5385 Textbook Reflections 2 Divisions of young people's literature

There are 4 divisions of young people's literature. Children's literature is the first one, mainly spanning ages 0-8. For our youngest readers, these are your beginner books, easy readers, wordless picture books, etc. Since this category does cover 8 years of life, clearly there must be a progression of reading levels as the child gets older. The 7-8 year old reader would be reading illustrated chapter books that take on more of a "novel" form, which is still considered children's lit.

Tween or middle grade literature is for kids of ages 8-12. Remember, middle grade is not the same as middle school. A great example of middle grade/tween is Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo. These are going to be chapter books with less controversial or complicated themes.

The next division for ages 13-18 is, of course, young adult books. These are going to be chapter books with "tougher" topics. Often, this division discusses many "firsts," for example, first love, first sexual encounter, or first high school experience. A few examples of young adult books are Lily and Dunkin, Annie on my Mind, or Pushing the Limits.

New adult books will be our last division which is targeted to ages 18-30. This division is fairly new as it really took off in 2009. These books typically have a cutting edge protagonist who would be slightly older than your young adult characters. These characters are more relatable for an adult audience and they are usually dealing with college experiences, or first major relationships. Examples of these books would be This is Falling, Sweet Home, or November 9.

Understanding the divisions of young people's literature is an important tool when picking books for specific age groups. It's important to find age appropriate material that will challenge the reader but still staying age appropriate. Paying attention to these age divisions will really help me to accurately evaluate the books for young people as I read them, and it helps me to understand the perspective of the author as their write for a target audience of youths.