Suggestions for young adult novels?
March 21, 2012 7:36 AM Subscribe
Any suggestions for young adult novels in English for a reading class of high-level Japanese university students (18-19 years old)?
I will be teaching a reading-skills course to a class of first-year university students in Japan. These students will be English minors (majoring in other foreign languages) and have TOEIC scores of at least 800 (in other words, they should be able to handle young adult novels with minimal difficulty).
Our university library has graded readers (which are too easy) and plenty of classics (which are "boring" or might be covered in their literature classes anyway), so I'd like to introduce them to modern young adult novels that teenagers in English-speaking countries are reading now. My students would choose a novel then read it at home in order to consolidate the reading skills we practice in class.
If you're unfamiliar with Japan, please keep in mind that my students will generally have had significantly less exposure to sex and drugs than their Western counterparts and thus novels with those types of references or topics might not be appropriate (or do you think they are?).
Along with your suggestions, I'd appreciate a very brief summary and also why you recommend each novel.
Thanks in advance!
I will be teaching a reading-skills course to a class of first-year university students in Japan. These students will be English minors (majoring in other foreign languages) and have TOEIC scores of at least 800 (in other words, they should be able to handle young adult novels with minimal difficulty).
Our university library has graded readers (which are too easy) and plenty of classics (which are "boring" or might be covered in their literature classes anyway), so I'd like to introduce them to modern young adult novels that teenagers in English-speaking countries are reading now. My students would choose a novel then read it at home in order to consolidate the reading skills we practice in class.
If you're unfamiliar with Japan, please keep in mind that my students will generally have had significantly less exposure to sex and drugs than their Western counterparts and thus novels with those types of references or topics might not be appropriate (or do you think they are?).
Along with your suggestions, I'd appreciate a very brief summary and also why you recommend each novel.
Thanks in advance!
I've taught in Japan to learners of all ages and abilities, and would say I have good knowledge of the challenges you're facing in the classroom. I've also tutored a number of students to pass Center exams in Japan for specific universities, so I have a good understanding of their vocabulary.
I think the hump you're going to try to get over is transitioning from reading-as-decoding-text (and collecting examples of new and unfamiliar idiom to be regurgitated at some point on a test), to actually reading for meaning.
On the other hand, with my own son, who is about nine, I've noticed that some books I would have read as a child are sometimes incomprehensible to him, because the idiom is archaic. He'll pick it up in time, but in the meantime he would rather read manga.
So, with that in mind, I would suggest books with a strong narrative drive (character or plot), such as Twilight.
Twilight is pretty popular and well-known, and the language is pretty simple; students are not going to have to spend too much time ground to a halt with their dictionaries, and if they are at least what they're looking up will be useful.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:53 AM on March 21, 2012
I think the hump you're going to try to get over is transitioning from reading-as-decoding-text (and collecting examples of new and unfamiliar idiom to be regurgitated at some point on a test), to actually reading for meaning.
On the other hand, with my own son, who is about nine, I've noticed that some books I would have read as a child are sometimes incomprehensible to him, because the idiom is archaic. He'll pick it up in time, but in the meantime he would rather read manga.
So, with that in mind, I would suggest books with a strong narrative drive (character or plot), such as Twilight.
Twilight is pretty popular and well-known, and the language is pretty simple; students are not going to have to spend too much time ground to a halt with their dictionaries, and if they are at least what they're looking up will be useful.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:53 AM on March 21, 2012
As is the answer in any YA rec question, Hunger Games; if they know battle royale they'll get it
posted by MangyCarface at 7:57 AM on March 21, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by MangyCarface at 7:57 AM on March 21, 2012 [4 favorites]
Thirding Hunger Games. There is no sex, no drugs. The author tells a ripping tale but the language isn't too difficult.
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:48 AM on March 21, 2012
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:48 AM on March 21, 2012
My experience with starting to read novels in a foreign language (Japanese, to be precise) is that length is a huge issue. You're reading so much more slowly that it's easy to get frustrated and burn out even on a novel that you're enjoying. So can I suggest the Orca Soundings series, which contains short (~100 pages) novels for students who are reading below grade level?
If you go back to stuff that was being published in the 1980s-1990s, you'll find easier, more contemporary language than the "classics," but substantially shorter than some of the YA that's being published today. For example, Caroline Cooney has some suspense books (Flight 116 Is Down, Whatever Happened to Janie?) that are less than 50,000 words. (Hunger Games is close to 100,000.) Lois Duncan's suspense books (Stranger With My Face, Down A Dark Hall) are just about 55,000. Gary Paulsen has a lot of books, The Hatchet being the most famous, that are short and high-interest. Will Hobbs is also good for high-interest short books. Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien might work, and science fiction by William Sleator, and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Alice series.
