This chapter really shows how important it is for students to develop strong, reliable reading skills beyond just quick reading and skimming. With so much reading going on online (that is not often taken into account as real reading), teenagers sometimes miss out on deep understanding and critical thinking. It makes you realize how we need to focus more on teaching meaningful and engaged reading to prepare them for realistic challenges.

I really loved Answers in the Pages and how it addresses book banning in a way that feels authentic and relatable for middle school ages. Levithan shows how assumptions about a story can cause issues, especially when it involves characters of different identity groups. It‘s a perfect reminder of why it‘s so important for kids to see themselves in books and have the freedom to read what matters to them. This helps them really grow as individuals.

I find it interesting and a little ironic that young adult literature is thriving while many still claim young adults aren't reading. This shows how the issue isn‘t just a lack of reading, but is a disconnect between what adults define as “real” reading and what young people want to read. I believe that if we give students more choice and let them read what‘s relevant to their lives when we can, they‘ll be more motivated and confident readers.

Martín's memoir is very relatable, especially for students navigating different cultural identities. The mix of humor and vulnerability makes the story so much more meaningful, while the visuals also add such emotional depth. It‘s a great way to explore underrepresented voices and encourage personal reflection. This text also invites students to reflect on their own stories while appreciating voices that have been underrepresented in literature.

It‘s so interesting how the idea of 'young adulthood' wasn‘t even fully recognized until the 20th century, and now we have a whole entire genre built for it. As English teachers, I also think it‘s so important to understand that YAL doesn‘t just entertain, but it also gives students in this age group a space to see themselves, question, and navigate the world, and figure out who they are becoming as individuals, which is really cool.

I found it interesting how Cart describes each “phase“ of life in young men and women, and how each group aims to find reflection in what they read. Many approaches were taken to escalate these groups' reading experiences, from educational reforms and psychological theories to publishing strategies and cultural shifts. Young adulthood was shaped by more than just research (also society, history, etc.), which was really interesting.

Isaiah's story in “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn“ was very moving and eye-opening in my opinion. We see Isaiah through his struggles of poverty, grief, being in a broken home, and family struggles. Through these challenges, he manages to find purpose, hope, and fortitude through his writing. I think it was really beautiful how he was able to connect with his father through his words and memories.

“But the time you spent on the actual court, you'll realize, was nowhere near as important as the time you spent in the bleachers,“ (de la Peña).

This quote from the story fully encapsulates the essence of what the narrator was trying to express. It just really shows the audience the importance of his journey rather than his end goal of being a great ball player, which is so important to the overall theme.

When I began reading the first story, I was really shocked at how relatable and personal this story felt. I believe that the second-person point of view was a very high contributor to this effect, and it made following along a lot easier and realistic. What really caught my attention in this story was how specific and detailed the narration of emotion was. The way the protagonist took us through both his defeat and his triumph was really special.