Evaluating Contemporary Realistic Fiction

If contemporary fiction is what teens want to read, then as librarians, teachers, etc., I think it is important to know how to recognize good young adult literature and know how to evaluate it, so that we can make smart decisions in collection development and readers’ advisory.

In my research, I found two guides to evaluating realistic fiction. The latter was developed more for children’s contemporary realism, but many of the evaluation criteria applies to YA literature as well.

Considerations for Selecting Young Adult Literature: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
When evaluating a contemporary realistic fiction novel, ask these questions:

• Are they engaging, true-to-life, well-rounded characters, who are both wise and foolish while they are growing and changing?
• Is there an accurate reflection of the human condition and contemporary life, without stereotyping?
• Is there a sensitivity to all people regardless of sex or sexual orientation, race, religion, age, socioeconomic level, social group, or culture?
• Does the plot appeal to young adults? Address the challenges, hopes, and fears as well as the problems faced by contemporary adolescents? Offer hope for the future?
• Does the plot ask young adults to consider or reconsider their own values and beliefs , inspire without providing pat resolutions, and avoid talking down to readers or telling them what to think?
• Is the setting believable?
• Is there an appropriate treatment of violence that never glamorizes it, records it more graphically than necessary, or includes it gratuitously?
• Does the language accurately reflect the characters as well as their educational status, social class, culture, and the place where they live?

Evaluating Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Consider the following when evaluating realistic fiction:

• Does the book honestly portray the realities of life for today’s children?
• Does the book illuminate problems and issues of growing up in today’s world?
• Does the story transcend the contemporary setting and have universal implications?
• Are the characters convincing and credible to today’s child?
• Are controversial topics such as sexuality dealt with in an open and forthright way?
• If violence or other negative behavior is part of the story, does the author provide motivations and show aftereffects?
• Does the author avoid stereotyping?
• Does the book truly represent the experience of the culture depicted?
• Does the book help children enlarge their personal points of view and develop appreciation for our ever-changing pluralistic society?

“The John Green Effect” and “GreenLit”

I just finished Andrew Smith’s Winger, which last year had been given the title of GreenLit by New York Times.  “GreenLit” according to New York Times is a thing used to define writers that either write in the style of John Green or writers John Green celebrates (e.g. Rainbow Rowell, A.S. King, e. lockhart).  I’m not going to go into what I think of the whole “GreenLit” definition (some people even call it a “genre”!) too much, but BookRiot pretty much sums up my thoughts on the term.

I know Green really helped bring the realistic genre featuring smart, self-aware teenage narrators with witty dialogue back to life, but he did not invent the genre.  Anyone else remember Blume, Hinton, or even Salinger? (Okay, technically, The Catcher in the Rye (1951) was originally published for adults, but it has since become really popular with youth because of its themes.) …And can we just talk about the reigning queen of contemporary YA? Sarah Dessen, folks. Sarah Dessen.

To me, it is honestly kind of demeaning to the authors’ talents and accomplishments; I’m sure these other authors would appreciate their books being evaluated on their own merits.

I recognize the importance of John Green. In fact, my blog might not have existed without Green, because he really did help usher in the trend in the revival of contemporary, realistic fiction.

https://twitter.com/johngreen/status/467020907169738752

But even Green think it’s ridiculous to claim he is the sole reason for the contemporary YA revival.

I want to make it clear that this blog is not about GreenLit; it’s about emotionally intense contemporary YA of which John Green’s books belong.  As a librarian, I love read-alikes, which are so important in reader’s advisory, and therefore can appreciate the whole, “Oh, you liked John Green? You may like one of these…” But what I can’t get behind is the idea that authors’ books be generalized based on the narrative style of Green or that Green should somehow be placed on a pedestal for all other YA contemporary realism to be compared against. There is so much range and nuance in contemporary realism, and grouping them all into GreenLit (or not GreenLit) really ignores the innovation and brilliance of the other authors.

Notable authors

As a librarian, I always like to know notable authors in specific genres. I come to depend on them for quality books, and they are an easy go-to for readers’ advisory.  For example, if I’m looking for fantasy books, I know Robin McKinley, Neil Gaiman, Robert Jordan, etc. are likely to have written something worth reading.  So who are the notable authors in contemporary realistic YA? I’ve gathered a list that is no way extensive of authors that I think should be on your radar:

• Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby (2002), The Moon and More (2013), and more. I love all of her books; she always delivers. Her newest book, Saint Anything, is expected to come out 2015.
• Maureen Johnson, Little Blue Envelope series
• Lauren Myracle, Kissing Kate, ttyl, ttfn
• Catherine Gilbert Murdock, Dairy Queen series
• Anne Brashares, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
• Kate Brian, Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys, Private
• Meg Cabot, The Princess Diaries, All-American Girl
• Zoey Dean, The A-List
• Melissa De La Cruz, The Au Pairs
• Megan McCafferty, Jessica Darling series
• Lurlene McDaniel, Don’t Die, My Love
• John Green, The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska
• Andrew Smith, Winger, Grasshopper Jungle

Who are some of your favorite authors in contemporary YA?

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References

• Cart, Michael. Young Adult Literature : From Romance to Realism. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.
• Go Teen Writers

Themes of Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Today in Young Adult Literature : Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation, I came across a list of common themes present in contemporary realistic fiction. It should be noted that the categories are not mutually exclusive.

• Overcoming fears and accepting responsibilities
• Understanding families, divorce, and adoption
• Finding friends: relationships, alienation, and a sense of belonging
• Accomplishing goals in sports
• Developing and maturing
• Finding romance
• Coping with violence, crime, alcohol, and drug abuse
• Living with physical and mental disabilities
• Coping with death, disease, accidents, and suicide
• Developing sexual relationships
• Understanding sexual orientation
• Understanding the difficulties associated with growing old
• Living in a global society: prejudice, politics, conflicts, and war
• Understanding religion and its role in society

I like this list, as it captures the most common themes present succinctly.  I will be utilizing this list in the way that I tag the YA novels on this blog as I move forward in the inquiry process.

