Adult Literature Research Articles

Exploring Queer Identity and Supernatural Realities in Katrina Leno's Summer of Salt and Sometime in Summer: A Comparative Analysis of Coming-of-Age and Magical Realism

This study examines the representation of queer identities in two popular young adult novels, “Summer of Salt” and Sometime in Summer, both authored by Katrina Leno. Utilising a queer theoretical framework, the analysis explores the use of coming-of-age narratives and elements of magical realism to create complex queer characters, mainly focusing on Felicity and Julep from Summer of Salt and Aiden from Sometime in Summer. The nuanced and complex experiences of these characters, as portrayed by Leno, are closely examined, with a particular focus on using magical realism as a genre to explore alternative realities and challenge established norms. The significance of young adult literature in reflecting and influencing the awareness of LGBTQ+ adolescents is also explored, with recognition of the decisive role that novels like these can play in cultivating a deeper understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. The broader implications of Leno's work are analysed, emphasising its literary and cultural significance. The novels are placed within the context of the queer literary tradition and social advocacy, underscoring the importance of including diverse and authentic queer voices in young adult literature. Overall, this study highlights the significance of Leno's work in the ongoing discussion surrounding LGBTQ+ presence in the young adult genre, underscoring the need for continued efforts to promote understanding and acceptance of the diverse experiences of queer individuals.

Translating and Creating New Discourses for Children in Argentina: Explorations around the Enunciator’s Communicative Image in the Writings of María Elena Walsh and Elsa Bornemann

This article aims to explore the construction of a common enunciative identity in a set of paratexts belonging to a corpus of works that contain texts translated by María Elena Walsh and Elsa Bornemann, namely La nube traicionera (published by Sudamericana in 1989) and Antología del cuento infantil (published by Editorial Latina in 1977). From a methodological framework that considers situations of enunciation and communication, as proposed by Maingueneau, I will attempt to demonstrate that the discursive manifestations found in this corpus reinforce author-translators’ positioning as part of a groundbreaking literary-discursive tradition in Argentina. This literary and discursive disposition is characterised, among other things, by political commitment and a poetics that proposes novel, unprejudiced ways of looking at the world, far removed from indoctrination in all its shapes and forms. To complement this exploration, I will also venture towards a characterisation of the communicative identity of the enunciator, which ultimately constitutes the translator’s ethos (Spoturno), as a relevant aspect for theorisations of Translation Studies in the field of children’s and young adult literature.

Revisión sistemática de la producción científica de conocimientos en didáctica de la literatura / Systematic review of the scientific production of knowledge in literature didactics

Literature didactics developed some research production lines that show its importance as a study field. This article's objectives are to analyze the scientific production on this topic and to know its research trends using two Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) databases. A descriptive bibliometric study of longitudinal cut and scientific mapping was carried out on 449 articles and a content analysis on 101 open access publications to analyze the knowledge base's evolution literature didactics. The results show a consolidated over thirty years disciplinary area, highlighting exponential growth of research between 2012 and 2021. All continents, but mostly Europe and specifically Spain, presented the highest scientific production rates and greater numbers of researchers and co-authorships. Regarding the research trends, firstly, research on the "Literary Corpus" predominates, especially on children's and young adult literature (LIJ); and secondly, research on "Teaching Practices" that account for various didactic itineraries of reading and writing effectively used in the classroom.

Inappropriate Pediatric Orthopaedic Emergency Department Transfers: A Burden on the Health Care System.

