This article contributes to research on equity in award-winning and honor books by offering a paratextual analysis of 14 immigration-themed young adult books that were included on the USBBY Outstanding International Books list between 2006 and 2019. Findings reveal that paratexts--all parts of a book excluding the narrative--frame authors who are…

This literary analysis draws upon navigational identity theory to examine the experiences of female protagonists who choose to play on boys' athletic teams. The study analyzes ten middle grade and young adult novels published between 2005 and 2017 to explore the question, How are the female protagonists represented in the navigation of changing…

Context: Research notes the repeated existence of a disconnect between teachers' aims and practices, particularly when their work is done in communities with significant numbers of students who are minoritized by dominant societal norms. Simply wanting to do this work is not enough and can result in harm to students and the communities they…

Although scholarship has examined the representation of Muslim characters and/or followers of Islam in literature for children and young adults and provided reference materials for classroom instruction, the incorporation of Muslim literature in classroom contexts has been largely unexplored. Drawing from Braun and Clarke's conception of thematic…

This qualitative literary analysis explores the intersection of place, space, and identity in two novels for young adults to explore how the provision of a new physical place provides space for independence development among female teen protagonists and the implications of this development given the authors' identities as non-US authors writing…

Reading and reflecting upon ethnically unfamiliar literature can provide opportunities for teacher candidates to critically examine assumptions of self and other relative to racial, cultural, and linguistic identities. However, ethnically unfamiliar literatures can be difficult for readers to understand and appreciate due to the aesthetics they…

This qualitative study reveals the ways in which reading and reflecting on two counter-narrative young adult novels fostered opportunities for preservice English teachers to think more acutely about their understandings of race within and beyond the text. Participants expressed feelings of empathy with and connection to characters whose cultural…

Notes how Karen Hesse strays from her typical pattern of exploring gender issues to provide a look at patriarchal culture from within, in one case, and from multiple points of view in the other, ultimately strengthening the feminist pulse that beats within her earlier works. Concludes that in "Stowaway" and "Witness," the voice of a boy and the…

Looks at three books for young adults by Brock Cole: "The Goats" (1987), "Celine" (1989), and "The Facts Speak for Themselves" (1997). Discusses common elements in these stories: young people who rise to the occasion; adults who often do not; characters readers can empathize with; an honest treatment of sexuality; and a wonderful use of humor. (SR)