Ruth Graham's Against YA Books

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Recommended: Significant in young adult literature

Age is Just a Number Why can’t adults read YA books? Why are adults getting judge because, of the books they choose to read? Ruth Graham stated in her slate article “Against YA” that “Adults who read YA books should feel embarrassed.”(Graham) Ruth Graham gives some good information on why they shouldn’t but she lacked a lot of support behind her opinions. The type of book genres you read does not define you as an adult or teenager. Adults should be able to read whatever type of genre they feel the need to. Different people have their own opinions on why they think Ruth Graham is wrong. When Ruth Graham Published her article “Against YA” in June of 2014 author Elisabeth Donnelly released an article following up Ruth’s’ as a condescending. In …show more content…

Author Hillary Kelly in “In Praise of Reading Whatever the Hell You Want” defended YA literature not as a writer but as a strong reader of the literature. She stated that she would “keep rereading the Harry Potter books until she died”. That statement right lets us know that she is an adult who reads YA literature. She does not read it because it’s easy. She reads it because she has a connection with the books inside the YA genre. Hillary bashes Ruth for making the YA literate look “ridiculous”. Hillary also believes that Ruth does not really know what YA literature is about. Hillary attacks Ruth at her weak details within her essay. Hillary says “Graham claims that unlike adult books, YA books have “satisfying” endings.”(Kelly) In Hillary eyes Ruth does not list any books that talk about stuff that actually goes on in the world (real life events). Hillary believes that Ruth is just attacking adult YA readers at their academic level and not really looking to understand why the books are being read by the adults. Ruth sets all adults that read YA literature on the same pedestal and does not give them any separation or differences. Ruth is doing the minimum work of looking at people who read YA literature. If Ruth wants people to consider her argument she has to come with some better facts on why adults actually read YA literature. Hillary makes the statement that “she has to understand why they want to actually revisit there childhood literature”.

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