Though the importance of level 1 pediatric trauma has repeatedly been shown to lessen both morbidity and mortality in critically injured children, these same tertiary referral centers also receive numerous transfers of patients with less severe injuries. This not only leads to increased costs and use of limited facility resources but, oftentimes, frustration and unnecessary expense to those families for whom transfer was avoidable. Prior work has demonstrated that half of all inappropriate pediatric interfacility transfers are due to orthopedic injuries. This study aims to evaluate the incidence of inappropriate transfers of pediatric patients with isolated orthopedic injuries to a pediatric level 1 trauma center and identify factors associated with such transfers. All patients transferred to a large metropolitan level 1 pediatric trauma center for isolated orthopedic injuries over a 6-year period were retrospectively evaluated. Medical records were reviewed for demographic and injury data, including age, gender, race, social deprivation index, insurance status, location of transferring institution, timing of transfer, and availability of orthopedic on-call coverage at transferring institution. The transfer was deemed to be appropriate if the patient required a sedated reduction, was admitted to the hospital, or was taken to the operating room within 24 hours of transfer. Regression analysis was reviewed for each of the demographic, patient, and transfer characteristics in an attempt to isolate those associated with inappropriate transfer. In all, 437 transfers occurred during the study period. Of these, 112 (26%) were deemed inappropriate. 4% of patients transferred for orthopedic injuries did not receive an orthopedic consult following the transfer. Non-white patients were more likely than white patients to be transferred inappropriately (34.01% vs. 21.58%, P=0.009 ). No other demographic characteristic was predictive of inappropriate transfer. There was no difference in the rate of appropriate transfer between patients with private insurance versus government-funded, self-paying, or uninsured patients. The timing of transfer (night vs. day and weekday vs. weekend) did not affect the appropriateness of transfer. Facilities with orthopaedic on-call coverage were more likely to inappropriately transfer patients than those without (26.6% vs. 23.4%, P<0.001 ). A quarter of patients transferred for isolated orthopaedic injuries were inappropriately transferred. Unlike studies published in adult literature, the timing of transfer (overnight and weekend) and the insurance status of the patient did not appear to play a role in the appropriateness of transfer. Inappropriate and unnecessary trauma transfers create a significant burden on tertiary referral centers. Raising awareness of the high incidence of unnecessary transfers coupled with enhanced education of outside emergency medicine providers may result in better stewardship of health care resources, limit delays in patient care, and reduce strain on both the health care delivery system and the families of injured children. Level III-Therapeutic Study.

Meyer, Abbye E. &lt;i&gt;From Wallflowers to Bulletproof Families: The Power of Disability in Young Adult&lt;/i&gt; &lt;i&gt;Narratives&lt;/i&gt;. UP of Mississippi, 2022. 204 pages. ISBN: 9781496837585

A common observation in disability studies is that historically, disability has been a unifying marginalisation—the one intersection from which other identities hope for distance or even escape (Mitchell &amp; Snyder 3; Davis 277). Problem novels, often dismissed as an inevitable but undesired aspect of adolescent literature (Miskec &amp; McGee 164), occupy a similar space in studies of youth literature. These texts are often considered representative of young adult literature by those outside of children’s literature studies and are often treated defensively by those of us within it as a stereotype the field must overcome. There is, however, very little scholarship explicitly on problem novels. Abbye E. Meyer’s work, From Wallflowers to Bulletproof Families: The Power of Disability in Young Adult Narratives, offers a new defence and reinterpretation of the problem novel as she asks readers to consider these significant gaps in the literature: “the ways in which disability and young adult literature interact” and “the kinds of power these interactions produce” (12). As an analysis of American representations of disability and adolescence, Meyer’s work is often compelling, especially in its recontextualization of “exemplary” didacticism (Meyer 96). While I do question the conflation of adolescence as disabling in early chapters as potentially overly diagnostic and easily misread (and as a non-American reader I lament the limitations in attributing the “young adult voice” (16) so squarely to Holden Caufield and Esther Greenwood), Meyer’s work is an important contribution to both literary and disability studies as we continue to engage on topics of representation, voice, and crip power.

“Well, That’s What She Gets…”: Black Teenage Girls’ Sexual and Reproductive Choice in Young Adult Literature

Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) this article explores the discourse around Black girl sexuality, teenage pregnancy, and teenage motherhood as depicted within Black authored young adult literature.

