Wild Things: YA Grown-Up discussion

Hi all! Jessica Stites here, an editor at Ms. magazine and long-time lurker.

I’m doing a Best of Feminist YA List for the Fall issue of Ms. magazine, and I need your help!! You can nominate books here:

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/62...

I’ll be reading the top vote-getters throughout August so I can make sure the Best Of list represents.

I’d also love to hear your thoughts/comments/passionate arguments on the subject … and I just may quote you in the accompanying feature story!

Best,
Jessica

Nominate here: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/62...

Cool list Jessica - I hope these books will be vetted, I see a lot that I wouldn't consider YA or feminist, but that depends on what the criteria is... :)

I nominated:
A Northern Light
Graceling
The Hunger Games
I Capture the Castle
Sabriel
Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr
Annie on My Mind
Matched

:)

Good ones, Becky.

I'm iffy on what exactly feminism means in YA... Strong female lead? Good example for young girls? Self sufficient? That's a tough "role" to define. I voted on some of the ones you nominated, and also nominated these books:

Uglies
Everlost
Poison
Raised by Wolves

I commented on the list, but thought I'd comment here as well.

First, just was wondering: some of the books on the list are not YA books, but are books that teens read. Are you going to incorporate both? For example, The Bell Jar isn't YA, but many teenagers read it...

Second, here are my thoughts about the YA feminist novel:
I believe feminist YA books should have a female character which is either different and proud to be different or strong and not afraid to be strong.

For it to be truly classified a "feminist" book, I think the strong/different female character should be the main protagonist.

I, personally, felt that many of the best female main characters did not appear in children/middle-grade/YA literature until the last 20 years or so. Before, many female protagonists fit into a stereotype (which makes the classics with strong female leads even more special. i.e. Francie Nolan). Starting in the 90s, though, with Charlotte Doyle and Cassie Logan, the idea of the female protagonist began to change and we now have our Stargirls and Katniss Everdeens- all strong, female protagonists that change our way of generalizing women.

@Heather,
I love your reason for nominating Bridge to Terabithia!

I like my definition of feminist books, but this is one that clearly is an exception to the rule :)

I'm almost contemplating putting Looking for Alaska on the list for a similar reason, but I can't decide...

Thanks guys for this great discussion--you make an excellent case for Bridge to Terabithia. Plus it was so rad that Leslie was the BEST runner, and how disgruntled the boys were about it.

Jessica wrote: "Thanks guys for this great discussion--you make an excellent case for Bridge to Terabithia. Plus it was so rad that Leslie was the BEST runner, and how disgruntled the boys were about it."

Have you decided which books are going to be in the article?

Not yet!! Will keep taking suggestions (and going and reading 'em on weekends) until the end of August. But I'm starting to reach out to authors for interview. Any particular suggestions?

Jessica wrote: "Not yet!! Will keep taking suggestions (and going and reading 'em on weekends) until the end of August. But I'm starting to reach out to authors for interview. Any particular suggestions?"

Many authors are on Twitter- that may be a good place to start.