Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Pytash: Jago, Chapter 1
The biggest thing that struck me was the opposite view of young adult literature that is presented in the book, as opposed to some of our other books and lectures. Not that it is a negative view or anything; Jago just believes we shouldn't really teach young adult lit in the classroom (or at least be not the only thing we teach) because these books are not truly literature, at least in the sense we think of with classics. I do agree with this, to some extent. Obviously, there is a reason we teach the classics. They are tried and true, these books have some value and can impact us as people, not just as readers. But I think there is value for reading young adult lit too, not just what Jago mentions. She acknowledges the pleasure reading value and how it can mirror the students' lives. But I think there could also be academic value for reading "Say the Word" or "Speak" or "The Hunger Games" or so on. I don't think it should be the only thing we teach, but Y.A. lit can deal with prevalent issues that are also apparent in classics. It's just that the Y.A. lit is more accessible. If we are only using Y.A. lit to help students so that they don't fall behind, then yes we are missing the point of young adult lit and how it can help our students. But I believe there is some merit there.
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I, too, was surprised by her opposition of young adult literature. After reading Kyleene Beers book last semester, I was set on teaching a lot of YA lit. It was interesting to see both sides of the spectrum. Some classics are great and can teach just as well as YA lit, but I think some YA lit would relate to students lives better today. It's really an opinion based decisions and what you feel more comfortable with in your classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statements about Y.A. lit but I feel as though she wants deeper reading to take place in the classroom. I noticed that she mentioned screening Y.A. lit to make sure it was what 'educated' young people should read. I know I've read empty Y.A. books that don't confront much so I can see where she's coming from. I don't think she doesn't support it I think she's just picky about it. All in all, Beth is right, it's really all about what each teacher thinks.
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