Young Adult Fiction for Adults discussion

I know they're out there, so what are some of the best you've read? Please nothing like Drama High or anything of that ilk. I'm talking action, adventure, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, science-fiction--in short the good stuff, LOL.

Malorie Blackman is a great author to start with. Her Naughts & Crosses series http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71... was amazing and unforgettable. I love alternative history books when they're done well. Here, Blackman turns racial dynamics upside down as the ruling class is made up of the Crosses who are dark-skinned and the Naughts who are considered "colorless" and thought of as inferior. Two young people--Sephy and Callum--struugle to maintain their friendship in spite of the wide gulf between them.

Darn it, I can't believe that I didn't even mention these amazing novels: The Broken Bridge by Philip Pullman and The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer. And my all-time favorite re-read, The Egypt Game

Of course it goes without saying Walter Dean Myers is a total must-read as well.

Come on folks, I know I'm not the only one who's come across great multicultural YA books, so don't hold back...share the love!

Speaking of Walter Dean Myers: The Cruisers . My copy is on its way from Amazon.

Definitely NOT the latter, LOL. There's nothing wrong with race as the subject matter per se, but come on, that can't possibly be all there is. I'm talking about books featuring lead characters of color and in different genres like adventure, fantasy, paranormal, and even contempory. Like I said, I know the books are there, and I've listed a few. I certainly can't be the only person who's reading them.

Catie what about the book we both just read ??

was good.

Heidi I wrote: " was good."

Must read. Or listen to.

One Crazy Summer by,Rita Williams-Garcia was really good!About 2 girls who spend the summer with their mother in California in the 60's where their mother is a Black Panther.

Catie wrote: "I forgot these!


I haven't read them yet but I plan to in April."

I LOVED Eon! I don't think Eona is out yet :S

Catie wrote: "Yeah, it comes out in April...hence my master plan!!"

Smart cookie! :) :) I'm sure you will love it. It's usually not the kind of story I read but when I started I couldn't stop! Hope it will be the same for you, it's so great to find a book that you can't put down.

Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos is good! I reviewed it on my blog: http://storiestoldinstickfigures.blog...

There's a lot of good stuff out there.

And I almost hate to say it (cuz I don't want to be cheesy) but my own novel...

I think its okay to mention your books as long as you say you're the author.

Keeps it open & honest.

What I Meant is a great book!
Read it over three times!
:D
So's Born Confused and Nothing but the Truth and a Few White lies.
:D

Just found two new multicultural YA's that totally fit the bill for what my original post was about:

and .

Wendy Raven McNair's intriguing take on superheroes featuring African-American characters:


and

What a GREAT thread! Amazing how few multicultural YA books there are, though, given that this is the 21st century!

I'd have to add the other two in the series: and
although I thought Shabanu was by far the best.

And Marie, I'm looking forward to reading your book!

The books are out there, but they don't receive as much attention which is a shame.

Thanks for your sweet comment, Pooja :) And hope you like it, Jody.

Great books to check out here. Now I know what to read next!

I'll just repeat what I said in the Latina/Latino thread, if people don't mind. I can't help it when I see comments like Jody's and Vixenne's, i.e., that it's amazing how few multiculti books there are out there given that it's 2011 (Jody). And that it's a shame the ones that exist don't get the attention they deserve.

I am one of the editors of two anthologies of multicultural fiction--one for middle school, the other for high school (Perfection Learning, Co.--an educational publisher). When we were searching for short stories, poems, and novel excerpts 8-9 years ago, it was much tougher than we thought to find unused/rarely used content. There was some terrific writing by Sandra Cisneros, Julia Alvarez, Gary Soto, and other Latinos, but most of it had already been anthologized to death. It was very eye-opening to me, as someone in love with Latin American and esp. Mexican American culture. It motivated to finish my own novel, one that puts to use my many years of hard work in the cornfields and factories of the Midwest.

So...here's what I wrote in the Latina thread:

"I'm going to plug my new book with a Latina heroine; it is in the vein of Gary Soto and Francisco Jimenez (think The Circuit with a female main character):
When I Am Singing to You
Ebook by Rebecca Burke (available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords)
Fourteen-year-old Carmen Delgada, the daughter of migrant workers, ends up living with other homeless teens at an urban YWCA after her jealous mother kicks her out of the house. When Carmen learns that her new friend Hazel is pregnant, she vows to help her—a decision that results in tragedy."

It sounds neat, Rebecca; where is it available?

Hi Jody,

It's available at Amazon (Kindle), Barnes and Noble (Nook/PubIt!), and Smashwords. Thanks for your interest!

A great place to find a number of authors interested in diversity in one place is the Diversity in YA tour going on right now.

My favorite recent novel immersed in another culture isn't typically listed as YA but it could be: Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord

Could anyone recommend other multicultural YA books that take the reader into a different culture rather than being multicultural in a familiar setting (no typical high school stories please)?

