Michael Cart

Comprehensive and substantial … a highly recommended resource," raved VOYA about the third edition. Now, to keep pace with changes in the field of publishing and realign itself to the newest generation of young adults, Cart returns with a sweeping update of his classic text. Relied upon by educators, LIS instructors and students, and practitioners for its insight and thoroughness, his book:surveys the landscape of YA lit both past and present, sketching out its origins and showing how it has evolved to deal with subjects every bit as complex as its audience;closely examines teen demographics, literacy, audiobooks, the future of print, the role of literary criticism, and other key topics;provides updated coverage of perennially popular genre fiction, including horror, sci fi, and dystopian fiction;delves deeply into multicultural and LGBTQIA literature, substantially updated in this edition;features expansive interviews with best-selling authors like Eric Shanower, Jackie Woodson, and Bill Konigsberg as well as several publishers and leaders in the field;discusses the impact of the Printz Award, ALAN's Walden Award, the National Book Award, The Los Angeles Times Book Award, and other honors; andfeatures abundant bibliographic material to aid in readers' advisory and collection development.In its newest edition, this "shrewd and thorough survey" (ARBA) is a must-have for everyone who wants to understand where YA lit has been and where it's heading.

Discussions of gender and sexuality have become part of mainstream conversations and are being reflected in the work of more and more writers of fiction, particularly in literature aimed at young adult audiences. But young readers, regardless of their sexual orientation, don’t always know what books offer well-rounded portrayals of queer characters and situations. Fortunately, finding positive role models in fiction that features LGBTQ+ themes has become less problematic, though not without its challenges. In Representing the Rainbow in Young Adult Literature: LGBTQ+ Content since 1969, Christine Jenkins and Michael Cart provide an overview of the literary landscape. An expanded version of The Heart Has Its Reasons, this volume charts the evolution of YA literature that features characters and themes which resonate not only with LGBTQ+ readers but with their allies as well. In this resource, Jenkins and Cart identify titles that are notable either for their excellence—accurate, thoughtful, and tactful depictions—or deficiencies—books that are wrongheaded, stereotypical, or outdated. Each chapter has been significantly updated, and this edition also includes new chapters on bisexual, transgender, and intersex issues and characters, as well as chapters on comics, graphic novels, and works of nonfiction. This book also features an annotated bibliography and a number of author-title lists of books discussed in the text that will aid teachers, librarians, parents, and teen readers. Encompassing a wider array of sexual identities, Representing the Rainbow in Young Adult Literature is an invaluable resource for young people eager to read about books relevant to them and their lives.

For more than 20 years, Michael Cart’s column for Booklist has delighted YA literature enthusiasts and bibliophiles in general with an engaging mixture of wit, insight, and good old fashioned publishing industry gossip. Spotlighting Cart’s unique perspective as both devoted book reviewer and self-proclaimed book addict, this “Carte Blanche” compilation offers readers the chance to trace the blossoming of YA lit into a bona fide phenomenon that continues to grow in popularity. In the columns gathered here, he exploresreading, writing, and book collections and collecting;the past, present and future of YA lit;a multitude of genres, including historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, humor, and comics; andmemories of notable figures in the world of publishing through tributes and memorials.These pieces remain as engaging and fun to read as when they first appeared.

Powerful, riveting, real. Sixteen celebrated authors bring us raw, insightful stories that explore guns and teens in a fiction collection that is thought provoking and emotionally gripping. For fans of Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock and Give a Boy a Gun, and with an array of YA talent like the late great Walter Dean Myers, the poetic Joyce Carol Oates, the prophetic Elizabeth Wein, and the gritty Chris Crutcher, these are evocative voices that each has a different perspective to give. Capturing the hurt and the healing, victims and perpetrators, these stories get to the heart of the matter. From a boy whose low self-esteem is impacted when a gun comes into his possession to a student recalling a senseless tragedy that befell a favorite teacher, from a realistic look at hunting to a provocative look at a family that defies stereotypes, each emotional story stirs the debate to new levels. The juxtaposition of guns and their consequences offers moving tales, each a reminder of how crucial the question of guns in our society is, and the impact they have on all of us. Other acclaimed contributors are Marc Aronson, Edward Averett, Francesca Lia Block, Alex Flinn, Gregory Galloway, Jenny Hubbard, Peter Johnson, Ron Koertge, Chris Lynch, Eric Shanower, Will Weaver, and Tim Wynne-Jones.

Cart’s authoritative survey is already a go-to text for students of literary studies, teachers, and YA staff. In this new edition he gives it a thorough update to make it even more relevant and comprehensive. Surveying the landscape of YA lit both past and present, this booksketches in the origins of literature targeted at young adults;shows how the best of the genre has evolved to deal with subjects every bit as complex as its audience;closely examines teen demographics, literacy, audiobooks, the future of print, and other key topics;includes updated treatment of best-selling authors like John Green, Suzanne Collins, and Veronica Roth, plus interviews with leaders in the field;presents new and expanded coverage of perennially popular genre fiction, including horror, sci fi, and dystopian fiction;offers an updated overview of LGBTQ literature for young adults, including Intersex;covers such commercial trends as adult purchasers of YA books and the New Adult phenomenon; andfeatures abundant bibliographic material to aid in readers’ advisory and collection development. Cart’s up-to-date coverage makes this the perfect resource for YA librarians who want to sharpen their readers’ advisory skills, educators and teachers who work with young people, and anyone else who wants to understand where YA lit has been and where it’s heading.

