Ruth Graham Article Response

 I am well aware that readers have preferences. Some prefer to read specific genres and in different mediums and others do not read at all. However, Ruth Graham scrutinizes the reading of Young Adult literature by adults because she claims it is too juvenile for adult readers. That is her opinion but I believe that she neglects to think about adults, like teachers that read YA with a purpose in mind. 

 "But even the myriad defenders of YA fiction admit that the enjoyment of reading this stuff has to do with escapism, instant gratification, and nostalgia" (Graham 2014).

  I would have liked to see some evidence from the defenders of YA fiction, because her lack of it demerits her argument. On the other hand, I do agree with her that YA provides the opportunity for adults AND our STUDENTS to escape into other worlds. Isn't that the purpose of reading no matter the age? As an adult that reads YA I read in order to escape into the worlds of my students so that I can engage my students with deeper conversations about a text.

  This article names a few of the YA books that have become block buster movies and tries to discredit the quality of writing. Graham states,"These are the books, like The Fault in Our Stars, that are about real teens doing real things, and that rise and fall not only on the strength of their stories but, theoretically, on the quality of their writing. These are the books that could plausibly be said to be replacing literary fiction in the lives of their adult readers. And that’s a shame" (Graham 2014). Although, I myself have not read The Fault in Our Stars I disagree with her argument that YA falls short in the quality of writing. Yes, the language and topics that are used in YA books is meant for young readers. However, if you are reading with purpose the complexity is still there. This reigns true in many of the current titles that are coming out today in the YA genre. For example, Buried Beneath the Baobob Tree by Vivianna Mazza is a text that deals with real world issues that are complex. The narrator is a young girl from Nigeria but her thoughts help us sympathize with the terrible situation that she is in and to understand that girls and WOMEN are experiencing horrific acts against humanity underneath the terrorist group Boko Haram. After I read this novel, I was not the same person and I believe that YA is doing the work of "adult" novels in a way that reaches more readers.

   "It’s not simply that YA readers are asked to immerse themselves in a character’s emotional life—that’s the trick of so much great fiction—but that they are asked to abandon the mature insights into that perspective that they (supposedly) have acquired as adults" (Graham 2014). 

   Again, if you are reading for a purpose then you should not be abandoning your mature insights into that perspective. I believe that YA asks adults to place yourself in the shoes of a young adult, but it also challenges you to think about how adult things and the world impact kids. And it is our job to help our students understand such complex topics such as terrorism in Buried Beneath the Baobob Tree or death in The Fault in Our Stars. 

 Although, Graham attempts to shame adult readers of YA fiction she failed to do so for me. I read YA with a purpose in mind and that is my students. Her argument was weak and she neglects to think of reading as a preference. Furthermore, I recognize that this article was written in 2014 but the YA novels that are coming out currently are pushing boundaries in a way like never before. That is important for adults and young people alike. 

References

Graham, R., & Graham, R. (2014, June 05). Yes, Adults Should Be Embarrassed to Read Young Adult Books. Retrieved July 10, 2019