History+of+YA+Literature

Presented by Wendy Morano, Teen Services Librarian Columbus Metropolitan Library, Hilltop Branch
 * BRIEF HISTORY OF YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE **

1919: First YA librarian. Mabel Williams was appointed Supervisor of Work with Schools at the NY Public Library 1926: Cleveland Public Library dedicated first separate YA room. 1933: Margaret Edwards was appointed to work with teens at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore 1937: First book about YA literature published (//The Public Library and the Adolescent// by E. Leyland) 1937: Earliest documented use of the term YA for teen books 1942: //Seventeenth Summer// by Maureen Daly published 1968: //The Outsiders// by SE Hinton published 1971: //Go Ask Alice// by Anonymous published. 1970s: YA paperbacks were created. 1980s: YA literature became a genre of its own, with its own star authors. During the Regan era government funding dried up. Libraries struggled to balance budgets, YA librarians were some of the easiest jobs to cut. Small stores were overtaken by Barnes and Noble and Borders. Knowledgeable librarians were replaced by cheap <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">labor. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">The “problem novel” lost popularity as TV talk shows and tabloids took off. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">The children’s book market was exploding <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">“YA is dead.” <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Publishers responded in three ways: the series, changing the meaning of YA, and the exceptional book. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">1990s: <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Graphic novel <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Manga <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">More diversity (Hispanic, gay, lesbian, African-American…) <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Poetry (rap music)

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">2000+: <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Even more diversity <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Teen authors (Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, Christopher Paolini, Flavia Bujor, PUSH series…) <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Internet publishing <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Independent publishing <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Blogs and wikis