Michael Cart shares the poignant story of eighteen-year-old Andy Logan as he reflects on the tender moments and personal struggles he has faced while growing up. As Andy settles into his first year of college, he can't help but reflect on the struggles, events, and experiences that brought him to this point. As a fearsome and skittish little boy, Andy faced bullying and teasing for the entirety of his youth. Now, as an independent and strong young man, he considers the people and lessons learned that brought him to a place where he is confident and comfortable being himself. "Cart joints the rank of YA novelists with a courageous if not entirely successful story about a gay youth's coming of age..." - Publishers Weekly

Author of the bestseller Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism, Cart applies his considerable expertise as columnist and critic for Booklist to identifying 200 exceptional adult books that will satisfy a variety of young adults’ recreational reading tastes. Based on the notoriously choosy reading interests of today’s older young adults, this useful book Features only the best of the best—no cheesy star bios or chick lit lite hereCovers a wide range of genres, from graphic novels and real-life adventures to romance and speculative fictionIncludes numerous read-alikes and related-titles lists, making it a great tool for both collection development and readers’ advisoryMakes finding a great book easy, with multiple indexes and thorough annotation Cart’s roundup of high-quality titles, put together with insight and obvious affection, spotlights hundreds of great books for a hard-to-satisfy audience.

Today's young adult literature is every bit as complex as the audience it's written for, unflinchingly addressing such topics as homosexuality, mental illness, AIDS and drug abuse. In this much expanded revision of his 1996 book, veteran author Michael Cart shows how the best of contemporary YA lit has evolved to tackle such daunting subjects without resorting to sensationalism. He brings his historical survey of this category fully up to date, covering its explosive growth in the past decade, and advocating that librarians and teachers look beyond romance and horror when advising young adults. This survey helps YA librarians who want to freshen up their readers' advisory skills, teachers who use novels in the classroom, and adult services librarians who increasingly find themselves addressing the queries of teen patrons by covering the following: Reading habits of today's teens, Influence of new technologies and formats, New YA lit awards, This insightful and often humorous work presents the evolution of YA lit in an appealing way, making it equally useful for students of literary studies. You'll definitely update your recommended ""to read"" lists after a spin through Cart's advisory.

A girl thought to be a boy steals her sister's skirt, while a boy thought to be a girl refuses to wear a cornflower blue dress. One boy's love of a soldier leads to the death of a stranger. The present takes a bittersweet journey into the past when a man revisits the summer school where he had "an accidental romance." And a forgotten mother writes a poignant letter to the teenage daughter she hasn't seen for fourteen years.Poised between the past and the future are the stories of now. In nontraditional narratives, short stories, and brief graphics, tales of anticipation and regret, eagerness and confusion present distinctively modern views of love, sexuality, and gender identification. Together, they reflect the vibrant possibilities available for young people learning to love others--and themselves--in today's multifaceted and quickly changing world.

Society does not make it easy for young people, regardless of their sexual orientation, to find accurate, nonjudgmental information about homosexuality. It makes it even more difficult for young homosexuals to find positive role models in fiction either written or published expressly for them or—if published for adults—relevant to them and their lives. The Heart Has Its Reasons examines these issues and critically evaluates the body of literature published for young adults that offers homosexual themes and characters. Cart and Jenkins chart the evolution of the field of YA literature having GLBTQ (gay/lesbian/bisexual, transgendered, and/or queer/questioning) content. They identify titles that are remarkable either for their excellence or failures, noting the stereotypic, wrongheaded, and outdated books as well as the accurate, thoughtful, and tactful titles. Useful criteria for evaluating books with GLBTQ content are provided. Books and resources of all types are reviewed based on a model that uses the category descriptors of Homosexual Visibility, Gay Assimilation, and Queer Consciousness/Community. An annotated bibliography and a number of author-title lists of books discussed in the text arranged by subject round out this valuable reference for teachers, librarians, parents, and young adults.

A girl is terrified of her older sister's dual personality. A boy adjusts to his life with two mothers. A father visits his son on death row. These are stories of today's families as they really are.Noted anthologist Michael Cart has asked celebrated young adult authors the question "What does 'family' mean today?" The ten resulting stories provide illuminating -- and surprising -- answers. Here family is defined by the connections between all kinds of people -- and the necessary noise they make.

The first volume in a new annual series presents the finest literature from mainstream and alternative American periodicals, including both fiction and nonfiction dealing with a broad spectrum of subject matter from magazines ranging from The New Yorker and Rolling Stone to The Onion. Simultaneous. 40,000 first printing.