Abigail Adams December 9, 2002 ENG 499C Semester Project Selecting Literature for the Secondary Classroom Pairing

g Young Adult Literature & the Classics Language arts educators enter their classroom with a strong desire for their students to discover the significance of literature. The students response to literature relies heavily upon what teachers require them to read. Typically teachers feel obligated to uphold reading traditions of the past; therefore, they concentrate their curriculum around the classics. Classic literature is important to high school literature; there is a reason why certain works are canonical and students can benefit from experiencing this literature. However, students (especially those reluctant to read) are often alienated by classical literatures language or its ability to relate to their lives. Unfortunately, this consequence is in total opposition with the language arts educators intent of bringing students toward an appreciation of literature. In order to not completely lose students interest in literature, teachers have been introducing young adult literature to the high school classroom since the late 1960s. In Using Young Adult Literature in the English Classroom, John H. Bushman and Kay Parks Bushman identify young adult literature as writing targeted toward adolescents and teenagers with conflicts, themes, protagonists and language that reflects young adults lives (2). Because young adults find they can relate to a teenage protagonist and subject matter concerned with adolescent issues, young adult literature provides the enjoyment of reading to many high school students. Young adult literature is especially beneficial to readers who are considered reluctant or learning disabled. Despite the positive response

young adult literature has on students, it has failed to gain widespread acceptance in the high school curriculum; Leila Christenbury notes that it is still considered the stepchild to traditional classic literature (154). Proponents of young adult literature must fight against attacks in its quality and confront constant fears that the classics will be neglected if young adult literature is taught. However, with careful consideration and proper planning, young adult literature can be an effective educational tool in the high school curriculum. At the same time classic literature, despite opinions that it is does not connect to adolescents, has much to offer high school students and should not be completely ignored on the secondary classroom. Rather than allowing one type of literature to dominate the curriculum, students would benefit more if young adult literature and traditional works were equally valued and included in the language arts classroom. This approach to high school literature would allow language arts teachers to integrate young adult literature with classics by teaching from thematic units and even pairing related works from each genre. There are few language arts classroom that do not include the classics in their curriculum. Classics are the works of literature that have been deemed canonical and capable of withstanding the test of time. In his article Young Adult Literature in the Classroom Or Is It? John Bushman conducted a survey among high school students in which he yielded a list of the most frequently assigned books. The list included titles such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Great Expectations, Oedipus Rex, Grapes of Wrath, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Canterbury Tales, Moby Dick and Lord of the Flies (Bushman 37). Although this list is not comprehensive it is difficult to argue that these classic works are not the same works included in almost every high school curriculum.

There are many reasons that validate these classics being included year in and year out in the high school classroom. Essentially, classic literatures status within the literary canon keeps them in the high school curriculum. Without sorting through the debate on why and how the canon is defined, it is easier to say that these works have been deemed canonical based on their aesthetic quality. Also, it is only natural for language arts educators to want to expose their students to what society considers great literature, especially since it is commonly the same literature they were taught in high school and college as great works. It is difficult to escape the fact that the classics are significant based on their ability to expose readers to developed writing styles, in addition to offering accounts of the human experience. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has published among their Standards for the English Language Arts specific criteria for the area of literature which educators are encouraged to uphold. According to the NCTE, when students study literature they should realize the importance of literature as a mirror of the human experience, reflecting human motives, conflict, and values and they should become familiar with the masterpieces of literature. (NCTE web page). Few can question classic literatures ability to meet these standards; thereby language arts educators readily value the classics and maintain the right to include these works in their curriculum. However, as alluded to in the introduction, there are some problems occurring in the high school classroom due to language arts educators reliance on the classics despite the many positive things the works have to offer. In their standards the NCTE also urges educators to ensure that reading allows students to identify with fictional characters in human situations as a means of relating to

