North Central Regional Educational Laboratory

USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE

TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION
IN THE CONTENT AREAS

December 2003

Thomas W. Bean, Ph.D.

Curriculum and Instruction Department
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

1120 East Diehl Road, Suite 200

Naperville, IL 60563-1486
800-356-2735 630-649-6500
www.learningpt.org

Copyright 2003 Learning Point Associates, sponsored under government contract number
ED-01-CO-0011. All rights reserved.
This work was originally produced in part by the North Central Regional Educational
Laboratory with funds from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), U.S. Department of
Education, under contract number ED-01-CO-0011. The content does not necessarily reflect
the position or policy of IES or the Department of Education, nor does mention or visual
representation of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement
by the federal government.
Learning Point Associates was founded as the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory
(NCREL) in 1984. NCREL continues its research and development work as a wholly owned
subsidiary of Learning Point Associates.

CONTENTS
Introduction

Why Use Young-Adult Literature in Content Teaching?

Reading Aloud to Students and Sustained, Silent Reading

Using a Simple Taxonomy to Guide Novel Discussion

Comprehension Strategies

Anticipation-Reaction Guides

Discussion Guides

ReQuest

11

Body Biographies

13

Dinner Party

14

Selecting Young-Adult Literature

16

Limitations and Future Research

17

Summary

18

References

19

Additional Resources

22

Suggested Titles

23

USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

INTRODUCTION
We find ourselves in Kenneth Sharps senior economics class at Sunrise High School on a Wednesday
morning. Students are immersed in a simulation aimed at helping them understand the concept
of opportunity cost in a shifting, global landscape. (In economics, this vocabulary term refers
to trade-offs people make when they decide to invest time or money in some endeavor, to the
exclusion of other endeavors). The simulation requires that students take on the role of various
characters in Beverly Naidoos (2000) award-winning novel, The Other Side of Truth.
Naidoos novel chronicles the political strife in Nigeria and centers on a family displaced by a
militaristic regime responsible for killing writers opposing its rule. Sade Solaja and her younger
brother Femi must flee their home in Lagos, following their journalist fathers protests against the
military government. Their mother has been murdered by people involved in a plot to assassinate
their father, and their father sends them to London under the escort of an unscrupulous guide
who abandons them on the streets of London at night.

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Sade and Femi must fend for themselves with little money in their pockets and no knowledge
of Londons mean streets or anyone they can turn to for help. We look in on the Sunrise High
economics class as small groups of students role-play the various characters in this early part of
the novel. They are using a comprehension strategy called Dinner Party (Vogt, 2000). Mr. Sharp
draws on young-adult fiction and comprehension strategies as a way to illuminate complex
economic concepts for his students. Their active engagement in this strategy helps make oftenslippery concepts in economics come alive.
Dinner Party includes a moderator and various characters and events drawn from history, science,
mathematics, English, and other content areas. In the Dinner Party example that follows, each
small group includes a moderator and characters from the novel, including the main character,
Sade; her younger brother, Femi; and their escort from Nigeria to London, Mrs. Bankole. Dinner
Party assumes that you have invited a group to dinner at your home, and the teacher provides
discussion prompt questions for the moderator to ask the dinner group. In essence, the group
functions as a panel of characters with the participants creating responses spontaneously.
Moderator: Mrs. Bankole, why did you abandon the children after you escorted them to London?
Mrs. B: What can I say? This is how I survive. It costs a lot for my flat in London, and I act as a
guide for people fleeing countries where they are persecuted. I am only paid to get them to
their destination, not babysit them! It would cost more for that level of care, and most cannot
pay me what that would cost.
Moderator: Dont you care about the welfare of young people like Sade and Femi?
Mrs. B: They are poor refugees. The government can take care of them.
Moderator: Thats pretty harsh. It seems like all you care about is hustling desperate people for
their money. Sade, how did you and Femi manage to survive after being left at night on a London
street by Mrs. Bankole?

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Introduction

Sade: We were scared to death. We had a little money with us for a phone call. And we had
enough money to catch a bus to the London College of Art where our Uncle Dele, who was
supposed to meet us at the airport, taught. But our Uncle Dele was gone, and the people in the
office said they hadnt seen him for some time. We were very scared, all alone in a strange city.

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At the conclusion of this discussion, each small group reported on their responses along with a
whole-group discussion of the economic principle of opportunity cost. They contrasted the
choices made by Mrs. Bankole, which were highly unethical but maximized her profits, and those
made by Sade and Femi in order to survive alone in London on a small amount of change. In
essence, the economic principle of opportunity cost boils down to decisions balancing scarcity
of resources. Most importantly, the choices people make have both practical and ethical consequences. Reading about opportunity cost in the context of an economics textbook is one thing.
Applying the concept to events in a novel where characters often come alive for students
(Bean & Rigoni, 2001) is a whole different matter.

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Throughout the rest of this paper, I will argue that young-adult literature offers an excellent means
of engaging adolescents in reading for pleasure, as well as exploring content area concepts in
a fashion that is likely to maximize students comprehension (Readence, Bean, & Baldwin, 2004).
In addition, I will provide an overview and examples of how various comprehension strategies
can be used to learn key content area concepts introduced in texts and illuminated in young-adult
literature. The focus is on the use of young-adult literature because it offers students a high level
of engagement that influences comprehension and reading achievement (Bean, 2000; Moore,
Bean, Birdyshaw, & Rycik, 1999).
I provide a research-based rationale for the use of young-adult literature in content areas along
with a useful comprehension taxonomy to guide the application of various discussion strategies.
Following the rationale, selected comprehension strategies will be introduced in some detail.
These strategies are Anticipation-Reaction Guides, Discussion Guides, ReQuest, Body Biographies,
and Dinner Party. Finally, a list of selected young-adult novels and sources of young-adult literature
are provided.

USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

WHY USE YOUNG-ADULT

LITERATURE IN CONTENT TEACHING?
Contrary to popular myth, young adults enjoy reading fiction (Furi-Perry, 2003). Indeed, according
to the American Library Association, around 20 percent of library card patrons are under the age
of 18. And fiction is preferred over nonfiction, particularly books that deal with coming-of-age
issues (Furi-Perry, 2003). Langer (2003) notes:
Literature is the most underestimated subject of study in schools. It plays a critical role in
our lives by helping us reflect on ourselves and the world, but coming to understand it also
involves the mind in making senseit involves a set of cognitive strategies that are useful for
the sharp and fully literate mind. (p. 6)
Contemporary young-adult literature aimed at students between the ages of 12 and 20 explores
a wide range of societal issues that cut across content areas, including conflict, violence, ethical
decisions, ecological issues, and family life. The appeal of fiction, often narrated in first-person
voice, rests on teen characters who are usually quite strong, in contrast to common stereotypes
that abound about adolescents (Herz & Gallo, 1996).

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Young-adult literature occupies a unique space within the world of multiple texts. Young-adult
literature is often not well known by content area teachers. Librarians and media specialists are
excellent sources of assistance in selecting books to pair with content area concepts. Nevertheless, there is no substitute for browsing teen shelves in bookstores, as well as reviews in journals
or online, to find young-adult novels that parallel key content area concepts. I particularly enjoy
visiting bookstores when I am traveling and have a few spare moments to look for new novels to
use with my classes. This has resulted in some knowledge of Australian and Canadian young-adult
literature, along with a fairly broad knowledge of multicultural novels treating issues related to
African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, and others.
Most novels run about 125 pages and are highly engaging and readable. A good novel has the
potential to illuminate concepts in history, science, mathematics, art, music, physical education,
health, agriculture, industrial arts, and a variety of other content areas (Readence, Bean, &
Baldwin, 2004). For example, in English classes, classics can be paired with young-adult literature, particularly if there are struggling readers who need extra assistance in comprehending
challenging prose. Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet can be paired with Marie Lees (1992) youngadult novel Finding My Voice. In one scene, Ellen Sung, the Korean-American main character
in Lees novel, attempts to introduce her boyfriend, a European-American high school football
player, to her very strict father. Her dad snubs her boyfriend and gives both teens a lecture
about dating and being home early. This novel, and others, introduce cross-family issues raised in
Romeo and Juliet, and these dilemmas can be explored through various strategies. For example,
Anticipation-Reaction Guide statements can be created to address issues in both the novel and
the play. Open-ended statements such as love conquers all raise the level of discussion beyond
literal reading responses. Anticipation-Reaction Guides will be discussed in greater detail shortly.

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Why Use Young-Adult Literature in Content Teaching?

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Before moving into a discussion of specific strategies, I must add an important note of caution
concerning the use of young-adult literature to illuminate content area concepts. Galda and
Liang (2003) noted that readers become engrossed in a work of fiction when they are reading
voluntarily and from a primarily aesthetic stance. Rosenblatt (1978) distinguished aesthetic
reading from what she termed more informational, efferent reading. In aesthetic reading, the
readers attention is centered on the feelings associated with the lived experience of reading
a powerful text, such as a compelling novel, short story, or poem. Efferent reading centers the
reading on information to be gained from the text and retained in some fashion. Nevertheless,
Rosenblatt is careful to note that there can be overlap between these two forms of reader
response. When novels are paired with concepts and textbooks in content areas, there is a
danger the novel will be read from a textbook-like stance. According to Galda and Liang (2003),
this is less of a problem with middle and secondary school students who generally experience
aesthetic engagement in novel reading along with the incidental learning of concepts introduced
in fiction. Nevertheless, it is important to be aware of the potential downside of treating a novel
as a textbook. Novel reading requires quiet, contemplative time to become immersed in a story
world without underlining pages or taking notes.
Using multiple texts including young-adult novels helps expand students abilities to synthesize
concepts across a broad range of print resources, including standard textbooks, the Internet,
newspapers, novels, and magazines (Walker & Bean, 2002; Hynd, 1999; Hynd, 2002). In a fiveyear multiple case study involving 25 schools, Langer (2001) found that English instruction in
high-performing schools included discussions that helped students make connections across
various texts (e.g., nonfiction textbooks), fiction, and media. For example, in one middle school
class, students read the holocaust-based novel Night by Elie Wiesel (1960). They wrote poems
and visited the Museum of Tolerance to gain information for additional writing. Following their
visit, they created letters from three points of view in order to critique the novel in terms of
its historical, ethical, and political issues. Clearly, this in-depth engagement in reading and
responding to fiction has the potential to influence students content learning and subsequent
performance in reading comprehension. The issue of student voice in novel discussion is crucial.
In a multiple case study of experienced English teachers beliefs and practices, Agee (2000) found
that some teachers placed themselves at the center of discussion, diminishing students interpretive
options. Agee notes, Narrow conceptions of literature and reading, especially those that are
marked by monologic rather than dialogic practices, establish literature as a cultural icon with
little room for students to develop critical interpretive skills (p. 307). In contrast, other teachers
were clearly interested in assisting students efforts to make personal and intertextual connections
across various texts and media. Intertextual connections entail constructing meaning from
multiple texts, including fiction, nonfiction, film, and other discourse (Rogers & Tierney, 2002).
In the text-rich world of the Internet, this process is already familiar to adolescents, but the connection to school-based reading and discussion may be less visible. Making these connections
more explicit will go a long way toward developing an already important skill in reading and
responding to ideas in young-adult literature and various content areas.

