ENG 616 (World Literature in English): International Young Adult Literature

Dr. Patricia Bloem

What do children and young adults from other parts of the world read as they grow into adulthood?  What do their texts say to them and about them?  In this course we will read, discuss, and write about books from around the globe, many of which come to us through translation, many of which illuminate cultural or historical events that are far from our American experience and reading repertoire. We will read both classic texts, such as the novel Salmon Rushdie wrote for his son, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, as well as lesser known books, such as Sijie’s novel on Chinese Cultural Revolution, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. International young adult literature offers us opportunities to examine the intersection of ideology and theory with great story telling.