Book Description

In Conflict and Connection, Sharon Stringer offers a valuable cross-disciplinary view of how the lives of characters in fiction reflect the growth and behavioral stages of adolescents. . She demonstrates how by synthesizing literature in English and psychology, we can foster critical thinking and intensify the power of education inside and outside the classroom.

Each chapter focuses on a particular topic such as identity development, moral development, or family relations, drawing parallels between the themes of several young adult novels and like concepts in adolescent psychology. The author integrates findings from psychological studies on early and late adolescence and discusses developmental changes, signs of risk, and disturbances during adolescence.

Texts on developmental psychology are not routinely read by English teachers. Conflict and Connection reveals what would happen if they were: how teachers could help students attain clearer insights not only about character development in fiction but about life itself.

Customer Reviews (1)

A Must for Middle School Teachers
Teachers love this book and tell me they share the contents with parents at Open House, with administrators when justifying using YA lit in their classrooms, and to plan their literacy lessons.Mothers have said that it helps them to understand what is happening in their middle schoolers' minds.Some of the chapter titles are superb - my favorite is "There's a war going on inside my head." I wish it had been available when I was teaching middle school. ... Read more

Book Description
Sharon Creech is a best-selling author for young adult readers, and her books are enjoyed in both classroom settings and for leisure reading for three important reasons: -She shows great respect for teens through giving attention to the voices of teen protagonists, creating adventures in which teens grown socially and emotionally as a result of a journey. -She captures the language of her characters, including dialects from the hollers of West Virginia and the mountains of Switzerland, and introduces figurative language and vocabulary to enrich her readers' experience during and after their time with her books. -With humor and gentleness, she provides readers with a sense of hope. After an introductory chapter and biographical sketch, there is one chapter per volume that examines the characters, plot, setting, and themes in each work. This volume will be useful to young adults wanting to delve deeper into the worlds of Creech's characters, or literature professionals studying Creech's works. -Absolutely Normal Chaos -Bloomability -Chasing Redbird -Granny Torrelli Makes Soup -Heartbeat -Love That Dog -Ruby Holler -Walk Two Moons -The Wanderer ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A handy index rounds out this useful guide
Compiled and arranged by Sherry York, Children's And Young Adult Literature By Native Americans is a resource guide developed especially for children's librarians, and lists quality books recommended for young readers which are by and about Native Americans. Each individual entry is mentioned with information concerning the title, author, publisher, a brief summary, general subjects covered, recommended interest and reading levels, a list of places in which reviews about this book are to be found, and more. A handy index rounds out this useful guide. Children's And Young Adult Literature By Native Americans is a highly recommended addition to both Library Science and Native American Studies reference collections. ... Read more

Book Description
Now in paperback! A collection of fourteen essays that address major issues related to significant works of African-American young adult literature. ... Read more

Book Description

This small volume offers a crash course in the Middle Ages. . . . It packs an astonishing amount of material into its very readable pages.
- VOYA

Writers of adolescent fiction have long mined the Middle Ages for settings and materialswithout much regard for historical accuracy. Too often, they perpetuate anachronistic fallacies, allowing modern attitudes about such things as literacy and tolerance for diversity to enter their presentation. So how are you to know whether a book is accurate? Where else can you look? Thats where Recasting the Past steps in: both as a crash course in the Middle Ages and as a guide to some of the adolescent fiction set in this period.

The purpose of this book is to provide teachers, librarians, and scholars of adolescent literature with a discussion of fiction set in the Middle Ages. By showing how novels incorporate ideas and misconceptions about the medieval period, Barnhouse demonstrates how to evaluate this fiction for historical accuracy and acquaints you with nineteen novels that can be paired with history lessons and canonical literary texts. The introductory chapter provides a brief overview of the Middle Ages and a timeline to help you conceptualize the novels; while the appendix offers suggestions for classroom use. Another chapter helps you differentiate between historical and fantasy fiction. Barnhouse provides a wealth of information about medieval people and practicesfrom pilgrims to crusaders, from Heloise and her lover Abelard to the saintly Joan of Arc, and from the Viking invasions of Ireland to the Norman Conquest of England. Along the way, you will learn more about medieval gender roles, literacy and the ways of learning, and attitudes toward religious diversity. You will also encounter familiar poems like The Canterbury Tales, Beowulf, and The Song of Roland as modern writers incorporate them within their novels.

