Campbell’s Scoop: Reflections on Young Adult Literature

At the request of her many fans, Patty Campbell, editor of the Scarecrow Studies in Young Adult Literature series, has selected some of her best essays, articles, columns, and speeches in Campbell’s Scoop. These pieces define the boundaries between children’s and adult literature and review the trends, censorship, problems, and glories of the genre. Other essays reflect on some concerns and interests of young adult literature as it has matured: the verse novel, ambivalent endings, violence, the sometimes dubious value of awards and honor lists, the graphic novel, and the difficulties of the genre’s recent overwhelming success. A section titled Inside ALA looks at the author’s many years of service to that organization with, among other pieces, a firsthand look at the Best Books committee at work and a report of her attempt to unite booksellers and librarians in common cause.

Many of these selections show the idiosyncratic wit and passion that have made Campbell’s column a favorite with Horn Book readers: an exploration of the meaning of the glut of YA novels with death as a theme or character; an indignant denunciation of the fictional abuse of animals; a snarky analysis of chick lit; and a technical review from the belly-dancing critic of a YA novel featuring that ancient art. On a more serious note, Campbell pleads for what she calls Godsearch in books for teens and pays tribute to her late friend Robert Cormier. Without question, the essays in Campbell’s Scoop provide readers with the unique insights of an advocate who is passionate about young adult literature and its future.