Teaching Reading with YA Literature: Complex Texts, Complex Lives

by Jennifer Buehler

Jennifer Buehler knows young adult literature. A teacher educator, former high school teacher, and host of ReadWriteThink.org’s Text Messages podcast, she has shared her enthusiasm for this vibrant literature with thousands of teachers and adolescents.  She knows that middle and high school students run the gamut as readers, from nonreaders to struggling readers to reluctant readers to dutiful readers to enthusiastic readers. And in a culture where technological distractions are constant, finding a way to engage all of these different kinds of readers is challenging, no matter the form of delivery. More and more, literacy educators are turning to YA lit as a way to transform all teens into enthusiastic readers. If we want to meet the needs of all students as readers, we have to offer books they can—and want to—read. Today’s YA lit provides the books that speak to the world of teens even as they draw them out into the larger world.  But we have to do more than put YA titles in front of students and teach these books as we’ve traditionally taught more canonical works. Instead, we can implement a YA pedagogy—one that revolves around student motivation while upholding the goals of rigor and complexity. Buehler explores the three core elements of a YA pedagogy with proven success in   With a supporting explication of NCTE’s Policy Research Brief Reading Instruction for All Students and lively vignettes of teachers and students reading with passion and purpose, this book is designed to help teachers develop their own version of YA pedagogy and a vision for teaching YA lit in the middle and secondary classroom.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Teaching, Professional Development

173 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2016

Reviews

[Rita Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has made me think a lot about the power of YA lit in the classroom, provided some great ideas and has sparked some powerful discussion during our summer learning. Excited to share this book with others.

[Nicole Perry Kurilchick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the practical ideas that were given, especially in the last chapter. There were times when the author felt a little out of touch with the day to day life of a classroom teacher, which made it difficult to trust all of her ideas.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Dr. Jennifer Buehler writes of the myriad ways that teachers can use YA lit in their pedagogy, not just as a supplement, but as examplar texts. This book includes explanations for how YA lit is complex, ways to assess the reading of YA in the classroom, and talking points for the naysayers who don't think YA should be taught instead of the classics (AKA, old dead white guys).

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all really good professional books, this book balances theory and real classroom examples. I took a lot of notes and know I will use some of what I learned. It is not PRECISELY the book I need, given that while it covers 6-12, some examples seem best suited to high school or on-grade middle schoolers. Also, I didn't need the chapter about convincing people to let you teach with YA lit. Given that no book can exactly match every classroom, this is still a good one to spend some time with.

[Austin Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

After attending a session at the 2015 NCTE Convention in which Jennifer Buehler discussed YA lit and this book, I knew this would be a book I'd be reading and annotating thoroughly. A great mix of philosophy and practical ideas and strategies, this is a fantastic book for the secondary ELA teacher who believes in using YA lit in the high school classroom already OR who is unsure of how take the first step toward YA pedagogy. READ THIS BOOK. Just be sure you have a highlighter nearby!

[rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good source as I start planning my Young Adult Lit course. It does feel a bit outdated now — post-Covid and with the author not being in the secondary classroom for some time. Like with most PD, I do wish there were more lesson plans for how to use YA in the room. There was really just one small chapter covering that. Otherwise, I did find value in it, and it did spark some idea for me!

[Sabra Gerber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers good discussion, ideas and rationale for teachers considering using YA in their classrooms for independent reading or for genre/theme studies. With the exception of a few small sections, it’s not ideal for teachers (who already believe in YA lit) looking for tangible ideas for single YA texts new to their curriculum.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outlines a pedagogical approach to integrating young adult lit into the curriculum instead of viewing it as a fun add-on. Takes YA seriously as a vehicle for our content and standards - great resource.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great ideas--free choice of reading. However, fails to address how to assess without adding even more hours to my 50+ work week. Many of these things I'd love to do; however, need to justify grades objectively in the real world.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great premise, terrible execution. Extremely repetitious in defense of using YA lit without advancing the argument or bringing in new ideas over the course of seven tedious chapters. Read the YA instead and find some first-person teacher videos and/or TED talks for ideas if you need them.

[Melissapalmer404 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm running an online book study on this in the fall and I really liked it. Some good ideas for working YA Literature into a classroom, creating a YA Lit course and getting other people to understand its importance. Recommend.

[Caleb Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and well-written in regards to introducing YA literature while cultivating readers. I really liked a lot of the strategies and ideas mentioned within and could see a lot of the benefits that were emphasized.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly useful for high school and middle school English teachers who want to engage their students and inspire their love for reading through Young Adult Literature.

[Degan Giles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty dense, but full of good ideas on YA. It has the power to change the world…

(Also, made me sad about my education

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book for understanding the power of Young Adult Literature. Jennifer has a deep knowledge of the field. Highly recommended as a textbook in any YAL course.

[Karen Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you teach secondary English and want to know anything at all about using YA I. the classroom, you have to read this book. It is easily accessible, and gives great advice for using YA in lieu of and in partnership with old classics. The assessment chapter(s) are invaluable.