1. Young Adult Literature
Pathfinder
Finding fun young adult reads
just for you!
This pathfinder will help you find the perfect book
just for you when you have no idea what
recreational read to tackle next.
2. What is young adult literature
anyway?
Many people have preconceived notions about what kinds
of books make up young adult literature. Ideas such as pre-
World War I classics being taught in junior high schools and
high schools and a bookstore's showcasing of pre-teen
series aimed at girls pop into everyone's minds.
Yet, the true depth of young adult literature seems to be
overlooked to the point where individuals like Chris Crowe
(the author of “Young Adult Literature: What Is Young Adult
Literature?” in the September 1998 The English Journal ) try
to look into the complicated issues of these simplistic
thoughts coming to mind instead of anything really
demonstrating the mass variety of young adult literature.
3. What is young adult literature
anyway? definition
However, a direct and simple
can be found in the Nebraska Department of
Education's Reading-Writing Framework
Glossary. It states that young adult literature
consists of books for young adults (people
between the ages of 13-18) to read with a
main character that is usually a teenager,
whether published specifically for them or
actually written for an adult audience but turns
into a popular young adult selection.
4. You just scared me!
With so many different aspects and facets of young
adult literature it's easy to get lost very quickly when
on the hunt for a new book. Therefore, it's a great
idea to begin your expedition with this pathfinder
adapted for the Germantown Community Library
resources. The databases listed in some of the
following slides will need special access that you can
get on the Reference page at:
http://www.germantown-library.org/reference.htm
6. The Wide World of Genre
Looking into different genres can be the
greatest place to start when looking for a good book
as they can help narrow down what kind of books
you might want to read.
However, it is probably best to know an exact
definition and short explanation for each different
type of genre before trying to find books that fall
under those categories. Some of the books around
the library that exactly define literary genres you
might want or need to know are...
7. The Wide World of Genre
Shaw, H. (1972). Dic tio na ry o f Lite ra ry
Te rm s . New York: McGraw-Hill.
This is a general dictionary of all types of
literary terms. It doesn't go into too much
detail, but its simple, straightforward
language gets all the basics across for any
genre you might want to take a closer look
at. It is located in the reference section in
the library under the call number 803
S534D.
8. The Wide World of Genre
Baldick, C. (1990). The Co nc is e O x fo rd
Dic tio na ry o f Lite ra ry Te rm s . Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
Oxford is the top name in literature. It most certainly
goes into more depth in its definitions than the Shaw
book but can sometimes be a little heavy-handed
with words geared more toward college level
English students. However, this book is actually in
the adult nonfiction section under the call number
803 B177C2 which means that it can be checked
out instead of being restricted to library use only.
9. The Wide World of Genre
Mohler, G. (2007). Re c o m m e nd e d
Lite ra ture : K-1 2 Lite ra ry G e nre s . Retrieved
on November 5, 2008 from
http://www.cde.ca.gov/CI/rl/ll/litrlgenres.asp.
While websites on the Internet, especially where
definitions are concerned, can be sometimes
unreliable, solid information is still available. The
California Department of Education has a website that
lists both fiction and nonfiction genres with a short
description of each one. This site was originally made
to be a quick resource for K-12 literature teachers, but
its easy language and the fact that all the genres are
in one column for the reader to peruse makes it ideal
for anyone looking to find a new, fun read!
10. The Wide World of Genre
Herald, D. (1997). Te e n
G e nre fle c ting . Englewood,
Colorado: Libraries Unlimited.
This book is super special and important if
you are trying to find a new book based on
the genre you enjoy. It gives in depth
information and facts about major genres.
Also, it lists several classic selections for
every genre with a detailed summary of each
book. All of the books are considered to be
young adult since it is aimed specifically at
teens. It can be found in the adult nonfiction
under 016.813009 H531T, meaning it can be
checked out to browse through. The only
draw back is the fact that it is an actual book,
which creates a problem when searching for
current books. This reading guide is updated
every few years; but with the explosion in
young adult literature lately, some great
11. The Wide World of Genre
Once you find a genre that appeals to you, it's time to
head to the library's catalog!
Using a subject search is going to be very helpful. You
can perform a subject search in the catalog with subject
headings of the genre of your choice as broad or
specific as you wish, using the Library of Congress
Subject Heading books. Some examples of useful
subject headings are:
Science fiction-> a general subject that will include a great
number of results to peruse
Heroes—Juvenile fiction-> slightly more specific by looking
directly for young adult results that concern heroes
United States—History—Revolution, 1775-1783—Juvenile
fiction-> very particular subject that will provide few results
but those few will be exactly what you are looking for
12. Genre Schm-enre!
Many people already have an inkling for
what they are searching.
Looking up new books by an author that
you know and love is a great way to find
something to read. When searching for
works by a specific author though, the
Internet is probably going to be your best
bet; and there are tons of places to fund
such information.
13. Genre Schm-enre!
There are many ways to find works by your
favorite authors in the library.
An author search on the on-line catalog is
the simplest and easiest way to see what
other books are available in the library by the
author of your choice. However, it doesn't go
into too much detail. If you merely want a
quick overview of the title and subject
heading of the books, this is the perfect way
to search; but if you want more information,
you will need to try another technique.
14. Genre Schm-enre!
Using the library's access to the Gale
Literature Resource Center database is a
nice place to look when you want information
about every aspect of an author and their
works. It has bibliographies, reviews,
summaries, and even biography material for
whatever author you type in the search bar.
