John Green posted a note on Facebook recently about how books are classified when published, particularly books that are classified according to age group. This is a big deal when it comes to handing out awards. This really resonated with me as someone who often justifies ordering Teen/YA fiction books by the awards attached to their titles.
Controversy surrounds "inappropriate" books that concerned parents believe are not suited to age level. The Graveyard Book and Looking for Alaska come to mind immediately. Pay attention to the comments made by Brandon Pricert; he pretty much conveys exactly what I have come to believe about teen literature, and ultimately adolescence.
Adolescence is a period of transition during which the majority of us are pretty stinking miserable and awkward. It follows that books with teenage protagonists would include some misery. We all personally or vicariously experience some degree of every scenario played out in these books during our teenage years.
Thoughts?