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USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

In summary, using young-adult literature offers the following benefits in content area teaching:
Adolescents enjoy reading engaging, popular young-adult fiction.
Young-adult literature often features strong adolescent characters.
Young-adult literature can be paired with the classics to serve as a bridge for struggling readers.
Using multiple texts including young adult literature helps students learn to synthesize
concepts across a range of texts.
In addition to the specific strategies for engaging students in novel and text concept
discussionwhich will followtwo of the simplest yet most powerful approaches to using
young-adult literature in your content area involve reading aloud to students and sustained,
silent reading (Readence, Bean, & Baldwin, 2004). I recommend selecting novels that have
engaging, lyrical language to read aloud.

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Reading Aloud to Students and Sustained, Silent Reading

READING ALOUD TO STUDENTS

AND SUSTAINED, SILENT READING

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Nearly all recent young-adult novels can be read aloud. For example, Jacqueline Woodsons (2002)
novel Hush chronicles the plight of a family in a protected witness program. The novel links nicely
with social studies issues relating to citizenship, ethical decisions, and their sometimes negative
impact on families. As a prelude to reading aloud to students, identify good prediction points
in the novel where students can speculate on the events described and future scenes they will
encounter. I find that reading aloud for about 10 minutes at the end of a period can enrich content
learning in many subject fields. Moreover, it has a soothing effect on students that most teachers
find an added benefit. I recommend starting small by reading and identifying a few good youngadult novels that support concept learning in science, math, history, and other content areas.
Sustained, silent reading (SSR) is now part and parcel of many students experiences with
growing evidence that it impacts fluency and students attitudes toward reading (Readence, Bean,
& Baldwin, 2004). For example, Gardiner (2001) conducted research in English classes over a
20-year period in order to gauge the impact of SSR on high school students achievement. He
found that students who were engaged in frequent SSR earned higher grades and were more
likely to read for pleasure outside the classroom. Similarly, international assessments of literacy
development show that higher-achieving students are more likely to hold positive attitudes
toward reading (Shiel & Cosgrove, 2002). In addition, these students borrow more library books
and engage in leisure reading outside of school. A variety of young-adult novels that support
content learning should be made available as part of a classroom library. Using SSR in this fashion
to support concept learning in biology, mathematics, history, and other fields is a departure from
the self-selected SSR many teachers have tried with varying levels of success. Frankly, contrary to
all the conventional wisdom about students reading a variety of self-selected books, I still prefer
to have students engaged in reading a common young-adult novel. By reading a common novel
in social studies such as Gary Sotos (1997) Buried Onions, we can have rich, in-depth discussions
about issues brought forth in the novel concerning race, class, and gender (Bean & Rigoni, 2001).
Eddie, the main character in Buried Onions, is a community college dropout barely getting by in
a Fresno barrio and receiving constant pressure from his aunt to avenge a relatives gang-related
murder. The novel raises a number of issues surrounding racism, cultural capital, economic opportunity, stereotyping, and the status-conscious dimensions of our society.
When students read (or feign reading) self-selected novels during SSR, the opportunity to carry
on common discourse and discussion is limited. One solution to disengaged reading is to involve
students in the discussion and production of creative products (e.g., Body Biographies, role playing,
song writing) that are interactive rather than passive. Indeed, effective literacy instruction in middle
and high schools has been characterized as a form of dialogic inquiry in which both teachers and
students pose and explore authentic questions (Angelis, 2003). This dialogic inquiry is supported
by strategies that help students comprehend challenging ideas and have ample time for extended
conversations about key issue or ideas (Angelis, 2003). In a study of tracking conducted by the
Center on English Learning and Achievement (Angelis, 2003), lower-track classes had significantly
less time devoted to dialogic inquiry. In the sections that follow, I offer a straightforward taxonomy
to guide question development along with an array of discussion strategies aimed at engaging
students in productive content area discussions supported by young-adult literature.

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USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

USING A SIMPLE TAXONOMY

TO GUIDE NOVEL DISCUSSION
Rather than a lengthy and elaborate taxonomic or category system for identifying levels of
questions, I prefer the classroom-based system developed and tested by Dr. Taffy Raphael (see
Baldwin, Readence, & Bean, 2004; Readence, Bean, & Baldwin, 2004). Three levels of comprehension are delineated that link directly with the source of information for answering a question.
In this paper, I will use this system to denote the levels of comprehension sought in each discussion and response strategy. The three levels are:
Right on the page. This refers to text-explicit comprehension, in which the answer to a
question can be found in the novels discourse, for example, What was Sades brothers
name in The Other Side of Truth? (His name is Femi.)
Think and search. This refers to text-implicit comprehension, in which the reader must infer
the answer to a question based on hints in the novel, for example, Why did Sade decide
to approach an evening newscaster about her fathers plight in jail? (She felt this might
alert people to his false imprisonment and garner him some help in gaining freedom.)

