This is a short introductory presentation made to K-12 Language Arts and English teachers during a workshop presentation June 2009 at Montclair State University. My presentation dealt with using popular YA literature as a bridge to canonical, classic literatures.

1. Today’s Young
Adult
Literature:
Bridges to the classics & Stand-Alone readings

2. We want our students
to enjoy reading...

3. That’s one of the
International Reading
Association/NCTE
Standards
12. Students use spoken, written, and visual
language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for
learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange
of information).

4. So, what do your
students read for
PLEASURE?

5. Odds are--
they read
and enjoyed
Stephanie Meyer’s
Twilight series

7. Can we use
books like
Twilight in our
English
Curriculum?
with validity & authenticity

8. We know that pairing texts
with similar themes “works”
I’m sure you can put any number of texts in this list

9. We know that pairing texts
with similar themes “works”
• Romeo & Juliet with West Side Story
I’m sure you can put any number of texts in this list

10. We know that pairing texts
with similar themes “works”
• Romeo & Juliet with West Side Story
• Hamlet with Siddhartha and Things Fall Apart
I’m sure you can put any number of texts in this list

11. We know that pairing texts
with similar themes “works”
• Romeo & Juliet with West Side Story
• Hamlet with Siddhartha and Things Fall Apart
• Julius Caesar with Animal Farm
I’m sure you can put any number of texts in this list

12. We know that pairing texts
with similar themes “works”
• Romeo & Juliet with West Side Story
• Hamlet with Siddhartha and Things Fall Apart
• Julius Caesar with Animal Farm
• The Age of Innocence with Ethan Frome
I’m sure you can put any number of texts in this list

13. We know that pairing texts
with similar themes “works”
• Romeo & Juliet with West Side Story
• Hamlet with Siddhartha and Things Fall Apart
• Julius Caesar with Animal Farm
• The Age of Innocence with Ethan Frome
• The Scarlet Letter with Anna Karenina
I’m sure you can put any number of texts in this list

14. This is another
NJCCCS
• 3.1.12.H.9 Read and compare at least two works,
including books, related to the same genre, topic, or
subject and produce evidence of reading (e.g.,
compare central ideas, characters, themes, plots,
settings) to determine how authors reach similar or
different conclusions.

15. By using
popular
coming of age
literature
like Twilight, students
may be more likely to
remain engaged and to
find the applicability of
canonical literature to
their lives.

16. But, how do we integrate
Meyer’s Book into the
curriculum?

17. Can we find
ways to
work with
these 4
Coming of
Age texts?

18. Let’s discuss this...
as we try to cluster together several
popular Coming of Age
texts with the required, canonical &
AP texts in our curriculum