YA class Spring 2024
Book list, fyi:
Whole class books
Cemetery Boys, Aidan Thomas
Dry, Neil Schusterman cli fi, dystopian
Heartstoppers, Volume One, Alice Oseman
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson
The Carnival at Bray, Jessie Ann Foley (graduate of the UIC EE program)
The Firekeeper’s Daughter, Angeline Boulley
I’ll Give You the Sun, Jandy Nelson
This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
Growing Up Chicago, David Schaafsma Ed. (pdf, Schaafsma provides)
Theth (pdf, Dave)
Choices: Dystopian
The Lonely Dead, April Henry, paranormal
This is Not a Test, Courtney Summers, ya zombie apocalypse
Orleans, Sherrie Smith, dystopian, cl fi
The Children’s Bible, Lydia Millett, dystopian, cli fi
Graphic novels (choose two)
Taproot, Keezy Young
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Deya Muniz
Fence, Volume 1, C. S. Pacat
Check, Please, Volume 1, Ngozi Ukazu
Pet, Akwaeke Emezi
Choose one:
I Am Not Okay With This, Charles Forsman or The End of the Fucking World by Charles Forsman
Choose one: (Urban/racial violence): The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas or All American Boys, Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely; or Neighborhood Girls, Jessie Ann Foley
Whole class books
Cemetery Boys, Aidan Thomas
Dry, Neil Schusterman cli fi, dystopian
Heartstoppers, Volume One, Alice Oseman
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson
The Carnival at Bray, Jessie Ann Foley (graduate of the UIC EE program)
The Firekeeper’s Daughter, Angeline Boulley
I’ll Give You the Sun, Jandy Nelson
This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
Growing Up Chicago, David Schaafsma Ed. (pdf, Schaafsma provides)
Theth (pdf, Dave)
Choices: Dystopian
The Lonely Dead, April Henry, paranormal
This is Not a Test, Courtney Summers, ya zombie apocalypse
Orleans, Sherrie Smith, dystopian, cl fi
The Children’s Bible, Lydia Millett, dystopian, cli fi
Graphic novels (choose two)
Taproot, Keezy Young
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Deya Muniz
Fence, Volume 1, C. S. Pacat
Check, Please, Volume 1, Ngozi Ukazu
Pet, Akwaeke Emezi
Choose one:
I Am Not Okay With This, Charles Forsman or The End of the Fucking World by Charles Forsman
Choose one: (Urban/racial violence): The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas or All American Boys, Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely; or Neighborhood Girls, Jessie Ann Foley
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ha! ty, Goodreads librarian and editor... :)
Well, maybe 2-3 years ago I had decided to stop reading YAL, except graphic novels. But here I am still teaching at 71, and they asked me to teach it and I thought, okay, but if you are going to do it, throw yourself into it and have fun with it. And put books on the list you haven't read, so the reading is fresh. And it still might not have worked, but occasionally you get a class who are (is?!) just great, just on fire about the books, and it's a great gift. I am really enjoying rereading We Have Always Lived in the Castle, but also like Firekeeper's Daughter. I don't love Cemetery Boys, but I expect a lot of folks in the class will dig it.
I loved my YA classes at Dominican University and still think of the books I read there fondly. Great list!
I know a few people that went through that program and liked the YA classes. And I am not saying I have not had fun teaching them and reading the books. I just wanted to make a shift back to more (adult) literary fiction.
I enjoyed Cemetery Boys even though the "mystery" was weak. WHALITC is a classic, interesting to juxtapose.
Ooh, I had not thought of that, but of course it is essentially about the same kind of discrimination. Yeah, Cemetery Boys is too long--maybe due to his being a first book?--and the mystery and whodunnit are not great, but I guess beside the point, in a way, which is about trans kids wanting to celebrate Latine cultures and their own trans identity, of course. A fantasy of acceptance that in some places actually comes true.
Dave wrote: "A fantasy of acceptance that in some places actually comes true."On that note, have you read Euphoria Kids?
not yet, but put it on my list... will check out yr review
I love this!! How do I join your class Dave 😃💖
I loved Taproot and am pleased to see it getting attention.