Young Adult Literature, Libraries, and Conservative Activism

(Hardback)

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This incisive study analyzes young adult (YA) literature as a cultural phenomenon, explaining why this explosion of books written for and marketed to teen readers has important consequences for how we understand reading in America. As visible and volatile shorthand for competing views of teen reading, YA literature has become a lightning rod for a variety of aesthetic, pedagogical, and popular literature controversies. Noted scholar Loretta Gaffney not only examines how YA literature is defended and critiqued within the context of rapid cultural and technological changes, but also highlights how struggles about teen reading matter toand matter inthe future of librarianship and education. The work bridges divides between literary criticism, professional practices, canon building, literature appreciation, genre classifications and recommendations, standard histories, and commentary. It will be useful in YA literature course settings in Library and Information Science, Education, and English departments. It will also be of interest to those who study right wing culture and movements in media studies, cultural studies, American studies, sociology, political science, and history. It is of additional interest to those who study print culture, publishing and the book, histories of teenagers, and research on teen reading. Finally, it will offer those interested in teenagers, literature, libraries, technology, and politics a fresh way to look at book challenges and controversies over YA literature.

Reviews

Independent scholar Gaffney looks at how teachers, librarians, and literary critics have engaged with complex issues and the various censorship challenges surrounding teen reading and literature. Acknowledging young adult literature's great impact on the field of conservative activism, the author deftly analyzes how history and critical viewpoints have shaped these conversations. Delving into complex topics that pit aesthetics against reading for pleasure or instruction, Gaffney offers an analysis of how a professional view of readers' needs influences one's whole approach to books. The commentary provides insight into the myriad conversations among proponents of social movements and political perspectives that are shaping the field, and emphasizes how young adult literature is a cultural force that not only shapes the lives of readers but also defines the way librarians and teachers go about their work. Strongly connecting with the classics in the fieldMargaret Edwards, Michael Cart, Alleen Nilson, Kenneth Donnelson, and othersGaffney's vision of why teen reading matters is engaging and thoughtfully presented, and she takes the conversation about young-adult literature to thought-provoking new heights. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates through professionals/practitioners. * CHOICE *
Gaffney, a former school librarian who teaches on topics such as intellectual freedom and youth services librarianship, takes a broad look at YA literature, examining its history, its readership, censorship, and more. Structured as a series of essays, with subheadings that help avoid the textbooklike monotony of a typical reference work, this title will be extremely helpful to library school students and first-time young adult librarians. Librarians who have been interacting with teenagers for years will find the later sectionssuch as those dealing with the pro-family movement, which has called out novels with sexual or fantastical themes as offensive or even pornographicparticularly relevant and insightful. Gaffney provides numerous examples of materials that have been challenged, including the often contentious Harry Potter series, and instances of how different libraries have dealt with book challenges. [T]he text issuccinct and generally avoids overly academic language. VERDICT A highly recommended volume for library professionals who work with or are thinking about working with young adults. * School Library Journal *
This book would be useful not only to youth librarians but also to any professionals interested in young adult literature, especially those who work with young adults themselves. While Gaffney advocates on the side of the supporters of this literature, rather than scorning and dismissing critics concerns she outlines them and responds with constructive and insightful comments. This is not just a defense of youth literature; it is a call to examine more critically the way in which we think and write about its novels and readers. One of the most significant things that this book does, however, is to take teen readers themselves into account. * Children's Literature Association Quarterly *
Gaffney's new book is substantive contribution to the scholarship of Young Adult literature, acting as an overviewof not onlyYoung Adult literature but ofYoung Adultlibrary services. Her synthesisof the underlying issues that affect boththe aesthetics of the literature as well as the practicalities of service takes a cohesive approach that makes this an exceptional choice for a classroomtext as well assolid grounding for further research. -- Janice M. Del Negro, Associate Professor, GSLIS/Dominican University
Excellent in both style and substance, Gaffneys wise and insightful book dares to disturb the universe of conservative library activism and the politics of reading. In its exemplary scholarship and accessibility, it is an indispensable contribution to the literature of and about young adult literature and libraries. -- Michael Cart, author of Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism
Providing guidance on how to read, teach, and understand the cultural landscape of young adult literature (YAL), Loretta Gaffney has written a necessary book for librarians and educators today. A timely look at the strategies for understanding YAL and its surrounding criticism, Gaffneys book explores both the contexts YAL literature and the discourse and cultural practices around it. At its heart, Young Adult Literature, Libraries, and Conservative Activism is engaged in a conversation about the politics of literature, the role of activism, and the continually evolving responsibilities of librarians today. -- Antero Garcia, Assistant Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Education

Author Bio

Loretta M. Gaffney has taught courses on intellectual freedom, reading research, young adult literature, and youth services librarianship for nearly a decade. A former middle school librarian at the University of Chicago Lab Schools, she defended her dissertation, "Intellectual Freedom and the Politics of Reading" in 2012. Loretta's current research projects include the politics of young adult literature, Common Core, and school librarians knowledge. She lives and works in Los Angeles.