What is Contemporary Realistic Fiction?

From this point forward in my blog, I will mostly be in the Processing Phase of the Alberta Inquiry Model.

I’ve been doing some reading, and before I start really delving into my volume reading of young adult literature, I think it is important to really define what contemporary realistic fiction is.

What is contemporary realistic fiction?

Realistic fiction may be defined as imaginative writing that accurately reflects life (Kiefer, 201).  It is sometimes referred to as the problem novel, utilizing plot, themes, setting, and characters to reflect the issues young adults must cope with as they develop and mature (Bucher & Hinton, 125).  As such, contemporary realistic fiction can be dark and/or light, often containing stories of loss, injury, sexuality, romance, and friendship.  Kelly Jensen of Stacked argues, “Reading these stories is important; it can be life changing, even.  It begs teens to think critically, to engage, to emote.”

What makes these books popular?

Teenagers today face the tremendous responsibility of determining where it is they fit in, and “good readers” read lots of contemporary novels in search of lives similar to theirs as well as those that are radically different (Nilsen & Donelson, 14-16).  In contemporary fiction, teens can read about their “greatest fears and hopes, depicted with often unabashed honesty and earnestness” (Cart, 22).  Contemporary realistic fiction provides a sort of haven for teens where they can find solace in smart stories about the agony of growing up.  Today, the genre has become more graphic in terms of violence, sex, and language that is portrayed.  These are the books that are most often challenges, but they remain popular with teenagers who can identify with the harsh realities of life (Hayn & Kaplan, 21).  Teens, however, recognize that life “even at its darkest, can hold the promise of hope and positive change–especially when we read about it with open minds and hearts, with intellectual attention and emotional empathy” (Hayn & Kaplan, 22).

It is unfortunate that these are the novels challenged so frequently by adults who either don’t read them or don’t realize what life is like for many teenagers.  If a teen is uncomfortable with a book, they won’t continue reading it; they do self-censor themselves.  These are the books that are important. They are the stories that connect to some readers that adults may not understand and the stories that promote empathy and sympathy.  Through stories, teens can see into the interior lives of characters in ways that television and other media can’t; they improve and even create “heart-to-eye” coordination (Cart, 132).

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Reference:

• Bucher, Katherine Toth, and KaaVonia Hinton. Young Adult Literature : Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation. Third edition.
• Cart, Michael. Young Adult Literature : From Romance to Realism. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.
• Hayn, Judith, and Jeffrey S Kaplan.Teaching Young Adult Literature Today : Insights, Considerations, and Perspectives for the Classroom Teacher. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2012.
• Jensen, Kelly. “Stacked: Why Contemporary?” Stacked. N.p., 6 June 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
• Kiefer, Barbara Zulandt, and Charlotte S Huck. Charlotte Huck’s Children’s Literature. 10th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
• Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Kenneth L. Donelson. Literature for today’s young adults. New York: Longman, 2001.

Volume Reading

In addition to the professional literature I will be sorting through, I also have a stacks and stacks of young adult books that I have gathered.  Most of the books I’m planning on looking at were published in the last 10 years, because I really want to focus on the developing trends in contemporary realistic fiction.

Guy in Real Life by Steve Brezenoff

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Good Kings Bad Kings: A Novel by Susan Nussbaum

We Were Liars by e. lockhart

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Probability of Miracles: A Novel by Wendy Wunder

This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Reality Boy by A.S. King

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Winger by Andrew Smith

Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts

Sway by Kat Spears

Breathe, Annie, Breath by Miranda Kenneally

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Aristotle and Date Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

This list is, of course, in no way exhaustive, but these are the materials that I grabbed while I was at the Monroe County Public Library.  I probably won’t be able to read all of these, but I’m going to work hard to make my way through as many as possible.  I am also pretty flexible and will be adding and removing materials to my list as I see fit.

A Personal Inquiry

As part of my Master of Library Science specialization in Children’s and Young Adult Services, I am taking a Seminar on Youth Literature where we are examining current trends in children’s literature and publishing as they relate to libraries and their patrons.  For the class, we were each asked to identify an area of inquiry that was personally relevant and stimulated our curiosity.

I will be investigating contemporary and realistic young adult fiction.  In preparation for this project, I had been exploring “new” trends in YA literature and came across an article by Sue Corbett in Publishers Weekly, “New Trends in YA: The Agents’ Perspective.” In the article, Corbett discusses different trends that are rising and falling in young adult literature; one of those discussed is contemporary fiction, specifically, emotionally-intense young adult literature. This topic really resonated with me, because, I, like many young adults (and even adults) fell in love with the heart-wrenching love stories of Hazel and Augustus in John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor and Park in Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park.

In the article, Michael Bourret comments: “We flooded the market with as much paranormal as it could stand…what everyone wants to be working on right now is contemporary realistic.”  In truth, contemporary fiction has been around for a while now, but its popularity has seen an upswing thanks in part to Green and Rowell. Indeed, there are lists all over the internet dedicated to what to read after John Green.

I have some initial critical questions that I will be investigating; I certainly anticipate this list growing as my inquiry evolves:

• What makes contemporary YA fiction?
• Notable authors in the genre?
• Are the books more focused on the character development rather than plot?
• Are there antagonists?
• Are there common elements shared (e.g. young love, pop culture, etc.)?

I will be using this blog to keep track of what I discover in my readings and in my research. I hope to gain some sort of understanding about what it is that makes these books so engaging to youth.  I welcome any comments and suggestions for future readings.