If I am off base and they don't find it tough to get through a book almost 400 pages long, then by all means, Hunger Games!
posted by Jeanne at 9:26 AM on March 21, 2012 [2 favorites]
If you go back to stuff that was being published in the 1980s-1990s, you'll find easier, more contemporary language than the "classics," but substantially shorter than some of the YA that's being published today. For example, Caroline Cooney has some suspense books (Flight 116 Is Down, Whatever Happened to Janie?) that are less than 50,000 words. (Hunger Games is close to 100,000.) Lois Duncan's suspense books (Stranger With My Face, Down A Dark Hall) are just about 55,000. Gary Paulsen has a lot of books, The Hatchet being the most famous, that are short and high-interest. Will Hobbs is also good for high-interest short books. Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien might work, and science fiction by William Sleator, and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Alice series.
If I am off base and they don't find it tough to get through a book almost 400 pages long, then by all means, Hunger Games!
posted by Jeanne at 9:26 AM on March 21, 2012 [2 favorites]
The Arm of the Starfish - Madeline L'Engle, 272 pages. Spies! Mystery! Science (fiction?)!
Summary from Amazon.com: When Adam Eddington, a gifted marine biology student, makes the acquaintance of blond and beautiful Kali Cutter at Kennedy International Airport on his way to Portugal to spend the summer working for the renowned scientist Dr. O’Keefe, he has no idea that this seemingly chance meeting will set into motion a chain of events he will be unable to stop. Caught between Kali’s seductive wiles and the trusting adoration of Dr. O’Keefe’s daughter, Poly, Adam finds himself enmeshed in a deadly power struggle between two groups of people, only one of which can have right on its side. As the danger escalates, Adam must make a decision that could affect the entire world—which side is he on?
posted by stompadour at 9:55 AM on March 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Summary from Amazon.com: When Adam Eddington, a gifted marine biology student, makes the acquaintance of blond and beautiful Kali Cutter at Kennedy International Airport on his way to Portugal to spend the summer working for the renowned scientist Dr. O’Keefe, he has no idea that this seemingly chance meeting will set into motion a chain of events he will be unable to stop. Caught between Kali’s seductive wiles and the trusting adoration of Dr. O’Keefe’s daughter, Poly, Adam finds himself enmeshed in a deadly power struggle between two groups of people, only one of which can have right on its side. As the danger escalates, Adam must make a decision that could affect the entire world—which side is he on?
posted by stompadour at 9:55 AM on March 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
The Hunger Games is short and written in very simple language, but very hard to put down!
posted by radioamy at 10:07 AM on March 21, 2012
posted by radioamy at 10:07 AM on March 21, 2012
I'm not so sure "young adult" novels are such a great choice, because these are college-age kids we're talking about. I stopped reading the equivalent of young adult novels (Judy Blume) at age 12 for example and embraced science fiction and horror. By 18 or so it was on to Pynchon and other required reading.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:10 AM on March 21, 2012
posted by KokuRyu at 10:10 AM on March 21, 2012
I would browse the popular YA fiction list at Goodreads as a starting point. It will jive pretty much with what's been recommended here, but the problem is that most of these are long and while not a challenge for native English speakers, probably a much bigger challenge for ESL (or ETL) students. You sort of want this to be a good and enjoyable experience for them if it's more about accessible reading than task translation, so I'd be keen for good success markers.
My thoughts would maybe be a YA anthology, like the highly rated Steampunk!, which would give your readers an variety of immersive experiences built from a series of much shorter hurdles to cross.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:18 AM on March 21, 2012 [2 favorites]
My thoughts would maybe be a YA anthology, like the highly rated Steampunk!, which would give your readers an variety of immersive experiences built from a series of much shorter hurdles to cross.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:18 AM on March 21, 2012 [2 favorites]
An variety? An? Oy.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:34 AM on March 21, 2012
posted by DarlingBri at 10:34 AM on March 21, 2012
Harry Potter is VERY easy to read and they might even have seen the movies.
posted by Ferrari328 at 10:44 AM on March 21, 2012
posted by Ferrari328 at 10:44 AM on March 21, 2012
Please, not Twilight. I've been known to read instruction manuals when bored enough but I couldn't make it through a chapter of that dreck. Plus, let's not subject more people to Stephanie Meyer's idea of healthy interpersonal relationships.
The Hunger Games and Harry Potter series are great ideas. I also like Tamora Pierce and Diana Wynn Jones' stuff.
posted by Tamanna at 11:44 AM on March 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
The Hunger Games and Harry Potter series are great ideas. I also like Tamora Pierce and Diana Wynn Jones' stuff.
posted by Tamanna at 11:44 AM on March 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Is Lord of the Rings too difficult? OR the Redwall series (I read it in 6th grade so it should be approachable and is a great series at any age)
posted by fuzzysoft at 4:27 PM on March 21, 2012
posted by fuzzysoft at 4:27 PM on March 21, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks for the ideas and suggestions everyone! I'm off to the bookstore with one of my TAs today to have a look around.
Just to be clearer: the students are well above average intellectually (it's a selective university)and they could be at a near-native level of English (one or two may have grown up in English-speaking countries). Thus the language shouldn't be a problem, but the cultural references will be. Again, their exposure to the topics of sex, drugs, rebellion, etc will likely be much less than Westeners their age. Perhaps I should use books geared towards 15-16 year olds?
