Teen Lit Boot Camp Reading Lists

This is the main site for the reading lists for my ongoing sequence of Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science Continuing Education courses on different genres of YA literature, Teen Lit Boot Camp.  For those of you who are already signed up, or are considering signing up, here are the reading lists for each installment.

Each course will require students to read three novels over the course of the month, along with articles and shorter examples of each genre.  To give everyone a head start, here are the novels and short stories that will be required for each course.  We will, of course, be discussing other titles and authors over each course, but these are what will be required.

If you click on the title of each course below, it will take you to the Simmons Continuing Education listing if you’d like to find out more about the class.  There’s time to register — and if you register for more than one, you get a 15% discount (always nice!).

UPCOMING CLASSES

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Fanworks and Teen Literature (August 2015)

In anticipation of the fact that we will also be reading and looking at a look at fan creations (including fanfiction, fanvids, fancomics, and fan art) based on pop culture sources, before the class begins I suggest your refresh your memory on the basic plots, characters, and style of the following popular inspirations:

  • Harry Potter (books and films)
  • Sherlock Holmes (short stories and books)
  • The works of Jane Austen (books)
  • Star Trek (Original series and the 2009 reboot)
  • Inception (film)
  • The Avengers and the Marvel cinematic universe (film)

Please don’t feel you have to re-read or re-watch all of these titles, but I wanted to give potential students the heads up to check out the basics on any of these they may not have read or seen.

PAST CLASSES

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Fantasy (April 2012)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Science Fiction (May 2012)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Paranormal, Horror & Steampunk, Oh My! (June 2012)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Gender and Teen Lit (November 2012)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Romance (February 2013)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Mysteries and Thrillers (April 2013)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Graphic Novels and Manga (May 2013)

Please note!  While this class reading list may seem especially long, remember that graphic novels tend to take less time to read and that these will be grouped for comparison and critical analysis.  If possible, I’ve tried to select titles that are available digitally as well as in print to make it easier for students to get copies to read.

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Historical Fiction (June 2013)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Nonfiction (October 2013)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Fanworks and Teen Literature (November 2013)

  • Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
  • Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction and David Aja

In anticipation of the fact that we will also be reading and looking at a look at fan creations (including fanfiction, fanvids, fancomics, and fan art) based on pop culture sources, before the class begins I suggest your refresh your memory on the basic plots, characters, and style of the following popular inspirations:

  • Harry Potter (books and films)
  • Sherlock Holmes (short stories and books)
  • Arthurian legends (as well as the modern BBC retelling, Merlin)
  • The works of Jane Austen (books)
  • Star Trek (Original series and the 2009 reboot)
  • Inception (film)
  • The Avengers (film)

Please don’t feel like you have to re-read or re-watch all of these titles, but I wanted to give potential students the heads up to check out the basics on any of these they may not have read or seen.

Teen Lit Boot Camp: GBLTQ Teen Lit (January 2014)

  • Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
  • Ask the Passengers by A. S. King
  • Wandering Son by Takako Shimura/I am J by Cris Beam/Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Race and Teen Lit (February 2014)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Graphic Novels and Manga (May 2014)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Gender and Teen Lit (March 2015)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Nonfiction (July 2014)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Nonfiction (May 2015)

Teen Lit Boot Camp: Graphic Novels and Manga (June 2015)

Please note!  While this class reading list may seem especially long, remember that graphic novels take less time to read and that these will be grouped for comparison and critical analysis.  If possible, I’ve tried to select titles that are available digitally as well as in print to make it easier for students to get copies to read.