others and develop habits of reading that carry over into adult life (NCTE web page). Unfortunately there is some evidence that the current reliance on classic literature in the classroom is not fully meeting these standards and the repercussions are detrimental. First, for students to identify with fictional characters they must be able interact and have a personal connection and understanding of the text. However, the classics frequently present characters and subject matter that are incapable of reaching teenagers. The adult characters and plots within the classics offer little connection to the life of the modern day student. Studies in human growth support theories that adolescents undergo certain developmental tasks that place emphasis on their social and emotional development. If the student is not developmentally ready to relate to a particular work then they will be able to identify with very little of the literature. John Bushman and Kay Bushman comment upon the classics failure to offer students a connection to their own life as he states: Teachers have failed to choose literature that enables students to become emotionally and cognitively involved in what they read. If students are asked to read literature that is not consistent with their developmental tasks, they will not be able to interact fully with that literature. The attitude found in this classical literature curriculum seems to be that the schools have a body of literature a canon to be taught to students, whether they can read it or not. Therein lies the problem. Most students cannot read classical literature well (i.e. they cannot have a personal involvement with it) (3). Almost any reader would have difficulty reading and enjoying a text they could not relate to, but the task is even more difficult for the student who is reluctant to read or learning disabled. Students with special needs require a curriculum that is even more specialized and sympathetic to their reading experience. Their abilities must constantly be built upon rather than torn down if they are to continue to grow intellectually. Classic

literature requires the students to latch on to ideas that they cant fully grasp because the gaps between their life and the events in the novel are so far removed. The demanding skills it takes for students to make these connection with little to no personal attachment becomes too difficult a task to willingly accept. When these students and regular education students fail to connect to literature the common response is to turn away from the task that is so difficult. The ultimate result then is typically the creation of a student who leaves school without the desire or skill to be come a lifelong reader. Christenbury asserts, Developing lifelong readers is tricky, and for some young people, the shift from elementary to middle school and above leaves their reading far behind (153). Lifelong reading is one of the most significant skills a language arts teacher can instill in their students, but if the student doesnt relate to reading then their experiences are wasted. Concerned with the classical curriculum, John Bushman notes in his article Young Adult Literature in the Classroom Or Is It? statistics from the 1993 National Adult Literacy Survey suggests that lifelong reading is in fact not occurring as nearly half of the American readers are in the lower two of the five reading levels (38). The significance of teaching lifelong reading is very critical to the continued literacy of our nation and the failure to create lifelong readers is totally preventable. Language arts educator need to reconsider their curriculum and find a way to get students involved and interested with what they read. Guy Bland, a high school language arts teacher describes his experiences with the classical curriculum. In Out with the Old in the with the (Not So) New Bland tells how he came to realize that the classics do not have to be the only way students develop a love for reading. He declares, Theres no disputing the profound contributions of the great

authors, nor the suitability of the classics to conformed readers. But we must question the illogic the elitism, really as well as the futility of expecting nonreaders to suddenly become readers simply because they are presented with the very best literature (21). This is where language arts educators have to accept Nanci Atwells belief, There is no one book everyone has to read. Then they begin to seek assistance from the young adult novel in order to bring students to enjoy reading. The young adult novel offers a teenage protagonist who encounters an issue or concern that many of todays students would find interesting or somehow capable of relating to their life. There are novels such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jane Eyre and Lord of the Flies that border on being young adult literature with their teenage protagonist but still they carry a strong classical reputation that continues to intimidate some students. As students strive to relate to many of the classics due to the discrepancy between their developmental tasks and the content of the literature, young adult literature nurtures these adolescent issues by treating topics the students most likely encounter in their lives. In Bushmans survey he discover that when students have the opportunity to read for pleasure they are choosing young adolescent books like: The Outsiders, M.C. Higgins the Great, Go Ask Alice, April Morning, The Hiding Place and others (37). If students are reading these works for pleasure and not the classics, then why doesnt the curriculum include young adult literature?

Even with the best of the young adult literature, critics will still conclude that the language is easy reading and not as challenging as much of the classic literature. But for students who struggle with the classics, young adult literature can offer reading that is

manageable and interesting. With Piagets theories for cognitive development in mind, Bushman and Bushman note that based on the levels of cognition some students in high school are still not in the final concrete operational stage that requires higher order thinking; therefore, their interactions with young adult literature is more appropriate and should be expected (4). In this sense young adult literature is especially beneficial to learning disabled students who function at an even lower cognitive level. But even if readers are mature, they can still use the young adult literature to complete the same tasks that previously the classics were used for. As already established, teachers are wary in having to say that the classics are not the only way to when it comes to reading good literature. Christenbury points out that educators question the quality of this literature largely due to their inexperience with young adult literature (154). Even if teachers do try to include young adult literature in their classroom, they do so in a way that suggests young adult literature is not quite as worthy as the classics. The works on Bushmans list are the titles studied and discussed in class, while the titles students indicated they read for pleasure are used as extra credit or outside reading. This implies to the students that nothing truly worth reading has been written since works like The Catcher in the Rye or Lord of the Flies. For students who are not connecting to the assigned literature, this attitude suggests that what they are reading isnt really good literature; therefore, they arent really reading at all. With the emphasis on the classics, young adult literature is unfairly treated as the stepchild of the curriculum when it can actually offer a lot, if not more, to high school students (Christenbury 154). In considering the standards set forth by the NCTE, young adult literature can still fulfill the values for literature as they offer an students a way of identifying with fictional

