Oxford Handbook of Young Adult Literature

Young adult literature has grown from its beginnings in the 1960s to become not only one of the most popular forms of literature in the United States, but also a major cultural influencer with spin-offs of serial novels such as Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, and Twilight. Popular young adult literature like these have dominated cinema, and even extended into theme parks, Broadway musicals, and travel tourism. Furthermore, classes in young adult literature are now taught at universities across North America and Europe, and young adult texts have been regularly chosen as common reading at numerous universities. Young adult literature is a juggernaut whose reach extends far past its adolescent readers. The Oxford Handbook of Young Adult Literature is the most comprehensive examination of young adult literature to date and features 39 essays that range from literary criticism to empirical studies and methodological essays. These essays cover the history of the genre and discussions around major subgenres, but also cover more focused subjects such as trauma, ecocriticism, and young adult literature related to oft-marginalized groups like African Americans, Indigenous groups, Arabic LGBTQ people, and individuals with disabilities. This Handbook reaches beyond the text as well by examining fanfiction, censorship, and young adult literature in the classroom. With its rich history and promising future, young adult literature is more relevant than ever. The Oxford Handbook of Young Adult Literature offers a valuable and in-depth understanding of this genre.

Victor Malo-Juvera is Professor of English at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. His scholarship is wide ranging and includes editing seven books of literary criticism and pedagogy on young adult literature, and numerous empirical studies which have employed quantitative, mixed methods, and qualitative designs. He is currently on the editorial board of English Journal and Study and Scrutiny: Research in Young Adult Literature. He has previously served on the executive board of the Adolescent Literature Assembly of NCTE and as the chair of the English Language Arts Teacher Educators Commission on the Study and Teaching of Adolescent Literature. Crag Hill's research focuses on the production and consumption of various literatures by/for adolescents, in and out of school contexts. His collaboration with scholars, graduate students, and teachers in many different contexts in the US and abroad fosters critical dialogue on the impact of these literatures on the understanding of race, class, sexuality, and gender identity. His editorial work with Study & Scrutiny: Research on Young Adult Literature, which he co-founded in 2015, endeavors to expand the critical and empirical study of young adult literature to enhance the understanding of the field.