Nermin Magdy Badr
Young adult literature is a type of literature directed to ages 11-18 years. Interest in it has increased in the Arab world since 2000 AH.
It is noted that the audience for these books around the world is not only young people, but adults also read them, and it is considered a transitional stage between children’s books, books for young people, and novels. It paves the way for entry into the world of adult literature. Therefore, it is considered a very important stage in the life of a young reader, just as important as the stage of beginning reading at a young age. Either he accepts reading more, or he becomes alienated and stays away from it. He notices the lack of Arabic production at this stage, and also notices the effort some people are trying to put into it.
I will mainly talk here about the age group of 13-16 years, and what interests me is talking about topics that may excite this age group, and mentioning what I know of books for young people that are presented in the original Arabic language (i.e. not translated), and often one book discusses more than one idea. .
I would like to clarify that the books mentioned in the article are examples that some may like and others may not, and the criterion is the young person’s taste.
1- Friendship:
During adolescence, the teenager often prefers his friends to his family members, and replaces his friends from outside with them, and this relationship seems as if it will last forever, and usually these friendships do not last forever.
With the changes that occur in personality and desires at this stage, changes occur in relationships as well. Some friendships may continue despite challenges, and some may not.
Examples of some books:
Cappuccino
45 hours under the snow
Memories factory
2- Family, customs and traditions:
At this stage, the desire for stability is conflicted by the desire for change, to try everything new, and to deviate from the norm.
How do the young heroes deal with their families and stable customs in our stories? How do these habits shape their lives? How do they rebel against it? What is the role of social level, education, and gender roles in this?
Cappuccino
Dates and masala
Poinciana tree
Zein wedding
3- Detective stories:
Many young people love detective stories, and are excited by the plot that is driven by the search for the culprit in the crime. It is necessary in stories for this stage to show that good and evil are not as different as black and white (unlike childhood); Personalities are actually very complex, and society plays a major role in shaping them.
Examples:
My father is prisoner No. 118
Impossible Man (series)
Detective Story (Safari Series 50)
Death in a Drop (Special Issue of Future File)
4- Heroism and its true meaning:
A hero is not without flaws; Because it is unrealistic for a perfect human being to exist without defects, rather he has many defects until personality development occurs.
A hero in non-fantasy stories and fantasy worlds will sometimes have flaws and non-heroic qualities, unlike the never-defeating superheroes in classic old books; True heroism is not against the presence of shortcomings and defects in character.
Examples
The heart is behind the rib
Pharaoh 9.0
Louie on the tree
5- Young heroes in history:
A historical story whose main character is a young man who lived in an era, but in a way that affects the contemporary reader, his interests and problems, and the entire history may be imagined. As if the hero changes him, and all events change until the present time.
Pharaoh 9.0
The heart is just behind the rib
6- Science fiction:
These stories are often a template for social criticism, as they tell about technological progress, the suspicion of genes and genetic modifications, or the environment and its modifications.
You ask the question: What if? It usually warns us about the future if we continue with certain habits.
Examples
I want golden eyes
Paranormal (series)
Escape to death: Femtobyte
In the rat lane
Secret revealer
Norsana
Mandala
7- Imagined worlds, fantasy:
High fantasy and low fantasy
The writer draws a new world in all its aspects, and through it he talks about any topic, but through this world and its heroes; It can contradict any issue; Such as colonialism, the Lord of evil and good, envy, friendship, and love.
Examples:
Thunderbird three parts
Dreams (Fantasy Series)
Timur and the curse of the sea angel
8- Abuse and physical violence and the journey to recovery from it:
This is an important topic that we cannot ignore in young adult literature; It may discuss domestic violence, rape, peer violence, bullying, and other forms of violence that cause wounds in the victim's heart, changes in his outlook on life, and a journey to recovery that may be long or short.
Me and the group
outside the circle
Behind the mask
The next chair
They brought it
9- Accidents and diseases:
What may result from them, such as the hero losing a lover, friend, organ, or ability, and how he adapts to his new life.
