Young Adult Literature and the YALSA...

Books have been written for young people since the 1930s; the American Library Association (ALA) committees "have been compiling a yearly list of the best books for young people" (Snethen, 2012, p. 9) ever since. But the definition of young adult literature (YAL) has changed over the years, and the ALA has created many subcommittees to deal with the increasing activity and growth of YAL. In the 1950s many of the books written for young people were either "sportscar stories for boys or prom and date stories for girls" (Stevenson, 1984, p. 87). Soon after 'the problem novel' was created to talk to young adults about topics that "ranged from growth of body hair and growing into brassieres to parental divorce, bereavement, sexual initiation, pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, and so on" (Stevenson, 1984, p. 87). This kind of young adult literature quickly became unpopular however because there are only so many ways to tell the same kind of stories.

Decades later YAL has grown to encompass many different genres in both nonfiction and fiction. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has created lists to manage the most popular and commonly read young adult novels, and to recommend to libraries all across the country what novels they should order. Young adult fiction has become so popular the YALSA has recently changed its Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) list to the Best Books for Young Adults to Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) to efficiently accommodate the growing genre, and "added awards and lists that focus on nonfiction, graphic novels for young adults, and various other formats" (Snethen, 2012, p. 9), making the fiction genre much more independent from the others.

For those beginner writers and future authors out there worried about the direction the market is headed have no fear, the YAL market has made a name for itself- in YA fiction especially- with no end in sight. More information on the market will follow in upcoming posts.


Works Referenced:

 

· Snethen, T. (2012). From Best Books to Best Fiction Embracing Change in YALSA's Selection Lists. Young Adult Library Services, 10(3), 9-11.

· Stevenson, D. (1984). Young Adult Fiction: An Editor's Viewpoint. Children's Literature Association Quarterly, 9(2), 87-88.