Text Complexity and Young Adult Literature

Abstract

Preparing students for college and careers in the 21st century has shed light on text complexity as an important variable for consideration in English Language Arts. Authors of The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) define text complexity as broad, highlighting qualitative, rather than quantitative evaluations of narrative fiction as appropriate for matching readers with texts. The text exemplar list published in the appendices of the CCSS, does not include contemporary works of young adult literature. Young adult literature can be used in English Language Arts classrooms to fulfill the expectations of the CCSS while meeting the appropriate qualitative evaluations of texts students in middle and high school grades are expected to read. This article examines qualitative evaluations of three works of young adult literature that are not only textually complex as defined by authors of the CCSS, but appropriate and engaging for adolescent identity and development.