Week 13 Prompt Response

I love this C. S. Lewis quote, and it perfectly aligns with this week’s topic! Stories for youth aren’t just for youth. It aggravates me every time when I read about YA book censorship and scholars claiming YA doesn’t hold “proper” literary merit. Pierce (2006) included some particularly savory quotes, such as, “In 1895, librarians were warned against allowing children to pursue reading independently, thereby risking ‘contamination’ because young readers were ‘in the possession of a power that is equally potent for evil as it is for good’ (p. 45). All with the façade of “save the children,” teen books are censored because of Victorian prudery or conservative moralism (Pierce, 2006, p. 46). However, when serving adult patrons such barriers are removed, and libraries have unique opportunities to nudge adult patrons to try reading something new like YA, NA, and GN. Promoting YA, NA, and GN would ensure equitable library service, helping adult readers who enjoy these genres not feel judged and help other adult patrons feel invited and welcome to try them.

It’s totally understandable for adults to feel a sense of not belonging in reading books targeted for youth, but based on personal experience and the literature, it’s not futile to promote YA, NA, and GN to all adult patrons. Turner (2018) shared how a 2012 study uncovered that “28 percent of YA books were purchased by 30- to 44-year-olds.” There’s lots of articles and blog posts, professional and casual, about how many older adults read YA. Marks (2017) shares eight reasons why adults read young adult books:

1) YA is entertaining 

2) YA is well-written “Unlike a lot of adult literary fiction, YA books incorporate beautiful language without lengthy descriptions that slow down the pace of the story.” 

3) YA tackles serious issues, but in a hopeful way 

4) YA gives readers all the feels 

5) YA is imaginative and plays with format 

6) Coming-of-age YA is relatable 

7) YA stories are so good; they’re being made into movies and TV shows 

8) YA is shorter and cheaper than adult books

There's also the aspect of "hopeful escapism" that Turner (2018) shares. The blog Keeping Up with the Penguins (KUWTP) (2019) mirrors this sentiment of YA finding relevance across all ages through offering escapism, comfort, nostalgia, and empathetically tackling/channeling strong realities of real-life. (image featured on left retrieved from here).

To be fair, KUWTP also mentions there’s plenty of YA that “is straight-up shithouse.” Graham (2014) claims adults should feel embarrassed reading youth literature because adults should feel a desire to “level up” and read adult books instead. However, this is where NA comes into play! NA serves as a natural transition from teen to adult, as Erin in her "Betwixt and Between" article points out, "It’s a bittersweet time, and NA authors try to capture the struggles and joys that come with transitioning to that next stage of life." There's a current trend of popular YA authors releasing their debut NA novels, which I'm sure readers like Graham appreciate. A few examples include:

• House of Earth and Blood (2020) by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses)
• Chosen Ones (2020) by Veronica Roth (Divergent and Carve the Mark)
• Ninth House (2019) by Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone)

            

As a library employee, I feel comfortable to read YA, NA, and GN as these genres are normalized among me and my co-workers. So I think normalizing these genres to adults who frequent libraries is key. I personally know of plenty of adult patrons who watch A Game of Thrones, Marvel & DC films, and popular dystopian films. As most are based on comics and teen books, it provides a familiar segue to invite adult patrons to read YA, NA, and GN.

Having YA, NA, and graphic novels included in prominent book displays, in programming, and occasional featured as adult book club selections are doable action steps to normalize these often disregarded genres. If all ages of patrons are acclimated to the genres, I think it would increase interest, circulation, and readership by patrons.

Resources

Cataldi, E. (2015). Betwixt and Between: New Adult Fiction. The Library Journal. Retrieved from https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=betwixt-and-between-new-adult-fiction-collection-development-september-1-2015

Graham, R. (2014). Against YA: Read whatever you want. But you should feel embarrassed when what you’re reading was written for children. Slate. Retrieved from https://slate.com/culture/2014/06/against-ya-adults-should-be-embarrassed-to-read-childrens-books.html

Keeping Up with the Penguins. (2019). Why Are Adults Reading YA Books? KUWTP. Retrieved from http://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/why-are-adults-reading-ya-books/

Marks, J. (2017). Eight Reasons Adults Read YA. DIYmfa. Retrieved from https://diymfa.com/reading/eight-reasons-adults-read-ya.

Pierce, J. B. (2006). The Borderland Age and Borderline Books: The Early Practice of Reader’s Advisory for Youth. Young Adult Library Services, 5(1), 42–47.

Turner, P. (2018). American Millennials Are Still Reading Young Adult Books, With Good Reason. The Culture Trip. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/american-millennials-are-still-reading-young-adult-books-with-good-reason/