In the world of young adult literature, here is what’s new on the Internet this week. We’ve got your young adult author spotlights, must-read YA graphic novels, and essays about young adult publishing.
This article from the Guardian calls for more YA protagonists concerned with politics. “I’d like to see authors write more Hermione Grangers, but this time maybe the protagonists and leading characters could fight for more real life causes. . . . Gender issues, body-positivity, and stories on minorities have been emerging in recent years, and writers need to keep it going.”
Along that same vein, Mariko Tamaki‘s new book, Saving Montgomery Sole, heavily focuses on fighting back against sexuality and gender discrimination. From this author spotlight: “It’s something that I really struggled with — this movement by a religious right to discriminate against and to curtail the rights of a group of people. I find it really hard to deal with. So I try to tap into that a little bit in this book,” says Tamaki.”
Playing for the Devil’s Fire by Phillippe Diederich is “that rare book that addresses moral issues and current events in a story that never stops tugging at the reader’s heart.” Glowing review of this fantastic book here.
To end with reading recommendations, last month was Sexual Assault Awareness month, and this article highlighted two fantastic YA novels that stare down that gruesome topic: Exit, Pursued by a Bear, by E.K. Johnston and The Way I Used to Be, by Amber Smith. “Young adult material is far from fluff. Through countless novels and films, the young adult genre has focused on some fun and exciting subjects, but can also be some of the most difficult and painful literature on shelves.”
