In Karen McManus's first three young adult novels--"One of Us is Lying" (2017), "One of Us is Next" (2020), and "Two Can Keep a Secret" (2019)--dead teen bodies are literary cyphers around which adolescent characters learn to navigate intersectional injustices. McManus fulfills John Charles belief that all…

Against a backdrop of legislation aimed at classroom book bannings and efforts to whitewash curriculum, this article draws from interviews with the winners of the 2022 International Literacy Association's Social Justice Literature Award winners to offer hope and inspiration for literacy teachers, researchers, and most importantly, young readers.…

The work of the French illustrator and writer Gilles Bachelet has been recognised through numerous awards, but he is not yet sufficiently well known in the critical community. In this article, the multilevel humour that constructs his work is studied, both from an iconic and a textual perspective, as well as the situational humour and the humour…

The Whippoorwill Award aims to bring attention to the theme of rural spaces and people in the larger genre of young adult literature. This award annually recognizes the best books for the middle grades and young adult readers that portray the value of rural spaces, knowledge, people, and cultures. The Whippoorwill Award is intended to be a…

This qualitative study examines the consequential evasive discourse moves 23 PSTs made during critical conversations about a young adult novel. Findings illustrated how PSTs engaged in a constellation of discourse moves--what we've theorized as "shielding"--that disrupted PSTs' critical engagement with sociopolitical content and…

Scholars from various disciplines have theorized a relationship between reading fiction and empathy. Research in cognitive studies suggests that understanding fiction requires Theory of Mind, or the cognitive ability to understand the feelings and motivations of others. Some studies build on this research to suggest reading fiction helps to…

Since its conception, the "Harry Potter" franchise has become a cultural phenomenon which transgresses national borders. As many "Potter" fans struggle with how to manage their fandom in the face of author J.K. Rowling's transphobic stance, the book series may ironically and more specifically be used to improve attitudes toward…

"How 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…

Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, only 23 Queer literary works have been published for children and adolescents in Hebrew. This paper examines the characteristics of these works in light of the ambivalent and controversial status of the LGBTQ+ community in Israel. The findings show that the few works that have been published…

Recent biological research (Trewavas, 2003; Mancuso & Viola, 2013; Gagliano, 2018) has (re)demonstrated the variety and complexity of the adaptive behaviour of plants. In parallel with these findings, and in acknowledgement of the important role played by plants in the biosphere and climate of the planet, the representation of plants in…

Linda Zagzebski's theory of moral exemplarity emphasizes the importance of admiration in developing ethical behavior. This essay argues that admiration involves wonder and distance and is best evoked by mixed or flawed characters; it demonstrates this through discussion of the characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and…

This article offers a way to leverage young adult literature in guiding students to consider the meanings of continuity and change within their own development. Borrowing theories of change from the evolutionary sciences, we developed a critical lens focusing on the role of technology in young adult literature. Based on a comprehensive review of…

While child abuse and neglect have been explored at length, less attention has been paid to the role of contemporary realist Young Adult Literature (YAL) in denouncing abusive treatments of young people in conjunction with adultism. It is hereby suggested that age inequality is at the core of youth maltreatment, and it is this intersectionality…

This ethnographic study interrogates youth understandings of the concept of "monstrosity" as presented in young adult speculative fiction novels and as it pertains to contemporary U.S. politics. The monster is a popular figure in fiction for adolescents, and it often serves a metaphorical political function within its narratives. This…

Recent political excursions into classroom text selections by local and national politicians and pundits have made teaching canonical texts more appealing to many school districts and teachers. In this study, we used conceptions of Derridean hospitality alongside monster theory to examine what common canonical texts teach students about who is…