Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism

Easy enjoyable reading

I switched texts this semester for a teen lit class I'm teaching and what a great book I've found! It has up-to-date information about young adult literature and also goes into everything that has made YA what it is today (e.g., awards, bookstores, e-books). If this gets an update, I'd definitely devote a chapter to New Adult. Love the price of this book (students shouldn't have to sell a kidney to buy a textbook) and the content. Nicely done, Mr. Cart!

It arrived just in time for my classes. I am really grateful that it was shipped on time. The condition was new and the receipt was available instead of having to print it online. I was, however, shocked at the size. I thought this would be a bigger book, but it is really small. There are only 242 pages.

Excellent! Insightful, detailed and fun to read. Really captures the history and trends in YA lit.

Good historical overview of the genre. Since its author has worked in the field from a perspective of choosing which books to champion, it feels somewhat biased in some places, but I'm glad it exists to provide a thorough overview.

I'm not entirely sure who the intended audience for this book is. Young Adult Literature: from Romance to Realism is part history, part scholarly work, and very specific in its focus. Cart does a good job of creating background while also building and expanding on the topic without writing something that goes on and on without end. It's a surprising accessible and fairly short book that could have been very academic in the hands of someone else. Recommended if you find yourself in a position needing or wanting to know more about the rise and fall and rise again of the Young Adult book.