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Despite their incredible success, J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, which, now that Harry is fourteen years old in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire can be comfortably considered YA literature, have had plenty of criticism. The cited faults of the Potter books are many, ranging from pedestrian writing to occult content.
Attacks on YA books are nothing new. For more than a century there have been vocal parents, teachers, and librarians who have attacked books written specifically for teenagers. Their complaints have varied over the years, but most objections generally fall into one of two categories: YA books are bad because
1. They aren't the Classics.
2. They corrupt the young.
Of course, I have to agree that many YA novels fall short of the depth and artistic development of the great works of the literary canon. And, yes, I suppose there are some YA books that might have a negative effect on certain teenage readers, but as a passionate proponent of the field, I am personally acquainted with the "lure" of YA literature. The lure, at least in the best books, is obvious: great writing, engaging stories, memorable characters. Good YA books can knock the reluctance out of reluctant readers, can provoke critical thinking in sophisticated readers, and can provide hours of pleasure for most all readers. So, what's the problem?
One problem is what to call these books.
In an earlier column (September 1998) 1 talked about some of the labels placed on literature for teenagers in the last several decades and the inherent weaknesses of each. The label, whether it happens to be "YA" or something else, exists mostly for marketing. Publishers and librarians want to get books for teenagers into the hands of teenagers, so some sort of label is necessary. Still, as Chris Crutcher pointed out in Voices from the Middle (December 1999), the YA label is as misguided and troublesome as any other the field has had. "Most teens I know don't believe we see them as adults, young or otherwise," wrote Crutcher. "So calling literature about them `young adult literature' just doesn't ring true to them" (18). Crutcher's right. Teenagers naturally want to be seen as adults, so any label that marks them-or the books they...