The Research Connection Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century: Moving Beyond Traditional Constraints and Conventions

A t the dawn of the twentyfirst century, young adult literature looks very different than it did fifty years ago. Indeed, fifty years ago, we were just getting started with the likes of Salinger’s The Catcher In The Rye (1951), with Hinton’s The Outsiders (1967), Zindel’s The Pigman (1968), and Cormier’s The Choco­ late War (1974) still a gleam in the eye of their literary creators. We have a come along way since then, and I suppose, that is why our humble, yet groundbreaking beginnings have yielded a bountiful harvest of literary works. Today, we face a plethora of young adult books that represent every conceiv­ able genre and literary style. To be sure, we are on the precipice of re­ inventing ourselves because our young adult books are constantly in search of the new and revealing so that more and more young people will find their way to the delectable hallways of good and engaging reads. Thus, it is intriguing to look at the spate of recent articles on the nature of young adult fiction in the twenty-first century. Indeed, as the authors of many articles say, the world of young adult literature is being transformed by topics and themes that years ago would have never ever been conceived without someone labeling them ‘daft’ or at least, a little far-fetched and out-of­ touch with everyday reality. Furthermore, writers and scholars alike are challenging the whole concept of what young adult literature is. Some think the genre