I love English class. I also love reading. Although I do enjoy reading a good classic, most of the books I read for pleasure happen to be young adult (YA) fiction. YA fiction is a genre of fiction that usually takes place sometime around present day and, more often than not, features young adults and their struggles. After finding out that two of theYA fiction books I had recently read, “Paper Towns” and “Looking For Alaska” by John Green, are taught in some high schools (but not ours), I had a realization – we need an elective YA fiction class.

There are many things that students can learn from studying YA fiction. Like classics and other novels already taught in English classes, these books contain characterization, literary devices, symbolism and themes all open to analysis. However, unlike many of the novels already taught in English classes, these books deal with conflicts and situations that high school students experience and can relate to. So, studying YA fiction will allow high school students to discuss and analyze ideas that actually matter to them.

A YA fiction class can also give students a greater appreciation for reading. Often times, I hear students complaining about books they read in their English classes being boring. I also hear these same students talking about how much they love their latest YA fiction discovery. If these students are able to read books that they love while learning at the same time, they’ll begin to value reading even more.

While YA fiction has been stereotyped in the past as the “bubblegum pop” of the fiction world, this is far from the truth. There certainly are some books like this (i.e., anything involving vampires or werewolves), they do not represent YA fiction as a whole at all. There is another, completely different side to contemporary YA fiction full of meaning and depth and perfect for a classroom setting.

YA fiction definitely deserves a place in English education. Not only would I love to be able to read some of my favorite books as part of a class, studying YA fiction would also round out the classic-heavy curriculum of other English classes. While it may be hard to add a YA fiction class soon, I at least hope to see more YA fiction incorporated into English classes.