Introducing Bibliometric Analysis: A Methodological Tutorial Using Adult Online Learning Motivation Literature (2000-2022)

ABSTRACT This paper introduces an innovative and robust methodology for bibliometric analyses, utilizing the adult online learning motivation literature from 2000 to 2022 as its exemplar. Capitalizing on this comprehensive dataset, the methodology adeptly identifies emerging research trends, influential contributors, and thematic interconnections. The United States emerges as a dominant research contributor, and “Computers & Education” is spotlighted as an influential journal shaping discourse. From an overarching perspective, the study delves into the multifaceted dynamics of the field, spotlighting the rise of themes such as Self-Directed/Self-Regulated Learning (SDL), Transformative Learning (TL), gamification, and the profound influence of global events like the COVID-19 pandemic on online learning trajectories. However, the manuscript’s central value lies in its methodological prowess, offering scholars a blueprint to rigorously interpret and dissect voluminous literatures across varied academic terrains.

“It Was a Real Eye-Opener”

The school environment can be challenging for young people experiencing mental health concerns to express their individuality and feel accepted. There has been an increased focus on wellbeing in school-aged children, with programs targeted to building resilience and promoting inclusion. However, peer stigmatization lowers personal wellbeing by limiting social belongingness in young people with mental health concerns and this is often exacerbated by poor mental health literacy. This paper is based on a doctoral study that used a grounded theory methodology to explore adolescent responses to a novel featuring mental health concerns as a class text. This research showed that students prefer contemporary young adult novels in the English classroom to support mental health literacy due to its contemporaneity and relatability. This paper links these benefits with the role of teacher librarians in recommending young adult literature featuring mental health concerns for use in the English curriculum.

“You have to survive”: Reading trauma, survival, and adolescent resilience in N.H. Senzai’s contemporary young adult war narrative, Escape from Aleppo

ABSTRACT In recent years, millions of Syrians – one-third of them under the age of 18 – have sought refuge in neighbouring and far-off regions. This article explores the representations of the impact of trauma on young people and their prospects for healing in N.H. Senzai’s 2018 young adult novel, Escape from Aleppo. Recent scholarship on decolonizing trauma studies urges approaches that incorporate aspects of recuperation and resilience, focusing on the possibility of post-traumatic growth and healing. Situated at the intersection of trauma studies and young adult literature, this article examines the post-traumatic growth of Senzai’s young protagonist through negotiations with history that foster resilience and help Syrians to cope with distress. Representing survival through the conventions of the young adult genre, the novel balances two extremes – suffering and hopefulness – and provides an alternative response to trauma that highlights emotional growth through localized systems of knowledge available to young survivors.

International LGBTQ+ Literature for Children and Young Adults ed. by B. J. Epstein and Elizabeth L. Chapman (review)

International LGBTQ+ Literature for Children and Young Adults ed. by B. J. Epstein and Elizabeth L. Chapman (review)

Reading Young Adult Literature in the EFL Classroom and Beyond

Reading Young Adult Literature in the EFL Classroom and Beyond

(NE)KANONSKA ČITANJA: SAVREMENE TEORIJSKE KONTROVERZE I PROUČAVANJE ROMANA ZA DECU I MLADE U ČASOPISU DETINJSTVO (2000–2020)

The paper illuminates some aspects of the influence of the literary canon debate on the institutionalization of specific theoretical approaches in the interpretation of children’s novels. This genre, as evidenced by many thematic issues of the journal Childhood in the first de- cades of the twenty-first century, provides fertile ground for the institutional legitimization of literary theories whose postulates imply a demand for challenging or re- forming the canon, such as cultural Marxist, gender, postcolonial, and other readings that dominantly rely on the category of individual and collective identity. In this research, the role of the Childhood journal in the academic institutionalization of these methodologies is analyzed within the context of a specific paradox. The study of children’s and young adult literature has proven to be a favorable environment for non-canonical and anti-canonical readings, although the entry of these explorations into the academic framework is undeniably marked by a struggle for legitimacy and status of the subject of study. In simpler terms, while inviting to challenge the literary canon, the theory of children’s literature requested the authority for children’s and YA literature similar to that of the literary canon for adults. The aim of the paper is to describe the literary-theoretical paradigms on which the study of novels for children and young adults in the journal Childhood relies, using the major currents of literary theory on a global scale as a reference-comparative framework.

Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism, Fourth Edition

Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism, Fourth Edition

Columns: Telescopes: Possibilities in Yal: “Liberating Futures” through the Eyes of Diverse YAL Authors

The column editor describes how this column will highlight diverse young adult literature authors in future issues.

