Selecting Novels
You will select and read two (2) young adult novels that address diverse perspectives and populations of young adolescents. For each novel, you will complete a reading review and response that incorporates critical perspectives. A suggested list of titles is provided in the galleries below.
Milner Library and our larger I-Share library group have PLENTY of copies of these titles from which you can borrow! You DO NOT have to purchase the 2 books you'll read for your analysis.
Suggested YA Novels - Available at Milner
Suggested YA Novels - Available through I-Share
Analyzing Novels
For your two diverse YA novels you select to analyze, you are asked to provide information on seven key factors:
- Reference information: Provide the correct APA reference for your novel.
- Lexile Ranking: Provide the Lexile ranking for your novel using NoveList Plus.
- Reason for choosing this novel?: Briefly discuss why you chose this novel? (e.g., relates to you personally, sounded interesting, recommendation)
- Brief summary of novel: Provide a brief (1 paragraph) overview/synopsis of the novel.
- Main character(s): Provide description/discuss of main character(s).
- Issue(s) of diversity and/or culture: How does this novel relate to our course content?
- What was your reaction to this novel?: Briefly summarize your reaction to this novel. Would you recommend this novel? Why or why not?
In order to answer some of these questions you will need to consult NoveList Plus. Directions on how to use NoveList Plus are included below for your guidance.
Analyzing Novels with NoveList Plus
NoveList Overview
NoveList Plus is a database of literature that provides synopses and reviews of books, teaching ideas, and a Lexile Ranking (independent readability).
Watch the NoveList Plus Overview video to learn about how to find NoveList on the Milner website and an overview of the main features on NoveList.
You can also open the NoveList Plus database directly using the link below.
Looking up a Book
Watch the Basic Search for a Title Video to learn about how to search for a book by title on NoveList Plus.
Then, try searching for your book.
Find and Interpret the Lexile Number
Watch the Determining Readability of a Text/Lexile Levels Video to learn about where to find a book's lexile number on NoveList Plus and how to convert that to an approximate grade level.
Then, find the lexile number for your book and use the chart below to understand more about what that lexile number means.
Advanced Searching
Watch the Advanced Searching Video in NoveList to get an overview of search limits (date, audience, grade, awards, etc.), how to narrow results, and find related lists and articles.