This study uses content analysis to examine the portrayal of eating disorders in young adult novels published from 1981-2005. Fifteen books were evaluated to determine if the portrayal of eating disorders was accurate according to documented psychological profiles of the causes and risk factors for eating disorders. Additionally, the books were evaluated to see if the portrayal of eating disorders over time had changed to correspond with evolving information on eating disorders. This study concludes that while eating disorders are being portrayed accurately and realistically in young adult literature, there is no change in the portrayals over time to complement evolving research on the risk factors and causes of eating disorders.

<p> </p> <p>Young Adult (YA) literature is a subject that is often unclear. There is no clear definition</p> <p>of what YA literature is. However, most YA literature has several things in common. First, it</p> <p>includes characters between the ages of 12 and 25. Second, it fits into the publication genre of</p> <p>YA literature. Third, it features diverse characters experiencing themes surrounding identity. It is</p> <p>this theme of identity on which this essay focuses. Narrowed down to the subject of narrative</p> <p>identity, we look at how the events of someone’s life makes up their personality and the</p> <p>correlation between narrative identity and YA literature. Narrative identity can be seen within</p> <p>novels, and it is also impacted by the stories we read. The text <em>Illuminae</em> by Jay Kristoff and</p> <p>Amie Kauffman is used to further examine this framework, alongside frameworks of</p> <p>posthumanism and technology. The ideas of technology, narrative identity, and YA literature are</p> <p>all combined in a representative assignment that is a podcast. This podcast assignment asks</p> <p>students to examine these intersections utilizing technology, and to use multimodality to</p> <p>communicate their findings. The essay concludes by discussing possible pitfalls, such as political</p> <p>climate, breadth of topics, and student preconceptions. However, it is concluded that YA is a</p> <p>vital part of literature and society that allows for an empathetic approach to how we interact with</p> <p>one another.</p>

Mythology is an integral part of literature and an important cornerstone in a student's education. However, mythology itself is an extremely broad topic that encompasses the myths of a number of cultures. In the Language Arts classroom, students are introduced to Greek mythology in middle school; in the state of Florida as early as sixth grade per the Sunshine State Standards. However, students might find difficulty connecting to Greek literature difficult due to issues of: voice, prose and an inability to see the relevance behind the study of Greek mythology. In addition, the immensity of Greek mythology makes it difficult to select what pieces to teach and what to omit, but as Roy Thomas, the author of this version of the Marvel Comic's adaptation states "[e]very generation should have its own translation of The Iliad, one that speaks to it in its own special way'' (p. iii). The purpose of this study is to conduct a content analysis of a graphic novel version of The Iliad by Homer, with the intent of identifying the benefits of using alternative versions of classic literature within the Language Arts or Reading classroom, specifically the graphic novel. In hopes of demystifying the negative stigma with which comics, and graphic novels by extension, this thesis will study the attributed of this graphic novel and ultimately provide educators insight into a medium that has the potential to engage students in a multiple modes.

Stephenie Meyer's series Twilight has swept the nation and the world. Everywhere you go, the names Edward and Bella seem to have punctured the vernacular. People are obsessed with the characters, the movie, the actors, and the author. Mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters all around the world are reading the series. The first Twilight novel has been in the top 100 bestsellers list on Amazon.com for 735 days (Amazon.com, 2009). The four book series has been on the New York Times Best Sellers list for 121 weeks as of December 4, 2009 (NY times.com, 2009). The book has also been translated into 20 different languages ("Bio", n.d.). The Twilight movie premiered in November 2008 at number one, bringing in 70 million dollars during its opening weekend ("Bio", n.d.). But one just has to walk into a bookstore or even Wal-Mart with their giant book and memorabilia displays to understand the Twilight phenomenon. This study considers how this young adult novel can be transformed into a learning opportunity for secondary students. The study explores in-depth the use of young adult novels in the classroom and their ability to teach students various concepts. The main focus of this research is Twilight and how it can be used in the classroom to teach canonical literary elements such as symbolism and author's purpose.

Young adult literature is a genre of literature that is often overlooked. Adolescents would greatly benefit from reading young adult novels, academically and also for enjoyment. Educators are not using young adult literature as often as they should in the classrooms as a tool, due to strict curricula. However, young adult literature is a perfect tool for aiding with comprehension of the classic works. Pairing certain young adult books with classics would help adolescents understand the classic novel, but also assist in intriguing the student enough to pick up both books. After an online survey given to nine Seminole County school English or Reading teachers, I found that high school teachers today do feel as though young adult literature would benefit the students greatly.

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Standards of female beauty have long been a source of debate within Western society. Determining who dictates these standards of beauty and how these standards inform individual value seemingly become more and more determined by the individuals themselves, yet there remains a high value placed on white, thin and cisgender females. This standard, although increasingly challenged remains the default for beauty in our society and within our literary culture. This thesis works to expose two modern Young Adult texts, John Green’s An Abundance of Katherines and Laura Ruby’s Bone Gap, for the ways in which they continue to reinforce these standards of beauty in women. While presenting challenges to these stereotypes, the standards set out in these texts ultimately portray women as defined and controlled by men. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Allow me to introduce you to AN ELEPHANT'S STANDING IN THERE, a whimsical story about an elephant standing in a little boy's bedroom that I wrote for my children many years ago. Though my kids have grown up themselves, I've held on to this tale because of the wonderful memories my family and I shared while reading it together. After stumbling back onto the story roughly a year ago while going through some old things, an idea popped into my head. My daughter, a lovely young lady named Kody, had heard this story many times when she was a young girl. She had also developed an exceptional talent for illustration. I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be fun if Kody illustrated our story for other families to share?" And that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what we've done. From my family to yours, we sincerely hope you enjoy AN ELEPHANT'S STANDING IN THERE, the first in what Kody and I hope will be a long series of stories for children. --Scott / https://dc.etsu.edu/alumni_books/1030/thumbnail.jpg

Young Adult (YA) literature is widely read and published, yet few linguistic studies have researched it. With an increasing push to include YA texts in the classroom, it becomes necessary to thoroughly research the linguistic nature of the register. A 1-million-word corpus of YA fiction and non-fiction texts was created. Children's and adult fiction corpora were taken from a subset of the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) database. The study noted differences in use of modals and pronouns among children's, YA, and adult registers. Previous research has suggested that children's literature focus more on spatial relations, while adult literature focuses on temporal relationships. However, the results of this study were unable to verify such relationships. The study also found that YA varied from children's and adult literature in regards to expletives, body part words, and familial relationships. The findings of this study suggest that YA is linguistically distinct from children's and adult. This indicates that future studies should focus more on target audience age. These results could also be applied to L1 reading pedagogy.

The novel Bifocal, a fictional young adult novel that examines the racist backlash that occurs at a high school after a male Muslim student is arrested on terrorism charges, was published in 2007 and has received wide critical acclaim for its portrayal of issues of racism. Working from an anti-racist framework, this research interviews two teachers who have used the novel in their classrooms, and considers the value and limitations of the book as an anti-racist teaching tool. Through discussions about specific themes in the novel and its overall presentation of racism, I argue that, while Bifocal presents some useful interventions, it also reflects a simplistic and individualistic perspective on racism and how racism can be addressed. I also examine the ways that Bifocal – and young adult literature in general – can be read in order to encourage more critical discussions about systems of racism and privilege.