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On your own. This refers to experience-based comprehension, in which there is no right

answer, and many possible solutions to a problem or characters dilemma might be posed,
for example, What do you think will happen to Sade and her family when her father gets
out of jail? (They may decide to go home to Nigeria, stay in England, move elsewhere to
a place where he can continue practicing journalism without persecution, or a host of
other possibilities.)
What is important about this simple, three-level question taxonomy is the awareness students
develop in discerning where answers to questions can be found. Most importantly, we want to
move students toward higher-level thinking, and the process of structuring discussion questions
and guide material using this taxonomy can help accomplish this goal. In essence, comprehension and mastery of content material frequently demands in-depth study beyond the factual,
literal level (Baldwin, Readence, & Bean, 2004, p. 30). For example, as consumers, we expect
that a graduate of a high-quality college of pharmacy understands medicine at a deep conceptual
level, rather than simply memorizing formulas and related names of medications. The strategies
that follow are designed to focus students attention on rich, conceptual understanding.
Prior to responding to any novel discussion-guide material, it is often a good idea to have students
keep a response journal where they can jot down their own character impressions along with
questions they want to pose for further discussion (Readence, Bean, & Baldwin, 2004). This
is especially important in guiding students to make cognitive connections across narrative and
expository texts in content areas.

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Comprehension Strategies

COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES
Anticipation-Reaction Guides
Anticipation-Reaction Guides consist of a series of statements at the three levels of comprehensionright on the page, think and search, and on your own. Create statements for a chapter or
longer section of a young-adult novel using the following steps:

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1. Identify the concepts to be emphasized.

2. Consider students experiences and beliefs that may be challenged by the reading selection.
3. Create three or four statements for prereading and postreading discussion.
4. Place the statements in a PowerPoint slide, handout, or transparency.
5. Engage students in a prereading discussion. Following a reading of the novel selection or
a combination of the novel and related textbook concepts, debrief by reconsidering each
anticipatory response in light of new information.
The following example from Marie Lees (1996) young-adult novel Necessary Roughness illustrates
an Anticipation-Reaction Guide aimed at a consideration of the appropriate use of a martial
art skill in a physical education class. The novel revolves around a Korean-American character,
Chan Kim, displaced from his Los Angeles neighborhood to a small town in Minnesota where he
becomes his new high school football teams kicker. He is one of the only minority students in the
town and constantly harassed as a result. In this scene, Chan and his football buddies have been
viewing a martial arts video. Chan is an expert in tae kwan do, a Korean martial art. Figure 1
displays the guide.

Figure 1. Anticipation-Reaction Guide

Necessary Roughness (pp. 135138)
Directions: Consider the following statements and decide whether you agree or disagree with
them. Use a (+) if you agree or a () if you disagree. Be prepared to discuss your responses
and reasoning with your small group and the whole class. Following the reading of this selection,
reconsider the statements in light of Chans actions.
Agree

Disagree

________

________

1. Hollywood accurately portrays cultural diversity.

________

________

2. Martial arts training involves using this skill responsibly.

________

________

3. If you were an expert in tae kwan do and someone challenged you to

a fight, you would decline.

In the novel, Chan and his football classmates watch a film featuring a well-known martial arts star.
Rom, one of Chans teammates, derides the Korean actor in the film, using racial epithets and
saying, Kill him! Chan finally looses his patience and has his buddies get some scrap lumber
and supports. He uses his martial arts knowledge and skill to snap the thick boards. Afterward,
Chans thoughts are presented:

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USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

Everyone wanted me to show how I did it, but I went home soon after that. I somehow
felt dirty, like I'd flashed everyone on a dare or something. I didnt feel the way I thought
I would. Mikko didnt say much to me either. He seemed kind of disappointed in me.
(Lee, 1996, p. 138)
Ethical and philosophical dilemmas like this one are common in young-adult novels and offer a
tremendous springboard to discuss larger cultural issues. As a prelude to engaging students in
a discussion of larger cultural issues in a novel like this one, it is important to spend some time
offering a cultural history. For example, with Marie Lees novel, I walked students in my graduate
content area reading class through an overview of the three waves of Korean immigration to
America, along with various contributions by Koreans to U.S. language and culture. Although the
example of the Anticipation-Reaction Guide with this novel centers on athletic prowess issues,
much of the novel deals with racial conflicts, making it a good companion text in world history.
Statements developed for Anticipation-Reaction Guides offer one means of scaffolding rich
discussions, but the age-old process of carefully considering a good question is still a mainstay
of dialogic inquiry. In the section that follows, I illustrate this process with guides I have used
recently to consider key elements of Jacqueline Woodsons (2002) young-adult novel Hush, which
was summarized earlier.

Discussion Guides
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Discussion Guides used to link young-adult literature with key content area concepts come in
many forms (Baldwin, Readence, & Bean, 2004). Provocative discussion questions created by
teachers and students are at the heart of this approach and represent an efficient way to engage
students in issues that cut across fiction and nonfiction materials. Create questions for a chapter
or longer section of a young-adult novel using the following steps:
1. Identify the concepts to be emphasized.
2. Decide on both the level and basis for reader responses to the novel chapter or selection.
Consider students experiences and beliefs that may be challenged by the reading selection.
Thus, students may be asked to deal with issues in the novel from a reader-response stance
(Rosenblatt, 1978), in which they place themselves in the characters shoes.
3. Create three or four questions for postreading discussion.
4. Place the questions in a PowerPoint slide, handout, or transparency.
5. Engage students in a post-reading discussion. Following a reading of the novel selection
or a combination of the novel and related textbook concepts, use this as a basis for helping
students to generate their own questions for discussion.
The example that follows parallels reading in a high school psychology class where teen identity
issues are being considered. Figure 2 displays the guide.

