Recently, I’ve gotten a lot of emails from parents asking if my novels are suitable for young readers. sometimes the emails are from kids asking me some version of the same question, because their parents told them to.
Although I think this question could be better answered by skimming through the novel in question, I’ll do my best to answer it.
You are reading: What does ya stand for in books
Usually my answer is some version of this:
Without knowing your son, I really can’t answer this question. I’ve received fan mail from readers as young as eleven and as old as eighty-four. I’ve been told that my books cater to veteran science fiction readers as well as those for whom one of my novels in particular is their first encounter.
If you’re specifically concerned about sex and violence, I can tell you that your child is likely to find more of both on prime-time television. however, the novels contain both, as often as I feel is appropriate for the story.
but I’ve never been satisfied with that answer.
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I was particularly concerned when a younger reader (who proudly told me he read college-level, though not yet in college) told me his father had been concerned about a sex scene in Through the Eyes. of the wolf.
Well, that sex scene, although adulterous, is between consenting adults. it’s not even particularly graphic. I didn’t think it was a big deal, not for a generation that can see as much or more on soap operas on any given day.
Furthermore, this young man’s screen name reveals that he is a fan of Naruto manga/anime. I read Naruto (I haven’t seen the anime). the stories regularly feature blood, violence, torture (psychological and physical), and cunning sexual humor. why didn’t this concern the father of this young man? Was it because the story was told in illustrated form? maybe so.
after all, both violence and sex are more intimate when you’re in the head of the character. I remember a friend looking up after reading one of David Weber’s early novels and commenting, “If he kills one more person while I’m in his head, I’ll throw this book across the room.” I had seen movies and television with this young man, and I had never reacted the same way to visual representations of dozens of deaths.
good. so maybe the books are different. if so, how do you define the line between what is young adult fiction (already) and what isn’t? I decided to consult my friend Julie. she is a librarian who specializes in you. Furthermore, she has regularly sworn awards for her work in various categories. I figured there must be a definition used to define what you were and what you weren’t.
Julie’s answer was so complex and so interesting that I’m tempted to include it all here, but I’ll settle for high points.
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began: “I don’t think there is a definitive definition of his literature, probably in part because the field continues to expand and transform.”
julie then listed some common definitions: books written specifically for a younger audience; any book that young adults read for fun; or even any book with a young protagonist, dealing specifically with teenage issues. she noted that for awards, it’s often the publisher’s designation that matters. (Look at the power of that imprint on the spine!)
she went on to say that, for her personally, the age of the protagonist or the imprint on the spine were simply not enough to designate a book anymore: “for me, literature is already distinguished by change, evolution, development, search for identity, and/or the search for oneself.”
I quite liked this last definition. explains why in recent decades the literature has expanded to deal with increasingly complex topics. After all, the world our young adults face is becoming increasingly complex, as electronic communication exposes young readers to things that would previously have been kept behind closed doors.
however, this last definition still allows to include the old style of works.
I’m not sure any of this solves my personal dilemma, but it gives me a broader basis for thinking.
I hope if you have anything to add, feel free to contribute. maybe somewhere you will find the perfect answer!
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