Three young adult novels published in 1983 or 1984 that are worthy of a place in the literature curriculum are discussed. These books have a special appeal to adolescents, deal with problems students might encounter growing up, expand their self-awareness and their experiences, and are teachable. They contain balanced, recognizable, and discernible themes, a challenging but not formidable vocabulary, and literary devices for discussion such as symbol, paradox, point of view, and style. The first book is "The Sign of Beaver," by Elizabeth George Speare, the story of a young boy's survival alone and his relationship with the Indians in eighteenth century Maine. The second is "The Callender Papers," by Cynthia Voigt. This is a mystery suspense story about a young girl who is employed to sort through the Callender family papers and who discovers a suspicious death, a kidnapping, and an altered will. The final book is Robert Cormier's "The Bumblebee Flies Anyway," about a boy in an experimental hospital ward for terminally ill boys. While a fine book, it may pose problems for the public, and teachers will likely have to point out to students that the patients are in the facility willingly. However, dealing with the story's paradoxes and symbols will be a rewarding and uplifting challenge. (HTH)