ДЕТИ «БОЛЬШИЕ» И «МАЛЫЕ»: «ДЕТСКИЙ» ФЕЛЬЕТОН ВАСИЛИЯ СЛЕПЦОВА В КОНТЕКСТЕ ПОЛЕМИКИ О ДЕТСКОЙ ЛИТЕРАТУРЕ И ВОСПИТАНИИ 1860-Х ГОДОВ

The article analyzes Vasily Sleptsov’s feuilleton A Spring Walk with Children Along the Streets of Saint Petersburg (1863), part of the Petersburg Notes cycle. Addressed to progressive youth of the 1860s, the feuilleton is seen here as evidence of ongoing public debate about the role of childhood in shaping man and citizen, as it seeks to find the most appropriate way to write for and about children in a changing socio-political environment. The study examines the uniqueness of Sleptsov’s literary form. On the one hand, it could be described as a feuilleton; on the other hand, it reveals signs of various genres of children’s educational literature. This use of a genealogically complex form may indicate similarities in rhetorical strategies employed by writers and educators in discussions about younger generations, whether they be children or young adults. It is also suggested that in the 1860s, children’s literature and childhood discourse were influenced not only by literature for adult readers but also by the tradition of critical reflection. Sleptsov’s feuilleton can be considered an example of reverse genre transfer, as it explicitly demonstrates how narrative forms adapted by children’s literature influence adult literature.

Are You Mad? – Young Adult Literature, Mental Illness and the 'Mad Genius' in the EFL Classroom

Are You Mad? – Young Adult Literature, Mental Illness and the 'Mad Genius' in the EFL Classroom

Realidade virtual, literatura e educação: narrativas imersivas para crianças e jovens

ABSTRACT In this article, we discuss the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies for the creation and adaptation of stories aimed at children and young adult, focusing on the specificities of their usage protocols. We begin by introducing narratives in VR and their connection to the field of children and young adult literature. Subsequently, 360º videos targeted at children and young people are presented, along with the reading and engagement protocols that arise from their peculiarities. Starting from the field of Cinematic Virtual Reality (CVR), we discuss about the main challenges posed by this medium for the enjoyment of immersive works, based on the analysis of the work Invasion!, produced by the Baobab studio. Thus, we conclude that both the production and reception of narratives in Virtual Reality presuppose the management of the viewer’s vision and attentional focus, considering the reading protocols already learned and naturalized through other media.

Removing Barriers to Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Fiction with Preservice Teachers

This comprehensive mixed-methods study sought to investigate the impact of integrating contemporary Young Adult (YA) literature into an introductory-level special education survey course. The primary objectives were to assess whether this integration led to significant improvements in both academic cognitive knowledge and empathetic knowledge regarding individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study involved 135 undergraduate students enrolled in this course between fall of 2016 and spring of 2020. To gauge the effects of YA literature on their perceptions and insights, participants were required to complete a questionnaire containing four open-ended questions. These responses were subjected to a rigorous analysis employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. Additionally, participants were asked to provide feedback through a student satisfaction survey, which was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. The findings of this research provide compelling evidence that the integration of YA realistic fiction into the college classroom significantly enhances students’ academic cognitive knowledge and fosters a deeper empathetic understanding of individuals with ASD.

Selecting and Teaching Young Adult Literature Through Black Historical Consciousness Principles

Selecting and Teaching Young Adult Literature Through Black Historical Consciousness Principles

How Young Adult Literature Gets Taught: A review of a pedagogical manual for teacher educators, secondary teachers, and librarians

AbstractHow Young Adult Literature Gets Taught: Perspectives, Ideologies, and Pedagogical Approaches for Instruction and Assessment (Bickmore et al., 2022) seeks to provide guidelines for teacher educators and secondary English teachers on how to teach young adult literature (YAL). This 15‐chapter manual includes chapters written by experts in YAL (including higher ed professionals, a high school English teacher, and a librarian), which offer resources for teaching YAL based around various theoretical frameworks and include detailed reading lists, guided discussion questions, and more.