In the final episode of our season on Juvenile and YA Fiction, the entire CenterForLit crew gathers to reminisce about how they got hooked on reading as children. We also discuss how to go about guiding young readers through the current environment of juvenile and YA literature.

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Emily joins Ian in this episode to talk about our first author who writes solely in the YA genre: John Green. They discuss what makes his work so different from others we’ve covered this season and what that means for parents and readers who want to benefit from his rich, literary voice.

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In this episode, Megan joins Ian to talk about the magic of Jeanne Birdsall’s Penderwicks series. They discuss what it is about this series that appeals so well to audiences of all ages and what that can teach us about good writing for young readers.

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What can CenterForLit’s favorite children’s author teach us about the difference between juvenile and YA fiction? Adam and Missy sit down with Ian in this episode to talk about what makes the work of Gary D. Schmidt so special.

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The next genre we're discussing this season has a special place in Andrews family lore. By tradition, each new generation is handed a mystery novel as they come of age to encourage a lifetime love of reading. Adam joins Ian in this episode to discuss his own affinity for the genre, and the two reminisce about their first encounters with detective fiction.

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No other genre has been influenced by the emergence of YA fiction quite like dystopian literature. In this episode, Megan and Emily join Ian to compare recent dystopian contributions aimed at young adults like Divergent and The Hunger Games to 20th century classics like 1984 and Lord of the Flies.

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Emily and Megan join Ian for a conversation about our culture's fascination with the monstrous. They discuss how we progressed from the beasts of Greek and Anglo-Saxon mythology all the way to love-struck vampires and werewolves, and they ask why it is that humans remain so intrigued with the mystery and danger of the Other.

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In this episode, Ian and Megan sit down to talk about what is arguably the most popular genre among young readers today: fantasy literature. They discuss the history leading up to the state of fantasy today, the unique thematic features of world-building, and their own childhood obsession with these books.

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The first corner of juvenile literature we are exploring this season is historical fiction! Adam (our resident historian) and Missy (the one who stuffed the Andrews shelves full of historical fiction titles) join Ian for a conversation about what makes a good contribution to this genre, how the art of literature relates to the study of history at this age level, and which titles stand out as family favorites.

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BiblioFiles is back! To launch our season on Juvenile and YA Fiction, Adam and Missy join Ian for a conversation about the state of literature for young readers today. What is the difference between a “juvenile” and “YA” classification? Should such a differentiation between genres exist in the first place? The CenterForLit Directors talk about the history of the split, their concerns for such specialization in the publishing industry, and a few ways they also see YA fiction currently being used for good.

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We love hearing your questions and comments! You can contact us by emailing [email protected], or visit our website www.centerforlit.com to find even more ways to participate in the Great Conversation.