characters, discovering the importance of literature as a reflection of the human experience, developing ways to write about literature, and even developing habits of lifelong reading (NCTE web page). If anything there is a greater chance that students will meet these standards through the use of young adult literature because they can use find a connection within the young adult works that seems to not exist with the classics. As young adult literature promises to bring more students toward lifelong reading and this genre can no longer be ignored, as it deserves respect within the classroom. At the same time the classics continue to make a profound contribution to the language arts curriculum and cannot be neglected, as students still need to be exposed to the literature that has for so long been deemed great. Rather than battle which genre deserves the full attention of the high school curriculum, it would be more worthwhile for educators to accept the benefits of both genres and equally treat both the classics and young adult literature in the classroom. Joan F. Kaywell definitely supports this approach to teaching literature in the secondary school curriculum and has developed a three-volume work, Adolescent Literature as a Compliment to the Classics, based on the assumption that both genres are valuable to the education of high school students. This approach offers balanced diet of literature that gives students the necessary exposure to the classics while also providing meaningful experience with quality young adult literature (Kaywell x). The pairing of the genres relies heavily upon thematic units. The language arts educator uses a central theme to connect a classic and a young adult work together. In volume one of Adolescent Literature as a Compliment to the Classics it is suggested that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be taught under a theme concerns with the various types of prejudice, including racial prejudice. The young adult novels that could

accompany this classic include Mildred Taylors Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (racial prejudice), Madeleine L Engles The Summer of Great Grandfather (age prejudice), Robert Cormiers The Chocolate War (status prejudice), Judy Blumes Are you There God, Its me Margaret (religious prejudice), Cynthia Voigts Izzy, Willy Neely (disability prejudice) (Kaywell 39-40). With this particular unit before reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the class would be divided into five groups and assigned a novel concerning one the prejudices. After the students read these novels and share with their classmates what they have learned, they will then move on into reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Kaywell 39-40). Another possible literature paring include The Grapes of Wrath with Sue Ellen Bridges All Together Now in a lesson teaching the theme of brotherhood. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is paired with Lois Duncans Killing Mr. Griffin to teach relationships as Duncans characters reflect important figures in this classic. For more ideas on what or how to pair classic literature with young adult literature I suggest sorting through Kaywells multivolume work, Adolescent Literature as a Compliment to the Classics or looking at reviews of young adult literature available through the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN). The debate on canonical works steams daily with little resolution. Yet, each day language arts educators are expected to stand at the front of their classrooms providing students with a sense of literature that can broaden their insights and allow them to experience the joy of reading. What they choose to include with their curriculum is crucial not only because their decisions continue to define the literary canon, but also more importantly their decisions affect the potential reading capabilities of the students they encounter. A wrong choice could yield a reluctant reader who may never appreciate what

literature has to offer. With the interest of their students in mind, language arts educators need to offer students the best possible exposure to literature. The aesthetic contributions of the classics, in addition to the appropriate content of young adult literature both enhance the high schools students interaction with literature. As language arts educators are dealt the task of instilling an appreciation of reading into every student that sits in their classroom, they should recall the words of C. Robert Carlsen: Every time we select a piece of literature to read, we are exposing ourselves to a vision: a vision of people and places and things; a vision of relationships and feelings and strivings. It is important then that students are provided a selection of literature that is diverse so that they may never know limits to the visions literature has to offer.

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Works Cited Bland, Guy. Out With the Old, in with the (Not So) New English Journal. 90 (2001) : 20-22. Bushman, John H. and Kay parks Bushman. Using Young Adult Literature in the English Classroom. Upper Saddle River: Merrill, 1997. Bushman, John H. Young Adult Literature in the Classroom-Or Is It? English Journal. 86 (1997) : 35-40. Christenbury, Leila. Making the Journey. Portsmouth: Boynton/ Cook Publishers, 1994. Kaywell, Joan F. Adolescent Literature as a Compliment to the Classics. Norwood: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc, 1997. National Council of Teachers of English. Standards for the English Language Arts. National Council of Teachers of English. 5 October 2002 http://www.ncte.org/standards/standards.shtml.

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