Thanks again!
posted by ameca at 7:23 PM on March 21, 2012
Just to be clearer: the students are well above average intellectually (it's a selective university)and they could be at a near-native level of English (one or two may have grown up in English-speaking countries). Thus the language shouldn't be a problem, but the cultural references will be. Again, their exposure to the topics of sex, drugs, rebellion, etc will likely be much less than Westeners their age. Perhaps I should use books geared towards 15-16 year olds?
Thanks again!
posted by ameca at 7:23 PM on March 21, 2012
their exposure to the topics of sex, drugs, rebellion, etc will likely be much less than Westeners their age. Perhaps I should use books geared towards 15-16 year olds?
What makes you sure they are less exposed to sex, drugs, and rebellion? If the kids have a keitai (cell phone) they will have access to 2chan and they will participate in 2chan - everyone that age does. However, it's obviously not culturally appropriate to teach books that feature explicit sex or drug use.
As a rule even children (and these aren't kids anymore) prefer to read books featuring older protagonists, so books aimed at 15-16 year-olds may not do it.
Maybe your students want to experience other cultures and other points of view, but Banana Yoshimoto has some great English translations that map well with her Japanese original text. I recall studying Tsugumi in 3rd-year Japanese, so the English translation of the book (if you can find it) might be worth checking out. It was also made into a movie, which also opens up all sorts of opportunities for other creative assignments.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:54 PM on March 21, 2012
What makes you sure they are less exposed to sex, drugs, and rebellion? If the kids have a keitai (cell phone) they will have access to 2chan and they will participate in 2chan - everyone that age does. However, it's obviously not culturally appropriate to teach books that feature explicit sex or drug use.
As a rule even children (and these aren't kids anymore) prefer to read books featuring older protagonists, so books aimed at 15-16 year-olds may not do it.
Maybe your students want to experience other cultures and other points of view, but Banana Yoshimoto has some great English translations that map well with her Japanese original text. I recall studying Tsugumi in 3rd-year Japanese, so the English translation of the book (if you can find it) might be worth checking out. It was also made into a movie, which also opens up all sorts of opportunities for other creative assignments.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:54 PM on March 21, 2012
Best answer: The Hunger Games might also be a good choice because of the created world inside it; futuristic slang, the different districts representing different parts of the U.S, lots of good discussion material there. It's also a series that has a lot of adult readers in the States, so 19 year olds who might shy away from books about 15 year olds could be more willing to give it a shot.
Let's see...one of John Green's books would serve as a good representation of teen life, with some big ideas thrown in. Looking for Alaska is a good one. Green is one of the best contemporary YA authors out there writing stories about non-magical/non-supernatural/non-dystopic teens.
I'm always a fan of the variety in anthologies; something like Free: Stories About Human Rights has a lot of good authors and a wide variety of characters.
Stargirl is very sweet and slightly dreamy; this one wouldn't have any sexual language or drug references or anything. It's the story of this funky/kooky new girl at school, told through the eyes of the normal kid who likes her. It's a nice perspective, because his voice helps explain how hard it can be to step outside of the status quo.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is heartbreaking and witty and talks about rez life and basketball. It has definitely been challenged in US schools because of language and references to masturbation.
Blankets is an absolutely thick gorgeous graphic novel about love and loss of faith; very poetic. Definitely some finely rendered naked folks in these pages, but also a look at high school culture, fundamentalist Christianity, and art.
The Book Thief is very finely written and takes place in WWII, so not a lot of contemporary slang, but I seem to remember a lot of poetic language.
Is there any particular idea/concept that you're hoping to pass on to these students? Modern teen life, the elements of American culture, or just canonical YA stuff?
posted by redsparkler at 11:21 AM on March 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
Let's see...one of John Green's books would serve as a good representation of teen life, with some big ideas thrown in. Looking for Alaska is a good one. Green is one of the best contemporary YA authors out there writing stories about non-magical/non-supernatural/non-dystopic teens.
I'm always a fan of the variety in anthologies; something like Free: Stories About Human Rights has a lot of good authors and a wide variety of characters.
Stargirl is very sweet and slightly dreamy; this one wouldn't have any sexual language or drug references or anything. It's the story of this funky/kooky new girl at school, told through the eyes of the normal kid who likes her. It's a nice perspective, because his voice helps explain how hard it can be to step outside of the status quo.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is heartbreaking and witty and talks about rez life and basketball. It has definitely been challenged in US schools because of language and references to masturbation.
Blankets is an absolutely thick gorgeous graphic novel about love and loss of faith; very poetic. Definitely some finely rendered naked folks in these pages, but also a look at high school culture, fundamentalist Christianity, and art.
The Book Thief is very finely written and takes place in WWII, so not a lot of contemporary slang, but I seem to remember a lot of poetic language.
Is there any particular idea/concept that you're hoping to pass on to these students? Modern teen life, the elements of American culture, or just canonical YA stuff?
posted by redsparkler at 11:21 AM on March 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
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posted by JMOZ at 7:52 AM on March 21, 2012 [1 favorite]