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Reconsidering the Hypothetical Adolescent in Evaluating and Teaching Young Adult Literature
Author(s) -
Sulzer Mark A.,
Thein Amanda Haertling
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of adolescent and adult literacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1936-2706
pISSN - 1081-3004
DOI - 10.1002/jaal.556
Subject(s) - mythology , psychology , language arts , pedagogy , mathematics education , the arts , frame (networking) , teaching method , visual arts , literature , art , telecommunications , computer science
Courses on teaching young adult literature ( YAL ) often encourage preservice English language arts teachers to consider their future students as they evaluate texts for classroom use. In this study, Sulzer and Thein analyzed preservice teachers' responses to familiar questions used to frame discussions of YAL —questions that ask them to read on behalf of a hypothetical adolescent reader. Findings suggest that evaluating YAL this way may naturalize myths about who adolescents are, what they care about, and what they are capable of. Understanding and addressing these myths may be beneficial to all who are involved in selecting literature for adolescents.