Exploding the Myths: The Truth about Teenagers and Reading (Studies in Young Adult Literature) - Hardcover

Aronson, Marc

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810839040 ISBN 13: 9780810839045

Publisher: Scarecrow Press, 2001

Synopsis

We are in the midst of the largest teenage population boom since the nineteen sixties, and all of the media are scrambling to reach this alert, savvy, wealthy, and self-conscious generation. But for authors, editors, parents, teachers, and librarians this large group of readers poses a series of special problems: what is too old, or too young for teenage eyes? Should there even be a literature for teenagers, or wouldn't they be better off skipping ahead to adult books? Do boys read at all? Can books offer moral instruction, role models, or guidance on the path to adulthood? Where do books fit into the ever-growing set of multimedia options that are this generation's birthright?

Marc Aronson, Ph.D. has won the LMP, the industry award for editing, and the Boston Globe Horn Book award for writing books for teenagers. Here, in a series of probing, innovative essays he marshals a decade of insights earned in practice as well as his knowledge as a scholar of publishing history, to pose and answer key questions about the true potential of young adult literature. As he revels in the passion of its readers he exposes the real problem with teenagers and reading: adult myths, projections, and blind prejudices. Exploding the Myths is a provocative book that will be necessary reading for everyone who deals with this burgeoning generation of readers.

About this title

About the Author

Marc Aronson has been an innovative editor and author of books for young readers for over thirty years. The winner of the first Robert Sibert medal, and editor of the tenth winner (Tanya Lee Stone’s Almost Astronauts), Aronson is a passionate advocate of nonfiction. As an editor he created EDGE―the first international and multicultural YA imprint―where he published such artists as Jacqueline Woodson, Nikki Giovanni, and the first YA graphic novel memoir, Judd Winnick’s Pedro and Me. The Skull in the Rock, which he wrote with Dr. Berger about the discovery of sediba, won the Subaru award for best middle grade science book. Aronson holds a PhD from NYU in American cultural history and is an Associate Professor of Public Professional Practice at Rutgers University, where he trains future youth librarians.

Reviews

This collection of articles and speeches will be of interest to librarians, teachers, writers, and parents. One theme in many of the essays is how YA literature has evolved from its inception in the 1960s to the present day, not only surviving but exceeding critics' expectations as literature in its own right. Aronson examines the most common myths-that teens don't read, that they only read adult books, and that they don't have time for recreational reading. To dispel these beliefs that govern the publishing world, he calls on college professors, editors, and other researchers who have found evidence that reading is alive and well. A personal anecdote about the late Michael L. Printz and some insight into the creation of the award bearing his name are included. The last chapter is a wonderfully honest dialogue with Jacqueline Woodson in which she talks about breaking the traditional parameters of the YA novel in terms of voice, form, and access. Fully indexed, this thought-provoking collection should not be missed.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

As a YA publisher, editor, writer, and critic, Aronson is an eloquent, passionate advocate for high-quality YA books. The collection comprises 13 of his speeches and articles from the past six years, including "The Challenge and the Glory of YA Literature," which originally appeared in Booklist. He opens up the intense arguments about censorship, audience (how adult is young adult?), authenticity, popularity versus quality, and more. He talks about demographics (the huge rise in the teenage population, with fastest growth among Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans), YA publishing history (how the YA novel started, where it's going now), the criteria for the Michael L. Printz Award, and how to reach teen readers. His style is clear, chatty, and tough. Whether talking about the graphic novel, poetry, magic realism, or gritty contemporary fiction, he shows that teenagers today are often more open to challenge and diversity in narrative and format than their adult guardians are. What many librarians think is "popular" is often condescending. Whether you agree with Aronson or not, you'll be caught up in issues that matter. A great starting place for YA literature classes. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Scarecrow Press
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0810839040
• ISBN 13: 9780810839045
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160