I really enjoy Jo Whittemore as a person. I think she's on that tour. I follow her on twitter and she's just sweet and friendly as can be.

I read one of her middle grade books and thought it was really fun.

I totally got that from the library the other day Catie! Due to you.

I don't know why I haven't mentioned this before. I'm currently reading which if you can't guess from the title has a half Mexican main character.

I just can't help but wonder why most multicultural YA books have to be so heavy-handed and/or issue-oriented. It's so one-dimensional, you know? YA teens of all colors still deal with all the attendant problems of growing up and fitting in that don't always have to do with their race. Not to mention, there's diversity within all groups. I think more authors need to expand their horizons a little and lighten up a bit.

I don't think all of them are. I really enjoyed by Matt de la Pena & I expect will be just as good. While race is clearly an issue in this book, from the beginning I think it has more to do with him feeling a disconnect from his father (who is gone--this is not a spoiler he's gone when you start the book) and his father's family.

Identity is something we all struggle with. It can be done in an intelligent or a cheesy way.

Some books where race is just there:
& (and others but I'm too lazy to look at my bookshelf).

Vixenne wrote: "I just can't help but wonder why most multicultural YA books have to be so heavy-handed and/or issue-oriented. "
Oh, I so totally agree!

Glad to hear recommendations of ones that aren't issue-oriented!

Me too. But again, here's what I'm looking more towards. The main character is of another race. That's it. They still struggle and/or quest or are just having fun doing what they do. Nothing heavy-handed or strictly ethnic-related. I just want to see more balance in multicultural YA as in regular YA. There are issue-oriented books in mainstream YA too, but there's also greater diversity as far as genre.

It was thicker than anticipated (it was shelved in juvenile & I guess I'll find out if that's what it is soon enough)

My library had in Juvenile & half the Jacky Faber books in YA and some in Juvenile.

They have good books but they're kind of idiots. And they don't take correction that well.

My library is like that. They shelved half of Harry Potter in juvenile and the other half in YA. I question their categorization methods sometimes.

Emily wrote: "My library is like that. They shelved half of Harry Potter in juvenile and the other half in YA. I question their categorization methods sometimes."

That's odd, but it's also kind of understandable because the later HP books are quite darker than the first few.

Emily wrote: "My library is like that. They shelved half of Harry Potter in juvenile and the other half in YA. I question their categorization methods sometimes."

My library shelves I think based on publisher rather than genre at times (stupid I tell you!) For that reason
was in adult romance (rather than YA) and was somehow Science Fiction (I actually told them that was wrong & got a weird look).

Am I just being particular or does this bother other bookworms too? Sometimes I worry because I know more about books than the librarians.

It bothers me too, you're not the only one.

Daughter of the Forest is in Sci Fi at both my libraries.

Heidi (the original) wrote: "Daughter of the Forest is in Sci Fi at both my libraries."

That one bugs me more than most. What about an old Irish legend & a book that takes place in ancient Ireland is sci-fi? It's the least Sci-Fi book I can imagine unless growing herbs is suddenly futuristic science fiction.

Emily wrote: "My library is like that. They shelved half of Harry Potter in juvenile and the other half in YA. I question their categorization methods sometimes."

Our library shelves a number of series on both juvenile and young adult shelves. They also put a lot of books in ya I'd expect to find on the adult sf. I think it's a great way to introduce younger readers to authors they might like at the next reading level. I think it's great that they make it easy for more advanced young readers to find more challenging books they might enjoy, or conversely to let teens revisit old favorites without the embarrassment of hitting the juvie section. As an adult I feel no shame trotting around to wherever books are shelved. :)

Here's what I posted in the Latino/Latina suggestion-thread:
Rebecca Burke

I'm reading a fantastic YA Latino novel right now: Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Saenz from Cinco Puntos press, the publisher David mentioned in this thread.

Saenz's coming-of-age book has lots of well-drawn characters, with a hugely sympathetic main character, Sammy. The Hollywood of the title is not the famous celebrity enclave in CA, but instead is a poor barrio in NM. It's beautifully written, socially astute, and very funny (the constant swearing in Spanish is one of the pleasures of reading it.) That is not to imply that it's a laugh-riot. If you grew up a poor Mexican high school kid in 1968 America, life would not have been a school for comedy.

Cinco Puntos press has a wonderful website for readers who want literature from Spanish-speaking cultures. They've got chicano, bilingual, border, translation, and YA lit, children's picture books, memoirs, history, you-name-it.

Just a thought re: earlier discussion of "why multiculti fiction always seems to be so heavy" . . . I get that point and as a reader am certainly not always willing to go down that road every time I pick up a book. But to me, a more serious problem is that there still aren't ENOUGH books written about the worlds that a lot of kids live in (that are not in lily-white cul de sacs in the suburbs).