10- Drugs:
Curiosity for new experiences and peer pressure are among the strongest causes of drug addiction. How does the drug affect the life of a young person, his relationship with his family, friends, and school?!
Examples
White asphalt
11- Animals and the environment:
Through it, the young person learns his relationship with animals or the environment, and life lessons and challenges he faces.
The one who lacks love gives it
12- The true meaning of beauty:
Through it, he knows whether beauty is only the external beauty or the internal beauty?
Examples
I'll start now, do you hear me?
The ogre and the bramble plant
13- Break the silence and talk about the problem:
Many young people are exposed to disturbing problems that they prefer not to talk about.
My code name is Butterfly
Emergency leave
King's fez
14- Crimes; Robbery, murder, suicide, etc.
Examples:
My Grandma's Guide to Killing Bastards
15- Love relationships:
It talks about successful or failed relationships, sad or funny.
charming
Bogdana
Youth dreams
16- Illness or disability and the challenges of normal life for the hero of the story or those close to him.
Examples
Unique
My appointment with the light
Bungay the Healer
17- Psychological and emotional problems and confronting them:
Some teenagers are exposed to stress and trauma that may lead to depression, and adults usually do not feel its seriousness.
Examples:
Mela pear
Planet of the absurd
What's wrong with you? 3 parts
They brought it
18- Work (job):
Sometimes a teenager may need to work to gain experience, to help his parents, or because he has to; He may work in a family company, or for others; It faces several challenges; Play, work, salary, responsibilities.
Some young people may grow up in an environment that pressures them toward specific work and imposes specific duties on them.
Examples:
Maryam's throat
charming
Memo
19- The impact of the elderly on the lives of young people:
Such as relationships with grandfather and grandmother or something similar to them; They are sometimes less stressful than the relationship with parents, or relationships with older people whom they meet on an adventure, in a hospital, or at work, and from whom they may learn experiences, history, skills, or the face of old age, illness, and death.
Examples:
Who is this doll for?
The house and the palm tree
20- Absence of parents:
A young person may be separated from his parents due to educational travel, for example, and have a private life. Sometimes a young person loses his family due to death, divorce, orphanage, or mental illness, and the young person learns how to challenge this void in his life. Such as a teenager pushing his parents out of his life, or sometimes running away.
Examples:
Memories factory
Maryam's throat
21- Parental dominance:
How does the young person feel and behave towards him? Does he obey him or rebel against him?
Smile to be stronger
22- Challenges of poverty:
Poverty and the sacrifices that are made to keep the family going, and will the young man support his family? How will he do that? Will this be within his capacity or more than he can bear?
Examples:
charming
A little escape
Zein wedding
23- Spiritual and religious life:
Where is the mind in religion? Evolution and its relationship to religion, is the message true? And other ideas may turn a young person's life upside down. Will he find someone to answer his doubts or will he fall into the clutches of atheism? Adolescence is a period of fertile pasture for questions, and religious deviation may break up the family.
Examples
Youth dreams
24- Life in school:
Sports, relationships, interaction, fighting, boredom.
Examples:
Louie on the tree
King's fez
25- Strange creatures are sweeping the Earth and must be confronted.
26- The effect of war:
Life amidst the flames of war, migration to the country and asylum, challenges of housing and money, and adaptation.
Examples:
The sun will rise, even after a while
Men in the sun
Anemone
I saw Ramallah
The story of the secret of oil
27- The era of technology:
The penetration of social networking sites and the Internet into young people’s privacy, life and time, and its negative and positive effects.
Examples:
Planet of the absurd
28- Hobbies and interests in the hero’s life:
It may coincide with a journey of self-discovery.
Examples:
Dates and masala
Smile to be stronger
29- Dystopia/Utopia:
Literature based on science fiction or fantasy, imagining a dystopian or ideal world and their causes.
Examples:
I want golden eyes
Utopia
30- Horror stories.
Examples: Paranormal (series)
31- Adventures
Examples
Deaton
