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Williams, Deborah Lindsay,

The necessity of young adult fiction / Deborah Lindsay Williams. - Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, [2023] - viii, 139 pages; 20 cm - The literary agenda .

Includes bibliographical references (pages 127-133) and index.

Introduction: Why "kids' books:?" -- Children of the book -- Loving the monsters -- Making bridges -- Reading Harry Potter in Abu Dhabi -- Conclusion.

The Necessity of Young Adult Fiction argues that YA fiction helps us to think about some of the most pressing problems of the twenty-first century by offering imaginative reconceptualizations about identity, nation, family, and the human relationship to the planet. Using examples from YA fiction that range from the Harry Potter series to Nnedi Okorafor's trilogy set in contemporary Nigeria, this book argues that the cultural work of YA fiction shapes readers' perceptions, making them receptive to -- and invested in -- the possibility of positive social change. The novels examined could all be considered "fantastical," but they offer insights into the real world that all readers -- and particularly young adult readers -- might draw on in order to reimagine social structures and the well-being of the planet. The book is designed to bring readers into the conversation about how we might create cosmopolitan societies that are shaped around conversation and engagement rather than fear and isolation. Each of these novels, in different ways, illustrate the dangers inherent in fundamentalists visions of the world. Through its discussions about the relationships between reading and citizenship, monsters and families, the local and the global, The Necessity of Young Adult Fiction demonstrates that YA fiction is doing some of the most important and creative work in literature today.

ISBN: 9780192848970 0192848976

Nat. Bib. No.: GBC312242 bnb

Nat. Bib. Agency Control No.: 020930162 Uk

Subjects--Topical Terms:
Young adults fiction--History and criticism.
Civics in literature.
Climatic changes in literature.

Index Terms--Genre/Form:
Criticism, interpretation, etc.

LC Class. No.: PN3443 / .N43 2023

Dewey Class. No.: 809.300835