Book Description
Tamora Pierce has a large following of teen and adult readers, who savor her fantasy novels with strong female characters. This volume provides her readers and fans with additional insights into her life and work. The first section provides a biographical chapter and literary heritage. The second and third sections analyze the Tales of Tortall and the Magic Circle Sagas as a whole, providing details into the characters and settings of each. The final section of the book, Perspectives, includes both a section on literary techniques along with an interview of Tamora Pierce herself. Appendices include a section on Power Female Heroes and Fantasy Adventures. NOvels include: *The Song of the Lioness Quartet *The Immortals Quartet *The Protector of the Small Quartet *The Trickster Duology *The Magic Circle Quartet *The Circle Opens Quartet *The Will of the Empress ... Read more

Book Description
Michael Cart is probably the most prominent spokesperson and authority on young adult literature in the U.S. He is the past president of both YALSA and ALAN, teaches YA Lit at UCLA, writes a literary criticism column, Cart Blanche, for ALA Booklist, and travels and speaks widely. This book is a collection of some of his favorite essays that will appeal to students and teachers of adolescent literature courses as well as to fans of his writing. ... Read more

Book Description

Young adult literature provides a mirror in which adolescents can observe themselves and their world with an ease and security that other kinds of texts fail to provide. It is a logical starting point for planning middle school learning experiences across the curriculum, but one that, up until now, has never fully been explored.

Stover's book is designed to help middle school teachers develop concept-based, transdisciplinary units that reflect what we know about the value of students working together to construct knowledge and the value of putting young adult literature at the center of such a planning process. The author presents a process for planning transdisciplinary units, a rationale for using young adult literature, and an overview of teaching strategies that best reflect the synthesis of this evolving knowledge base.

Book Description
Contemporary young adult literature is a relatively new genre. This guide provides an overview of the burgeoning field, focusing primarily on fiction. Included are 32 chapters on particular themes of special significance to young adults, including Abuse, Sexual Violence, and Healing; Families, Traditional and Redefined; Imagined Futures; Supernatural and Alien Beings: Confronting the Other; and War's Impact. Each chapter provides critical discussions of several important works, beginning with one or more classics and ending with a list of recommended fiction on the same theme. An appendix groups works according to additional themes, and a selected bibliography cites important critical resources. Among the works discussed are:

Book Description
Covering some 12,000 titles published mainly in the past decade, most of which have been recommended in at least two sources, this thematic work offers you a state-of-the-art reading guide and selection tool for teen reading material, both fiction and nonfiction. This highly affordable, authoritative guide enables you to thoroughly evaluate your young teen literature collection and to create thematic and genre-oriented reading lists for curriculum-related and recreational reading. The entries provide annotations with lively but succinct plot summaries and indications of ISBNs, book length, price, reading level, and review citations. Award-winning and series titles are noted as well. If you work with teens and teen literature, this guide is a must-purchase. Grades 9-12. ... Read more

Book Description
An appreciation of the works of Orson Scott Card (author of Ender's Game) in science fiction, fantasy, Biblical fiction, mystery, and other works, both shorter and long, down to the year 2003. Card's faith and his ethical orientation are emphasized. ... Read more

Book Description
Young adult historical fiction brings the past alive through stories of adventure, suspense, and mystery. The genre is both complex and controversial, encompassing novels that range from romance and fantasy to stark historical realism. The book examines t ... Read more

Book Description
Cooney's large body of work for adolescents defies easy classification. The influences of her talents as an organist who played regularly for her church, the lessons she has learned from her children when they were teenagers, and life experiences that have led her to consider issues of race and gender, are examples of issues that are discussed. For children's and YA libraries and students of children's literature. ... Read more

