The Necessity of Young Adult Fiction : The Literary Agenda

Abstract The Necessity of Young Adult Literature argues that young adult (YA) fiction helps readers to think about some of the most pressing problems of the twenty-first century by offering imaginative reconceptualizations about identity, nation, family, and the human relationship to the planet. Using examples from YA fiction that range from the Harry Potter series to Nnedi Okorafor’s trilogy set in contemporary Nigeria, the book argues that the cultural work of YA fiction shapes readers’ perceptions, making them receptive to—and invested in—the possibility of positive social change. Speculative YA fiction shows how a cosmopolitan world-view can help to form communities that are not threatened by difference but instead see diversity and dissent as sources of strength and knowledge. YA literature opens up conversations about cosmopolitanism and climate change, suggesting that cosmopolitanism is not just a subject for theoretical debate but an ongoing practice that could radically restructure readers’ relationships with one another and the planet. The novels examined in this book could all be considered “fantastical,” but they offer insights into the real world that all readers—and particularly young adult readers—might draw on to reimagine social structures and the well-being of the planet. In different ways, these novels also illustrate the dangers inherent in fundamentalist visions of the world. The cultural work they perform and their engagement with important social and political issues demonstrate not only the power of literature to shape understandings of the world but also the ongoing relevance of “the book.” Discusses how young adult fiction offers new ways of thinking about climate change and definitions of citizenship. The Necessity of Young Adult Fiction argues that YA fiction helps us to think about some of most pressing problems of the twenty-first century by offering imaginative reconceptualizations about identity, nation, family, and the human relationship to the planet. Using examples from YA fiction that range from the Harry Potter series to Nnedi Okorafor's trilogy set in contemporary Nigeria, this book argues that the cultural work of YA fiction shapes readers perceptions, making them receptive to―and invested in―the possibility of positive social change. The novels examined could all be considered "fantastical," but they offer insights into the real world that all readers―and particularly young adult readers―might draw on in order to reimagine social structures and the well-being of the planet. The book is designed to bring readers into the conversation about how we might create cosmopolitan societies that are shaped around conversation and engagement rather than fear and isolation. Each of these novels, in different ways, illustrate the dangers inherent in fundamentalist visions of the world. Through its discussions about the relationships between reading and citizenship, monsters and families, the local and the global, The Necessity of Young Adult Fiction demonstrates that YA fiction is doing some of the most important and creative work in literature today. "The Necessity of Young Adult Fiction argues that YA fiction helps us to think about some of most pressing problems of the twenty-first century by offering imaginative reconceptualizations about identity, nation, family, and the human relationship to the planet. Using examples from YA fiction that range from the Harry Potter series to Nnedi Okorafor's trilogy set in contemporary Nigeria, this book argues that the cultural work of YA fiction shapes readers perceptions, making them receptive to--and invested in--the possibility of positive social change. The novels examined could all be considered "fantastical," but they offer insights into the real world that all readers--and particularly young adult readers--might draw on in order to reimagine social structures and the well-being of the planet. The book is designed to bring readers into the conversation about how we might create cosmopolitan societies that are shaped around conversation and engagement rather than fear and isolation. Each of these novels, in different ways, illustrate the dangers inherent in fundamentalist visions of the world."--Amazon.com Using the figure of the monster as an interpretive lens across a wide range of fiction, this book shows how young adult fiction contributes to the cultural conversation by offering new ways of thinking about climate change and definitions of citizenship cover titlepage copyright Series Introduction Acknowledgments Contents Introduction: Why ``Kids' Books?" 1 Children of the Book 2 Loving the Monsters 3 Making Bridges 4 Reading Harry Potter in Abu Dhabi Conclusion Works Cited Index