Discussion Questions


1			Discuss ways in which contemporary teens might be said to be more sophisticated than previous generations. Include changes in technology, social networking, access to information, social privileges, and their own expectations of how the world should be.




2			Explore and discuss at least 3 approaches that justify young adult literature as a genre apart from the Literary Canon. Frame your response within these three parameters: 1) Connecting interest, 2) Local and personal influence, 3) dealing with perceived life. You may want to refer back to chapter 2 and review the discussion on immediacy and relevance.




3			Why is specialization in young adult literature important, in terms of understanding consumer needs (driven my market demand) and the needs of teacher candidates, writers, or literature majors?




4			Introduce and discuss at least three rationales that contribute to book censoring in middle and high school environments. In your discussion, investigate why censorship is strong in the young adult genre—who is being protected and why? What can you do, as a professional, to protect works that you believe are beneficial to students in spite of censorship?