Literature for Today's Young Adults (Hardcover)

by Alleen Pace Nilsen (Author), Kenneth L. Donelson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Renowned authors Alleen Nilsen and Ken Donelson offer a comprehensive, reader-friendly introduction to young adult literature framed within a rich literary, historical, and social context. It also provides teachers with criteria for evaluating books of all genres, from poetry and nonfiction to mysteries, science fiction, and horror. Coverage of timely issues, such as pop culture and mass media, helps teachers connect with students' lives outside the classroom. Young adult literature framed within a rich literary, historical, and social context. It also provides teachers with criteria for evaluating books of all genres, from poetry and nonfiction to mysteries, science fiction, and horror. Coverage of timely issues, such as pop culture and mass media, helps teachers connect with students' lives outside the classroom. Young Adult Literature. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover
Literature for Today's Young Adults Gets Better and Better…

With new features and thoroughly updated, the number one book in Young Adult Literature continues to help teachers learn how to motivate teenagers to become life-long readers. Written with the belief that students will have a better chance of becoming life-long readers if they have choices in what they read and if they enjoy it, renowned authors Alleen Nilsen and Ken Donelson offer a comprehensive, reader-friendly introduction to young adult literature framed within a rich literary, historical, and social context.

New To This Edition!

• 18 New Author Boxes include original statements by such famous writers as Judy Blume, Joyce Carol Oates, and Jack Gantos allowing students to study their views on current issues as they relate to literature.
• Enhanced Honor List chart presents crucial information on the best 3 to 10 books for young adults published each year since 1967 and shows what characteristics these “best” books have in common (Chapter 1).
• Thoroughly revised, the Pop Culture chapter (Ch. 3) provides background information on how modern Young Adult literature fits in with popular culture and with general adult reading to help students gain respect for the field in general as a subject of scholarship.
• Coverage of censorship has been increased (Ch. 12) to provide students with arguments to defend themselves if a book they are teaching is censored or questioned.

Praise for Literature for Today's Young Adults:

“I truly enjoy using this text.”
Professor Linda Tabers-Kwak, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay

“…students have responded that this is the best textbook they have ever used in any class and that it is one they will not “sell back” to the bookstore.”
Professor Cora Dunkley, University of South Florida

About Your Authors:

Ken Donelson and Alleen Nilsen have a long history of working to promote reading by young adults. In the 1970's, they co-founded what is now The ALAN Review for the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE, and in the 1980's they were co-editors of The English Journal. Although Dr. Donelson retired from ASU in 2002, they continue to work together to make this seventh edition as updated, and as comprehensive and readable as its predecessors. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 626 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins College Div; 4th edition (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0673466523
• ISBN-13: 978-0673466525
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,673,341 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #60 in

  Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Library & Information Science > Young Adult Services

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A guide to literature, June 11, 2001

By	Anthony Bonomo (Lock Haven Pa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Literature for Today's Young Adults (6th Edition) (Hardcover)

A review of "Literature for Today's Young Adults" Nilson/Donelson 6/6/01

Because I am not an avid reader, I needed a good guide to the different genres and adolescent novels that are available to and for young adults. I found the Nilson/Donelson text to be a great source of knowledge for me. It was very informative as to what each different novel offered to young adults and the controversy surrounding it. The authors were very descriptive with the information of each novel and author. The text was also helpful in providing me with ideas to use in my classroom of young adults as far as discussion of the issues that each novel dealt with. For a novice like myself is was very helpful! I would recommend this text for any teacher of Young Adult Literature. Especially for the first year teacher!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Literature for Today's Young Adults, July 10, 2002

By	paul nelson (Lock Haven, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Literature for Today's Young Adults (6th Edition) (Hardcover)

Having graduated from high school in 1979, I found my insights into teen literature to be prehistoric at best. As a "utility classroom teacher," I have to keep up with a variety of subjects. This book is a great help to anyone who needs to get a grasp of Young Adult literature, an important topic.
In an age when teens face, more than ever, the difficult issues the world places at their door, (drug and alcohol usage, sexuality, health and family conflict)any teacher entering the reading classroom should be familiar with literature that is current, educational and helpful. This volume provides insight into current authors and trends in Young Adult literature, as well as reviewing "old standards" and interviewing authors. It is an extremely helpful book for anyone who must not only educate but also provide guidance.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Textbook You Will Want to Keep!, June 2, 2001

By	Ian Benore (Greenville, SC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Literature for Today's Young Adults (6th Edition) (Hardcover)

Nilsen and Donelson have created an outstanding textbook that not only gives valuable information, but is a wonderful reference source. The text includes the history of adolescent literature, the various genres, and suggestions on incorporating young adult literature into the classroom. I personally enjoyed reading excerpts on authors and their opinions on a plethora of issues. Also, within the chapters there are focus boxes that categorize books and movies into genres, with a review on each, so it is extremely easy to locate a book that you might want to use in your classoom. Young adult books are oftentimes very controversial and Nilsen and Donelson deal with this head on. Nilsen and Donelson interviewed several authors who gave their opinions on censorship and the text includes reference sources to censorship and an extensive list of books. Overall, this is a text that I will certainly not sell back. It is well crafted and easy to use!