I think African American writing shows a great trajectory for multicultural writing in general. Think way back to all the classic novels you read in high school and college--Native Son, Invisible Man, The Color Purple (I could go on and on--Beloved, anyone?) that were just so heavy and political and full of tragedy (and great stories and characters). Over time, African American writing has grown so much that now there are whole shelves of black chick lit, (Terry McMillan might not like that term, I suppose, but "the opposite of heavy, ok?), black sci fi and fantasy, etc. It's there, there's probably no way there's enough of it, but it's growing.

Shew Beloved was heavy...and weird.

I took a Multicultural American LIterature course (it was called something like that, honestly I don't remember now) during college.

I don't know if this has been mentioned but we read street and I found it poetic delightful.

But we also read , , which were heavier. (I loved Lesson Before Dying, did not love Beloved quite as much)

Catie wrote: "I already mentioned this one in this thread, but I think that this is a great fit for what you mentioned Janet: "

Thanks for the recomendation Catie! I just finished the Lost Conspiracy and it was exactly what I was looking for in terms of immersion into a different culture. I'd love to hear what else you recommend.

Here's the bigger problem I see with some multicultural fiction: everyone expects it to be some social treatise on how hard it is to be either "poor and black" or "poor and latino", etc. Just as there are poor people of color, there are middle-class and wealthy ones too. When I talk about diversity, I'm not just talking about skin color. There's diversity of belief, action, hobbies, speech, etc. within all these vibrant communities and yet people want to stick to the same old thing.

I posted earlier that I want to see more paranormals, sci-fi, high fantasy, urban fantasy, etc. prominently featuring characters of color because these are the books I believe will get more kids--especially those of color--interested in reading. When you see yourself in a positive light, that goes a long way in shaping the person you become.

Hmmm, I think could fit into this category. Those who have listened to it, what do you think? Plus it's a favorite of mine.

I haven't come across too many books like what you want (any?), but I know exactly what you're talking about. I just read a funny romance, (adult) that had multicultural characters that focused on them and their "adventure" and not the struggle.

Check out Miss A's list of recommended romance titles from the teen blog Reading in Color.
http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/2...

OMG, I love this blog and have bookmarked it.

I am SO glad that someone gets it. My OP was precisely about what I am looking for in YA books. I want diversity and not just racial. There have been some great recomendations. Like I said, there's more to people of color than poverty, crime and despair and it's past time that both readers and authors understood that.

Speaking of which, I just added this to my TBR list:
The Dark Zone: A Galahad Book. A space opera with a multiracial cast. How cool is THAT?

Okay, I just finished one of the books listed on Miss A's blog, and LOVED IT! Again, this is what I'm looking for and what YA readers of all ages really want. Enough with the heavy social-treatise stuff. More outrageousness and fun and self-confidence. I'm still working on my review, but when I've done, I'll post the link here. I will warn that it's not a book for young teens, but I wouldn't have an issue with a 15 year-old and up reading it. On the other hand, just for the self-esteem and friendship factors are a good lesson for all ages.

As promised, my review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

This is a very interesting conversation, I agree.

One thing we haven't touched on is Melina Marchetta and no conversation is complete without her. I really enjoyed how she uses the Italian/Australian issues in her novels, especially & . I think these books demonstrate how ethnicity/identity/race can play into a story without taking over the story. Being Italian and everything that goes with it is part of these stories, but there's so much more to it than that.

I will also say these books broadened my perspective on discrimination and made me realize how many different faces this problem takes all over the world. In the US you tend to think it related mainly to the history of slavery, civil rights, immigration, etc. But these problems are not unique to us.

Being a HUGE Jane Austen fan, I was absolutely thrilled to see a Pride and Prejudice retelling featuring characters of color...with NO cover-fail (yay):

Way back in elementary school, the school librarian (whose name I wish I could remember because she was so awesome)knew I was totally into Ancient Egypt and would always save books for me on the subject. One day she couldn't keep this huge smile off her face as she handed me , which I proceeded to devour right then and there. It was such an amazing story and moreover, two of the characters--Melanie and Marshall--looked like me. And Melanie was a black girl who loved Ancient Egypt just as much as I did. I wanted to start my own Egypt Game! It was also one of the few books that reflected my reality, being around kids of other colors and making friends and how it was no big deal. The fact that back in the 70's someone wrote what would probably be a 'risky' children's novel says a lot to me as an adult. The publishers weren't even afraid to put all the characters on the cover--try that nowadays, LOL.

Cassi (is secretly listening to Heidi SHHH) wrote: "One thing we haven't touched on is Melina Marchetta and no conversation is complete without her. I really enjoyed how she uses the Italian/Austra..."
Ooh, I'd heard of Looking for Alibrandi but didn't realize those were the themes... now I'm even more intrigued to read it!