For too long, there has been a stigma attached to young adult literature: the assumption that because it appeals to adolescents, it can’t possibly be worthy of a place in the language arts curriculum. Attempts to legitimize the genre, furthermore, have concentrated only on the literature, not on how readers respond to it.

In Responding to Young Adult Literature, Virginia Monseau uncovers the power of young adult literature to evoke the kind of literary experiences that will keep students reading and lead them to a deeper understanding of literature in general and the relationship between literature and life in particular. The book serves two purposes: to describe and discuss the oral and written response of adolescents and adults to young adult literature; and to explore the significance of this knowledge to the study of literature in the classroom.

Many of the books and articles written about student response to literature focus on techniques or methods that teachers can use to evoke response. In this book, Monseau concentrates on the readers themselves. What would happen if advanced students, who might consider young adult literature beneath them, read this literature in their classes? What would occur if reluctant readers and advanced students got together to respond to a young adult novel? How do adolescent readers respond to the kinds of young adult literature that they read for enjoyment? Can this out-of class response inform literary study in the classroom?

As someone who has read, taught, and written about young adult literature extensively, Monseau can help other teachers better understand what happens when the reader meets the text.