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Comprehension Strategies

Figure 2. Discussion Guide

Hush (chapters 17)
1. You have witnessed a murder and finally decide to testify against the killers and enter
a federal witness protection program. You are scheduled to leave your home tomorrow
morning very early with the instructions that you can only take a small duffle bag of
personal items. What would you take with you?
2. Toswiah, our narrator and main character in the novel, flees Denver and moves to San
Francisco with her family. She also gets a new name, Evie. She is on the run, and her
feelings about this are raw edged. She says:
Everything about who we are is goneour names, our pictures, our old clothes
and old lives. All that we have is our souls. If a soul is the way you feel deep inside
yourself about a thing, the way you love it, the way it stops your breath, then mine
is still in Colorado. (Woodson, 2002, p. 13)

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How do you see Evie (formerly Toswiah) coping with this wrenching away from her past
identity in Denver where she had been a balanced, happy African-American adolescent?
3. Once Evies (Toswiahs) father decides to testify against the white police officers for killing
a black teen, race becomes a marker for attacks on Evies family. Evies former high school
friends treat her as an outcast, and racist attacks against her are frequent. Is this something
that you have experienced? If so, how did you cope with it, and how do you see Evie
handling the anger of her former friends?

It is important to note that in this Discussion Guide, each of the three questions encompassed
right-on-the-page, higher-level comprehension. In addition, rather than embracing a precanned
interpretation of events and ethical dilemmas in the novel, a reader-response stance is apparent.
Students are asked for their views on how to cope with the serious problems addressed in the
novel. While there are lighthearted young-adult novels, the most powerful in this genre deal with
the day-to-day struggles of teens in a fast-moving, fluid global world where social justice often
takes a back seat to conflict (Bean & Moni, 2003). Themes of displacement and loss are common
in many of these novels, reflecting the global unrest and risk that impacts everyone. Business
authors Micklethwait and Wooldridge (2000) argue, Throughout much of the developed world,
the middle class is splintering between those who benefit from globalization and those who are
being left out (p. 249).
While Discussion Guides assume a certain level of independence in reading texts and literature,
the next strategy, Reciprocal Questioning (Manzo, 1969) can be especially helpful for struggling
adolescent readers (Baldwin, Readence, & Bean, 2004).

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ReQuest
ReQuest (Manzo, 1969) stands for Reciprocal Questioning. It is a strategy aimed at helping
students question and think about text concepts at think-and-search and on-your-own levels
(Readence, Bean, & Baldwin, 2004). The goal is to move students beyond low-level literal questions to higher-order thinking. The teacher models the question-asking process first, followed by
student-based questions. Because ReQuest slices a young-adult novel chapter into smaller units,
it is ideal for struggling readers who may be intimidated by a longer selection. Thus, ReQuest can
be used for chapter books with a focus on a single section of a chapter. The following steps are
needed to develop and carry out an effective ReQuest strategy lesson:
1. Identify key sections of a young-adult novel where you can have students pause to answer
and create questions. You can indicate key sections with a self-adhesive note attached to
the page and paragraph where you are going to guide a ReQuest discussion. This should
be a section of a chapter that lends itself to predictions about oncoming events involving
the main character in the story, as well as an opportunity for personal reader responses
(e.g., What would you do in this situation?).

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2. Explain the ReQuest process to students, indicating that you and they will read a selected
portion of the chapter together silently. Then, the teacher will close the book, and students
can ask all the questions they can think of, referring to the chapter section as needed. It is
generally helpful to develop a question guide that provides some example think-and-search
and on-your-own questions. Once students are familiar with ReQuest, they can branch out
from these questions. Having students first ask questions on a section of the chapter offers
an opportunity to gauge the level of their thinking and then to model, in the teachers
questions, higher-order items.
3. Develop intertextual connections between the concepts dealt with in the novel and your
content area concepts.
In the Australian young-adult novel Fighting Ruben Wolfe (Zusak, 2000), two working class boys
take up boxing in an illegal weekend gambling operation. Their initial reason for doing this is
driven by their fathers recent unemployment and a desire to help their family during a tough
time. But Ruben becomes a boxing star in the rough warehouse setting of the weekend fights,
and Cameron, the younger brother, becomes the underdog. In addition to common young-adult
themes of displacement and economic struggle, the novel wrestles with teen identity construction
and larger philosophical questions of what constitutes a moral and ethical life. Thus, within the
context of a psychology class or a social science class dealing with globalization and its mixed
consequences, this novel would lend itself to ReQuest. In the example that follows, students in
a high school psychology class are considering a section in the middle of Fighting Ruben Wolfe
where Cameron, the narrator, comments on the profound transformation that has taken place in
the two brothers lives. In the not-too-distant past, boxing was a game they sparred at in their
backyard for fun. Now that they are in the illegal boxing business, it has driven a wedge into
their former, easygoing relationship. The section of Chapter 8 in the novel just before the last
two pages goes to the heart of this rift and lends itself to ReQuest linked to psychological
displacement and loss, common themes in contemporary young-adult novels. Figure 3 displays
this strategy lesson.

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Comprehension Strategies

Figure 3. ReQuest
Fighting Ruben Wolfe (pp. 112113)
The worst part is the knowing that things have changed. See, Rube and I had always
been together. We were both down low. We were both scrap. Both no good. Now Rubes
a winner, and Im a Wolfe on my own. Im the Underdog, alone. (p. 113)
Teacher: Well read the last part of Chapter 8 silently, and then Ill close my book and you can
ask me any questions you have, using the guide I gave you. You can keep your books open.
Student 1: Why did Cameron feel like things have changed so much? (think-and-search question)
Teacher: Thats really a good question, and it goes to the heart of how Ruben and Camerons
feelings about themselves as very close brothers seem to be changing into a more competitive
relationship influenced by the illegal boxing arena. The one constant for the two boys seems to
be the closeness of their family, even in times of strife. Are there other ideas about this change
in Cameron and Rubens feelings toward one another?

