While children's literature meets the developmental needs of children grades K-6, adolescent literature  meets the developmental needs of middle and high school ages (grades 6-12).  Participants will learn about adolescent literature in an historical perspective, young adult development in reading, and genres with representative authors and selection criteria.  Participants will read and critique a variety of genres, developing a knowledge base of a variety of current authors, themes, and classroom uses.  Course credits contribute to minimum coursework expectations for teaching endorsements in middle level humanities and secondary English/Language Arts.