Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-2000

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Education

Major Professor

Ted Hipple

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate five of the best adolescent novels written in the 1990s. While the focus was on five particular novels, the concept of quality literature and what makes a book good, especially a book written for young adult readers, was addressed throughout the dissertation. The intention was to determine what traits or characteristics are typical of the best adolescent novels of the 1990s. According to a survey conducted by Ted Hippie, Executive Secretary of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council for Teachers of English (ALAN), the following five novels were most popular and determined the "best" by various teachers, professors, publishers and media specialists: Ironman, by Chris Crutcher, Make Lemonade, by Virginia Euwer Wolff, Holes, by Louis Sachar, Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse, and The Giver, by Lois Lowry. In the study, these novels were evaluated according to seven yardsticks of value designed by Walter Blair and John Gerber. Those criteria were clarity, escape, reflection of real life, artistry in details, emotional impact, personal beliefs and significant insights. After a brief explanation and definition of young adult literature, current methods for evaluating or criticizing adolescent literature were reviewed. The Blair and Gerber technique was chosen, and thus, each novel was measured by each yardstick of value. A chapter was devoted to the individual books with a plot summary, a discussion of the seven criteria, and a few concluding remarks included. Following the novel evaluations, a concluding chapter summed up interesting comparisons between the books. The study suggested that the evaluation method designed by Blair and Gerber is effective for teachers and students who read adolescent literature. Also, the study of the novels indicated that a novel's ability to appeal to readers' emotions and offer significant insights into life is likely to determine both its popularity and critical acclaim.

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