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(Other students offer responses and personal examples from their families.)
Student 2: Weve been reading about identity issues, and it seems like Ruben and Cameron think
of themselves as boxers. The problem I see, from my own experiences as a basketball player, is
that you cant always be a winner. There will always be someone out there who is better than you.
So, I dont think Ruben and Cameron can base who they are just on boxing. The family is really
who they are in a stable way even though their dad is out of work and their mom is picking up
part-time jobs.
Teacher: Yes, thats a really good notionthe family does seem to be a kind of refuge for Ruben
and Cameron, especially in those parts of the novel when they are in their room talking to one
another and the font changes from manuscript to cursive writing. It seems to me that this signals
the really sensitive parts of the novel where its okay to discuss their feelings, something society
encourages males to avoid at all costs.
Student 3: This question is for everyone. If you were in their shoes, would you give up the illegal
weekend boxing? Why or why not? (This on-your-own question generates an array of yes and no
responses tied to the bottom-line need for money in the family as a rationalization for boxing, as
well as a recognition that the boys are trading their souls for this line of work.)

ReQuest sets the stage for the next slice of reading the novel. In working with struggling adolescent
readers, ReQuest can be structured in smaller reading increments, or you can read text aloud to
students, followed by their silent reading and question generation. This is especially important
for second-language learners who need to hear the pronunciation of words and approach youngadult-novel and text reading in manageable slices.
While ReQuest offers guidance during and after reading a novel selection, Body Biographies offer
a highly creative means to explore novel characterization and content area concepts.

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USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

Body Biographies
Body Biographies involve the creation of a multimedia interpretation of a character in a novel or
a major figure in any content area (Smagorinsky & ODonnell-Allen, 1998). Because students must
carefully think through their choices of what key quotes, events, and visual devices to include
in their creation, Body Biographies are tremendously useful in focusing students attention on
events in history, key figures in science and math, as well as many other content areas (e.g.,
through reading novels and biographies). Body Biographies are postreading wall displays in the
shape of a human body.
For example, in Gary Sotos (1997) young-adult novel Buried Onions, Eddie, the main character,
drops out of his freshman year at a Fresno community college, drifting from one menial job to
another before joining the navy. Eddie rents his own small apartment in a barrio in Fresno.
Although this novel has been used to explore citizenship issues in a ninth-grade social studies
class (Bean & Rigoni, 2001), it could easily be used to do mathematics problem solving related
to middle school students formulating a budget based on a simulation where they are in Eddies
shoes, making the minimum wage (Alvermann, Boyd, Brozo, Hinchman, Moore, & Sturtevant,
2002). Calculations of monthly gross salary, monthly tax amounts, and formulating a monthly
budget could be considered.
Figure 4 displays a high school class Body Biography on Eddie, the main character in Buried Onions.

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The following steps should be undertaken to engage students in developing aesthetically powerful
Body Biographies on a novel character and any linkages to content area concepts being studied:
1. Have students in small groups cut a 7-foot-long sheet from a roll of paper. Place the sheet
on the floor and have one student lie down on it. Another student draws an outline of the
first students body on the paper.
2. Students in each small group then fill in the body outline with artistic representations of the
characters traits, relationships, motivations, and experiences. These may include relevant
quotations and original text about the character.

Figure 4. Body Biography

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Comprehension Strategies

Body Biographies require students to think carefully and reflectively about both content and
aesthetic details. The following concerns might underpin a rubric for evaluating students Body
Biographies:
Placement of the artwork is important. (For example, the heart in Figure 4 is actually an
onion and relates to the novel title and images of pain and tears.)
Students should be advised to help their audience visualize the characters virtues and vices.
Using color helps symbolize traits of the main character.
Using symbols also helps capture the characters essence.
Using poetry can be effective for portraying hidden dimensions of the character.
Consider contrasting the characters self-view with the views of others.
As most characters change across the events of a novel, consider using artwork to show this
transformation.

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Most young-adult novels have enough breadth to illuminate various concepts across multiple
content areas. Thus, teachers do not need to search specifically for a math novel. In addition
to the common themes of displacement and loss, many young-adult novels center on teens
transition from being dependent to being independent. As such, they are tremendous sites for
exploring a host of issues, including ecology and ethics in science, budgeting concepts in mathematics, alternative views of history, or paired readings with the classics. Because young-adult
novels can be read relatively quicklymost are about 125 pages long with high-interest readabilitythey can be used as a prelude to classical literature.
The final strategy to be considered is Dinner Party (Vogt, 2002), which was briefly introduced at
the beginning of this paper.

Dinner Party
Dinner Party assumes you could invite characters from a young-adult novel (or other forms of text)
to your home for dinner and conversation. The purpose of Dinner Party is for students to act in
the roles of specific characters in response to prompt questions and various roles. The following
steps reflect how I use Dinner Party to discuss crucial events in a novel and provide a role-playing
atmosphere:
1. Decide which characters from the novel will be part of a panel discussion. Generally, about
five or six characters, including some whose voices were silenced in the novel, is about
right. Create large nametags for each character so both the students role-playing and those
in the audience can identify who is speaking.
2. Assign one of the group members the role of moderator.
3. Provide an initial prompt question to get the discussion rolling.
4. Use an excerpt from the novel or a particularly conflict-ridden scene to engage students in
the discussion.
5. Debrief at the end of the role playing to illuminate any key issues that were revealed in the
discussion and any content area concepts that were clarified.
In the example that follows, an excerpt from David Klasss (1996) young-adult novel Danger Zone
shows how Dinner Party can be used to deal with issues of racism. Figure 5 illustrates the use of
this strategy in a social studies classroom.
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USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

