Humor in Young Adult Literature: A Time to Laugh (Scarecrow Studies in Young Adult Literature) [Hardcover]

Walter Hogan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0810850729 | ISBN-13: 978-0810850729 | Publication Date: January 20, 2005

Celebrates the accomplishments of YA authors acclaimed for producing high-quality comedies, who have not yet been treated in a book-length bio-critical study. Simultaneously, it reminds readers that no matter how funny an author of fiction may be, if he shows off his wit in ways that fail to play a natural role in advancing his narrative, he is not writing good fiction. To demonstrate this, humorous passages are presented to illustrate the contribution a sense of humor can make to a work of fiction. The book is arranged topically to facilitate a comparison of distinctive treatments by various authors of adolescent life events, such as sibling rivalry, bullies, and first dates.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

An excellent resource for librarians wishing to balance their YA collections with humor. At a time when so many titles are about teenage angst, abuse, and tragedy, it is refreshing to have books that entertain as they enlighten. Hogan knows his subject well and pulls authors into multiple categories while discussing plots and characters. Following the stages of adolescent growth, chapters begin with family, friends, and bullies and move to What's Wrong with Me?, love, and Coming of Age. Chapters have extensive endnotes with bibliographical and explanatory information. Most of the titles date from the 1990s or later. Topics will help in preparing thematic displays and booktalks. Many excerpts are included with page numbers. Hogan reinforces the benefit of humor to handle obstacles that need to be faced or lighten a troubled heart. The drawbacks are that the format is not conducive to easy scanning to locate specific titles and the index is inconsistent. Chris Crutcher is mentioned in several categories but indexed in only one while there are 15 references to Gordon Korman. Also, given the wide range of maturity levels in adolescence, it would have been helpful to rate titles for upper elementary, middle, or high school. Still, it's well worth taking the time to read the book, highlight sections, and take notes.–Kathy Lehman, Thomas Dale High School Library, Chester, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Hogan, author of a book about funny-man Daniel Pinkwater and a perennial reviewer for oice of Youth Advocates, has ably taken on the formidable task of writing the first book-length exploration of humor in YA fiction. He has limited his analysis to nonseries works in English and distributed in the U.S and has chosen to focus on novels mainly published from the 1990s to the present. His study is organized into eight chapters that generally reflect the stages of YA development, looking at books on family, friends, bullies, and authorities; then books dealing with self-image, love, and ironic perception; and, finally, books that are "coming-of-age" novels. This arrangement permits a comparison of the strengths, differences, and similarities between YA authors. The book is especially helpful for looking at Joan Bauer, Eoin Colfer, Diana Wynne Jones, Ron Koertge, and Gordon Korman. It will be welcomed by juvenile librarians, teachers of YA literature, and possibly by librarians who will use it as a selection tool for their YA collections. Dona Helmer
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (January 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810850729
• ISBN-13: 978-0810850729
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,927,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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