Teaching with YA Literature Reflection

Growing up, I loved reading books like "The Clique" series, Harry Potter series, Percy Jackson series, and even the Magic Tree House series. I also read books such as "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," which wasn't a book I would've typically gone for. Every time I read, I wished to escape to the worlds of the novels. I would get into the zone, and my mother would have to actually make me stop reading to get homework done or to go eat dinner. I used reading YA literature as a means to expand my horizons. This is how I want my students to perceive reading YA literature. Buehler states that YA literature is a platform that gives readers the means to read broadly and deeply (3). The readers should learn, grow, and thrive when reading, which is precisely what I want my students to do when they read YA Literature (Beuhler 3).

My YA pedagogy stems from these beliefs and goals and mirrors Beuhler's pedagogy a lot. It promotes the love of reading as well as the improvement of reading skills (and possibly writing skills because great writers stem from great readers). My YA pedagogy also promotes connecting the reading they do to the real world. As a teacher, I want to promote self-efficacy, agency, and autonomy to my students. I believe that love for reading can do that.

Everyone has their own genre preference, and YA literature and middle-grade literature have the means to provide a wide range of genres for every type of reader. The difference between the two is that I believe middle-grade titles are often more straightforward in their language and narration, and the protagonist is usually of a younger age than YA titles. Also, middle-grade titles seem to not touch on more intense themes or subjects (i.e. racism) like YA titles do. Both types of titles have a place in my YA pedagogy because both are valuable. Students can learn life lessons, analytical skills, and writing skills from both titles or genres.