What makes a novel YA?
Justine Larbalestier - Australian author, New York resident - ponders this question on her most recent blog entry, sparking an interesting debate. Justine’s most recent titles are set in New York and Sydney and feature a potent mix of teenagers and magic. But, as Justine says, the whole notion of the ‘teenager’ is a relatively modern construct and YA is a problematic genre in that it is the only one defined by its audience. So what makes a novel YA? Read what Justine has to say and see if you agree. What a great discussion topic for a teacher-librarian or English teacher to initiate with their classes.