Figure 5. Dinner Party

Danger Zone (p. 66)
Plot Summary: In the novel, Jimmy Doyle, who is from a small town in Minnesota, has been
chosen to play basketball on an American Dream Team slated to compete in Italy. In this scene,
he has just finished his first scrimmage with the team. Jimmy was selected to replace Devonne
Saunders, a star players cousin on the team. In this example, Augustus LeMay, the star AfricanAmerican player from south-central Los Angeles clashes with Jimmy.
You dont belong here, he [Augustus] said. Hes the guy who should be the other
starting guard ... but they dropped him.
I am white and Im from Minnesota. So what? I still dont get it. [Jimmy]
Its just that I dont have much patience with some rich, blond-haired stiff who
wouldnt last five minutes on any playground in this city. [Augustus]
I [Jimmy] lost all control and swung at him. (Klass, 1996, p. 66)

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They fight, and the coach has to break it up. In the Dinner Party discussion, students role-play
Jimmy, Augustus, the coach, and less prominent characters, including Jimmys mother, his girlfriend, and silenced characters, including Devonne, Augustuss dad (deceased), and others. The
prompt question for the moderator who starts the discussion is this: As coach, what would you
say in the locker room to Augustus and Jimmy following their fight, and what would you do to
quell racist attacks within your team?

In my experience, the level of engagement in Dinner Party is very high, sometimes lapsing into
Jerry-Springerlike dramatics. It is important to debrief and summarize the concepts learned from
the novel and their relation to the content of a specific content area. You may want to have
videotapes of the actual role playing to guide debriefing.

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Selecting Young-Adult Literature

SELECTING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE

Criteria for the selection of young-adult literature typically center on the following points
(Bushman & Haas, 2001):

Is the plot realistic and of interest to adolescents?

Are the characters dynamic and likely to appeal to adolescents?
Is the setting interesting but not overpowering?
Is the theme of the novel compelling and related to the human condition?

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You may wish to add to this list specific items that reflect your particular content area, including
science, mathematics, social studies, and so on.

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USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH

Although we have a number of studies describing literature teaching in English classrooms, there
are too few studies exploring the impact of young-adult literature on students content learning.
We need more classroom-based action research investigating students concept learning and
subsequent achievement in relation to their reading of young-adult novels along with traditional
texts and multimedia. For example, Connor (2003) reported a study in her English classroom
where, in a unit on minority authors and slavery, students read and responded to the compelling
black-and-white narrative paintings in The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo (Feelings,
1995). Connors used reader response to explore students responses to the book, including
evaluations of individual responses consisting of art, poetry writing, and a letter to the author.
Her action research found that students were highly engaged with this text, resulting in a more
complete grasp of history and context in which early African-American literature developed.
Thus, in her class, the inclusion of young-adult literature was a value-added dimension that
contributed to students content area learning. We need similar studies spanning other content
domains, including mathematics, science, and social studies.

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Learning Point Associates

Summary

SUMMARY
In this paper, I have offered a rationale for using young-adult literature to illuminate and reinforce
content area concepts. In addition, a useful taxonomy for creating discussion questions was
introduced. Five teaching strategies were illustrated spanning prereading, during-reading, and
postreading stages: Anticipation-Reaction Guides (prereading), Discussion Guides (during-reading),
ReQuest (during-reading), Body Biographies (postreading), and Dinner Party (postreading).

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Additional strategies and lists of young-adult novels by content area are available in the content
area reading textbook I use in my classes (Readence, Bean, & Baldwin, 2004).

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USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

REFERENCES
Agee, J. (2000). What is effective literature instruction? A study of experienced high school English
teachers in differing grade- and ability-level classes. Journal of Literacy Research, 32(3), 303348.
Alvermann, D., Boyd, F., Brozo, W., Hinchman, K., Moore, D., & Sturtevant, E. (2002). Principled practices
for a literate America: A framework for literacy and learning in the upper grades. New York: Carnegie
Corporation.
Angelis, J. (2003, Spring). Tracking and the literacy gap. English Update. Retrieved December 31, 2003,
from http://cela.albany.edu/newslet/spring03/spring03.pdf
Baldwin, R. S., Readence, J. E., & Bean, T. W. (2004). Targeted reading: Improving achievement in middle
and secondary grades. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
Bean, T. W. (2000). Reading in the content areas: Social constructivist dimensions. In M. L. Kamil,
P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 3, pp. 629644).
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Bean, T. W., & Moni, K. (2003). Developing students critical literacy: Exploring identity construction
in young adult fiction. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46(8), 638648.

multicultural young adult novel. Reading Research Quarterly, 36(3), 232248.

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Bean, T. W., & Rigoni, N. (2001). Exploring the intergenerational dialogue journal discussion of a

Bushman, J. H., & Haas, K. P. (2001). Using young adult literature in the English classroom (3rd ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice-Hall.
Connor, J. J. (2003). The textbooks never said anything about Adolescents respond to The Middle
Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 47(3), 240246.
Feelings, T. (1995). The middle passage: White ships/black cargo. New York: Dial.
Furi-Perry, U. (2003, April/May). Dude, that book was cool: The reading habits of young adults.
Reading Today. Retrieved December 31, 2003, from
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0HQZ/5_20/100046846/p1/article.jhtml?term=
Galda, L., & Liang, L. A. (2003). Literature as experience or looking for facts: Stance in the classroom.
Reading Research Quarterly, 38(2), 268275.
Gardiner, S. (2001, October). Ten minutes a day for silent reading. Educational Leadership, 59(2), 3235.
Herz, S. K., & Gallo, D. R. (1996). From Hinton to Hamlet: Building bridges between young adult literature
and the classics. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Hynd, C. (1999). Teaching students to think critically using multiple texts in history. Journal of
Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 42(6), 428436.