The only down side is that little known authors
and very recently published ones may not be
included in the database.
15. Genre Schm-enre!
The library's access to the Twayne's Author
Series is a really wonderful place to look. It is
comprised of 600 full-text titles with issues about
particular texts and possible paper topics should
you need a book for school. It has an A to Z
author list that you can browse and a cool search
engine you can use to find a particular book
through such aspects as genre, time period, or
even an author's gender or nationality. It is not
specifically for young adults, and it isn't updated
frequently. However, it still has many usable
resources.
16. Online Author Expeditions
Information from online can sometimes be shaky, but it's
the best way to find current author knowledge since new
books are published all the time.
Yahoo's Author Listing is a fabulous collection of material
concerning certain authors, such as critical essays,
bibliographies, and individual websites. However, it
doesn't necessarily have up to date lists of literary works
and only popular authors are included.
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Auth
ors/Young_Adult
17. Online Author Expeditions
While Wikipedia is a resource that is to be
avoided when looking for strictly academic
information, it is still a good way to get a
general overview of a topic. The fact that it is
updated so often and has outside links to other
Wikipedia pages for a number of authors in
addition to lists of major works beside their
names makes this resource one of the best
when trying to discover works by a particular
author.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_young_a
dult_writers
18. I just want something that's
good...
When looking for a work of merit, there are
a few key places to look.
You need to simply decide if you wish to
find a book that is award winning or if you
already have a book in mind that you would
like to investigate.
19. Award-Winning Books
There are tons of
awards just for young
adult books even
though the specifics
in the books may
vary.
The best place to find
these awards and
their winners is on
the Young Adult
Library Services
Association's
website.
20. YALSA!
www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists
This website has winners' lists as well as descriptions of thirteen
awards from the Alex Awards that focus in adult books that have
special appeal for young adults ages 12 through 18 to Margaret
A. Edwards Award which is awarded to an author for his or her
lifetime contributions to young adult literature to the incredible top
ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
2008 Alex Award Winner Margaret A Edwards Recipient Reluctant Readers Pick
21. YALSA!
www.ala.org/teenstopten
One of the best resources
on the YALSA website is
the Teens' Top Ten.
Every year the YALSA takes
nominations from through mailed-
in forms for the favorite reads of
teens like you all over the United
States. The archived lists on the
site goes back to 2003, meaning
there are plenty of books to check
out. Also, you can simply see
what teens just like you are
reading—just like this picture of the
2008 top book!
22. Reviews! Reviews Found Here!
Just like the Teens' Top Ten list, you may opt
for books that are reviewed by your peers if
you already have one you want to read.
Reviews can truly be found anywhere, but two
websites come to mind over the others for the
fact that they are monitored so that you don't
have random people advertising on the
comments that should strictly be about books.
23. Reviews! Reviews Found great place
Searching through www.barnesandnoble.com is a
Here!
to look for reviews for any books you wish to read. Also, you can
use their searching tools to browse genres through their website.
Typing in a title or author through www.amazon.com is also a
wonderful place to find reviews for a particular book. The site also
tries to link readers with authors by having authors post blogs or
videos to keep readers up to date on publications and any book
signings.
Barnes and Noble VERSUS Amazon
Amazon has a much wider selection than Barnes and Noble. Also, Amazon
reaches a much wider range of people—meaning there are many more
reviews to browse. However, it must be noted that no matter what these two
sites are trying to sell you something. If you are there to simply look at
reviews, keep your blinders on and try not to be diverted to low prices or
special gifts.
24. But I'm Still So Confused!
Ifyou are still at a loss for
ideas on what to read, you
still have options.
Do not despair!
For the next pathway all
you need to know is what
you have read in the past.
25. Reader Advisory
A reader advisory database is one that
helps a reader by performing a search
for different books based on favorite
reads in the past through means of
identifying common content.
Basically, it is your own personal super
computer to tell you what you will like
based on the books you input or certain
things you specifically search for.
26. What Do I Read Next?
Yes, there is an actual reader advisory database called What Do I
Read Next to which the library has access.
It can search by specific author, genre, time period for the story,
reader age or grade, series, or story setting.
The Catch:
The database does an excellent job of having a huge number
of books in its collection. You can search for any age group
that you want. It even keeps a pretty close watch over major
book releases. Being very straight forward in its use makes it
easy to navigate as well.
However, just like with any search engine, terms must be input
exactly before certain results will be produced when you use
the Help Me Find A Book search. The same comparison can
be made by you searching for a topic in an online catalog and
actually being shown the book by a librarian. A person can
judge what you “mean” to say when a computer cannot.
It is still a great place to look when you have nowhere else to
turn.
27. Excitement Excitement!
It is still important to note that the best books come from the
excitement of the reader. Many popular young adult books have
even been given the honor of being made into “trailers” and placed on
YouTube, which are a great way to get a look at the books and build
excitement about reading just as one would get excited about
watching a movie—such as this video for Frank Beddor's The Looking
Glass Wars that can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqab6c6VHIk
28. A Journey Ends While
Another Begins
The end of this pathfinder is upon you; but
hopefully, you learned enough to help you in
your next expedition where you will seek out the
buried treasure of the bookshelves.
PLEASE—ask your librarians if you have any
questions! We love talking about books so
much that we made it our profession!