Book Description
Each of the sixty reproducible classroom-ready activities has general guidelines that describe the purposes for the project, how to use it, evaluation points, and variations that increase student participation and motivation, and a variety of assessment activities. Designed around the new IRA/NCTE Standards, (reading, writing, representing, viewing, speaking, and listening) these stimulating activities applicable to a variety of novels create opportunities for students to develop their skills as readers, writers, and speakers. Three sections center on reading and writing activity projects (e.g., essays, news stories, letters), visual display projects (e.g., charts, posters, bookmarks), and speaking and listening activities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

What A Novel Idea!
I found this book extremely helpful!I am a college student that has been doing some teaching for the past few semesters.I have used numerous books that would help plan lessons to be taught.This book was the most helpfuland interesting.It offers may fun and interesting comprehensionactivities that are easily taught to many different ages of students.Thestrategies in this book can be used when teaching a book or story that thestudents may be reading."What A Novel Idea" is an excellentresource that I would recommend to any teacher that is looking for new andfun activities to help monitor their students' comprehension of a text. ... Read more

Book Description
Gary Paulsen, a three-time Newbery Honor winner, has written over 175 books for young adults and adults for over twenty years. His stories of adventure and survival are beloved by readers, teachers, librarians, and critics. This volume examines a sample of the most widely-known and widely-studied books by Paulsen. A biographical chapter demonstrates how Paulsen's life experiences, notably the Iditarod, have influenced his writing. Each book is analyzed for plot, characterization, setting, and themes, written at a level that is accessible for young readers, yet providing in-depth information for older readers. Books analyzed in this volume include: -Brian's Winter -Dogsong -Hatchet -The Island -Winter Room ... Read more

Book Description
Here's a brand-new, extensively revised edition of the classic guide to "first readers." Use it to encourage independent reading skills in children ages 5-8, to develop your collection for this age group, and to plan thematic literature-based programs. With a user-friendly, subject-based organization like its companion guide to picture books, A to Zoo, this annotated volume profiles some 3,750 of the best books for emerging readers. First readers feature lively interaction between text and illustration, and cover topics with true kid-appeal. Entries cover titles published mostly within the past decade (a few classic and benchmark titles are included as well). Each entry offers bibliographic information, a brief plot summary, and description of illustrations and other features to help you make informed selection and programming decisions. A list of outstanding first readers, chosen for their exceptional language and treatment of subject, makes collection development easy, and four indexes - title, illustrator, series, and reading level - provide additional access points. Lexile levels are given where available, making this volume particularly valuable for reading teachers as well as for librarians and parents, and children in kindergarten through the beginning of third grade who are starting to read independently. A boon to librarians, teachers, and parents. PreK-3. ... Read more

Book Description
This highly affordable and authoritative guide enables you to thoroughly evaluate your young teen literature collection and to create thematic and genre-oriented reading lists for curriculum-related and recreational reading. The entries provide annotations with lively, succinct plot summaries and indications of ISBNs, price, reading level, and review citations. Award-winning and series titles are noted. A supplement to the first edition, this edition covers more than 2,900 titles published from early 2004 to early 2006, most of which have been recommended in at least two sources. It is a thematic work offering a state-of-the-art reading guide and selection tool for young teen reading material, both fiction and nonfiction. If you work with teens and teen literature, this guide is a must-purchase. ... Read more

Book Description
Uncovers and traces the development of the young female protagonist from the role of submissive fairy-tale maiden to the spunkier more independent girls who now appear with increasing frequency in young adult literature. Focuses on American titles written in a time when young adult fiction began to adapt to the post-modern directions already established in fiction for adults. It is a unique exploration of characters portrayed with wit, intelligence, and will, reinforcing attributes seldom seen in earlier works about females. This next generation of heroines is the model with which today's readers can readily identify. With an annotated list of titles for suggested reading following each chapter, Declarations of Independence is the ideal resource for parents, middle and high school teachers and librarians. It should be a fixture in every public and undergraduate school library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book!
I really enjoyed this book! Very insightful about the types of young adult literature directed at girls in the past ten years. Covers all genres and topics,very helpful in teaching YA fiction. Highly reccomended! ... Read more