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References

Hynd, C. (2002, November). Using multiple texts to teach content. Paper presented at NCRELs Literacy
Research Network Annual Meeting, Naperville, IL.
Klass, D. (1996). Danger zone. New York: Scholastic.
Langer, J. A. (2001). Beating the odds: Teaching middle and high school students to read and write
well. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 837880.
Langer, J. A. (2003, Spring). Developing a literate mind. English Update. Retrieved December 31, 2003,
from http://cela.albany.edu/newslet/spring03/spring03.pdf
Lee, M. (1992). Finding my voice. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Lee, M. (1996). Necessary roughness. New York: Harper Collins.
Manzo, A. V. (1969). The ReQuest procedure. Journal of Reading, 13(2), 123126.
Micklethwait, J., & Wooldridge, A. (2000). A future perfect: The challenge and hidden promise of
globalization. New York: Crown Business.
Moore, D. W., Bean, T. W., Birdyshaw, D., & Rycik, J. A. (1999). Adolescent literacy: A position statement.

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Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Retrieved December 31, 2003, from
http://www.reading.org/pdf/1036.pdf
Naidoo, B. (2000). The other side of truth. New York: HarperCollins.
Readence, J. E., Bean, T. W., & Baldwin, R. S. (2004). Content area literacy: An integrated approach
(8th ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
Rogers, T., & Tierney, R. J. (2002). Intertextuality. In B. J. Guzzetti (Ed.), Literacy in America:
An encyclopedia of history, theory, and practice (p. 258). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1978). The reader, the text, the poem: The transactional theory of the literary work.
Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press.
Shiel, G., & Cosgrove, J. (2002). International perspectives on literacy: International assessments of
reading literacy. The Reading Teacher, 55(7), 690692.
Smagorinsky, P., & ODonnell-Allen, C. (1998). Reading as mediated and mediating action:
Composing meaning for literature through multimedia interpretive texts. Reading Research
Quarterly, 33(2), 198226.
Soto, G. (1997). Buried onions. New York: Scholastic.
Walker, N., & Bean, T. W. (2002, December). Sociocultural influences in content area teachers selection
and use of multiple texts. Paper presented at the 52nd annual National Reading Conference,
Miami, FL.

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USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

Wiesel, E. (1960). Night. New York: Bantam.

Woodson, J. (2002). Hush. New York: Putnam.
Vogt, M. (2000). Active learning: Dramatic play in the content areas. In M. McLaughlin & M.
Vogt (Eds.), Creativity and innovation in content area teaching (pp. 7390). Norwood, MA:
Christopher-Gordon.
Zusak, M. (2000). Fighting Ruben Wolfe. Norwood, South Australia, Australia: Scholastic.

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Additional Resources

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The American Library Association Web site lists the top 10 best books for young adults at
www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/bbya/2003top10best.html.
The Young Adult Library Services Association of the American Library Association offers a
Web site centered on teens at www.cyberteens.com.

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While a vast array of young-adult novels is now available, I suggest reading and working with a
single novel in your content area each year. Over time, you can expand your collection of relevant
titles. Look for highly lyrical, captivating language; interesting multidimensional characters; and
an absence of simplistic stereotypes. Each of the strategies introduced should help guide vibrant
discussions in your content areas.

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USING YOUNG-ADULT LITERATURE TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS

SUGGESTED TITLES
The whole area of young-adult literature continues to blossom with new novels coming out all the
time. I suggest starting small by getting to know some key sources you can use in your particular
content area. The titles that follow, for example, are books I am currently reading. They deal with
contemporary issues in social studies and other content fields.
Brooks, M. (2002). True confessions of a heartless girl. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Groundwood Books.
Life transitions in adolescence are explored in this novela book that could be used in
psychology.
Ellis, D. (2000). The breadwinner. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Groundwood Books.
This novel looks at life in Afghanistan from the perspective of a young girl and Taliban rule.
The book could be used in world history. Part of a trilogy, this opening novel is followed by
Parvanas Journey (2002) and Mud City (2003), both from Groundwood Books.
Flake, S. (2001). Money hungry. New York: Hyperion.
A homeless, 13-year-old girls life on the street forms the core of this award-winning, youngadult novela book that could be used to explore contemporary problems in social studies
and other content areas including mathematics and economics.

This novel deals with the discovery of an endangered butterfly in the logging country of
northern California. The main character endures the wrath of the logging community when

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Klass, D. (1994). California blue. New York: Scholastic.

its livelihood is threatened by his discovery. This book can be used in science to explore
environmental and ecological issues. It could also be used in social studies where citizenship
issues are examined.
Ryan, P. (2000). Esperanza rising. New York: Scholastic.
This novel chronicles a young girls life in a Mexican farm labor camp during the Great
Depression. The book lends itself to American history and other courses.
Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf.
Set in a dry lake bed, this suspenseful novel could accompany science or mathematics units,
as well as social studies. The recent release of a film version of the story makes the novel a
good choice for struggling adolescent readers as well.
Spinelli, J. (2000). Stargirl. New York: Knopf.
This novel goes to the heart of cliques in adolescent life and their impact on Stargirl. The
book could be used in psychology.

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