Literature: Histories Revealed

 from Marshall Memo 1022

Recommended Young Adult Novels with a Different Twist

            In this English Journal article, Saba Khan Vlach (University of Iowa) recommends prize-winning young adult books that are different from the more-common “hero’s journey,” where the lead character is separated from family and friends and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and comes of age. In the five books Vlach spotlights, “The protagonists… become, not because their family histories have been taken away or diminished in importance, but because those histories are revealed to them.” 

-   Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee, middle grades

-   Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed, grade 7-12

-   The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson, grade 7 and up

-   We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds, grade 8 and up

-   All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir, grade 8 and up

 

“The Honor List of 2022 Prize-Winning Young Adult Books: Family Stories in YA Literature” by Saba Khan Vlach in English Journal, November 2023 (Vol. 113, #2, pp. 19-24);