently published young adult literature that is more currently relatable to adolescents’ lives and specifically written for teenagers. Literature does not have to be relatable, because the reader will most likely learn something either way. But for teenagers specifically, who often do not enjoy reading and are questioning their own sense of identity, YA lit can serve as a powerful tool for helping students understand themselves at a time in their lives when they are trying to figure out who they are.

Department

English

Thesis Comittee

Dr. Joyce Rain Anderson, Thesis Advisor

Dr. Heidi Bean, Committee Member

Dr. Benjamin Carson, Committee Member

Copyright and Permissions

Original document was submitted as an Honors Program requirement. Copyright is held by the author.

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