Multiple Selves and Multiple Sites of Influence: Perceptions of Young Adult Literature in the Classroom

Young adult literature (YAL) is one of the most engaging and effective tools to promote the goal of lifelong literacy for middle and high school students. This article addresses the stakes of exploring-or failing to explore-common perceptions and misperceptions of YAL. Readers' lives as family members, consumers, and students play roles in their judgment of the validity of YAL and in turn its validity for classroom study. Similarly, perceptions of YAL can depend on the various settings, or sites, of learning, including libraries, homes, and school settings. This article encourages all educators-those of preservice teachers as well as pre-K-12 teachers-to be aware of how their students' and their own perceptions of classroom materials are influenced by multiple selves as well as multiple sites of influence.