Young Adult Books for Teachers and Librarians

Enhance your teaching skills using contemporary young adult (YA) literature to connect with content-area curriculum in grades 6-12.
In this Section

Our Young Adult (YA) Literature in the Reading Program online course will enhance your teaching skills using contemporary literature with implementation ideas for grades 6-12 curriculum, reading motivation, and diverse learning communities.

Register now to reserve a spot.
There is no registration fee to reserve a class.

Online Course
Three semester hours of graduate credit 

Instructor:  Teri Massie

Fall: September 9 - November 15, 2024
Tuition: $476 per semester hour graduate credit ($1,428 for a three-credit course)
Fall Tuition Due:  TBA

Spring: January 16 - March 29, 2024
Tuition: $476 per semester hour graduate credit ($1,428 for a three-credit course)
Spring Tuition Due:  February 28, 2024

Summer: June 9 - August 10, 2024
Tuition: $476 per semester hour graduate credit ($1,428 for a three-credit course)
Spring Tuition Due: July 17, 2024

If you need a copy of the syllabus for your employer to approve enrollment in the class, email: Online Professional Development.

We invite you to enroll in our Young Adult Literature course to meet your professional development goals if you need a license renewal, graduate credits, or just a refresher course.

Our online course allows you to complete your weekly assignments as they best fit your schedule. All discussion postings and projects are submitted online.

RDGED 704 Young Adult Literature in the Reading Program includes:

  • Suggestions for a diverse array of contemporary literature and challenging informational texts in a range of subjects.
  • The role of young adult literature to their culture and development and to build knowledge toward developing a curriculum that promotes a progressive development of reading comprehension.
  • The inclusion of classic myths and stories from around the world.
  • Reading as a means of developing vocabularies and conventions of language.
  • Integration of technology with literature-related activities.
  • Determination of the reading interests, needs, and abilities of children.
  • Reading, listening, and viewing guidance in the classroom, in school, and in public libraries.
  • Recent developments in contemporary literature for young adults.
  • Contemporary literature published within the past five years, emphasizing curriculum, reading motivation, and connecting to previously published (and readily available) classic/popular titles.

We invite you to enroll in our course to meet your professional development goals if you need license renewal, graduate credits, transfer credits to another university or reading certification program, or a refresher course.

Our students include:

  • Middle and high school English teachers
  • School library media specialists
  • Talented and gifted teachers
  • Special education teachers
  • Classroom teachers
  • Reading teachers
  • Reading interventionists
  • Reading specialists
  • Title I reading teachers

This is one of the required courses for individuals pursuing reading teacher certification, Wisconsin #1316

This course is an approved elective in the Master of Science in Education online degree program. 

Course Description

Encourage critical thinking in teenage readers.  Explore genres of young adult books and their use in the classroom curriculum. Create and share community involvement opportunities in building a literacy environment and design lesson plans and classroom activities to improve reading comprehension and meet the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

How do I register?

Complete the Online Registration Form.

When is the registration deadline?

Reserve your spot now. This program is top-rated, and courses fill well before the start date. This course is offered three times each year (spring, summer, and fall).

Withdrawal and Refund Policy

E-textbooks

An e-textbook will be provided when you log in to the course.

McElmeel, S. (2021). The Ultimate Guide: Literature for Teens (1st ed.). Reading Trove Publishing/McBookwords, L.L.C. ISBN-13: 978-0578247403 (paperback) ASIN: 0578247402 e-book 

Participants will be asked to read widely in the area of young adult literature.  The focus is on contemporary literature published within the past five years.

Specific titles will not be required, but readings on each topic or genre will be required to successfully participate in the class discussion.

Our Students Say. . .

"...a fabulous class! Hands down the best class I have taken, including those in my library master's program! Great discussions among class members that help us think about the importance of helping young people become readers!" 
~Sue Knopp, Library Technology Educator, Doherty High School, Colorado Springs

"This class truly rejuvenated me! I have many new ideas, new authors, and even a new (to me!) genre to use in the classroom. Out of the 18 credits I have taken in the last four years this has (by far) been the most well-organized, most fun, and most valuable to me as an educator. "
~ Juliet Corbett, Middle School Language Arts (5-8), Art, and Physical Science Teacher, Park Falls, Wisconsin

"I appreciated being able to have real conversations about race, class, book banning, censorship, diversity, etc...Your class epitomizes that literacy can bring us together." 
 ~ Wendy Smith, Academic Literacy Coach, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"YA Literature allows you to build a solid classroom library that includes a variety of genres and styles to meet the interest of every type of reader. "
~ Carolyn Mertz, Menomonie Middle School, Menomonie, Wisconsin

"The most valuable things I gained through the course were new book titles, new ideas and new perspectives – this has probably been the most useful class I've ever taken! I also enjoyed the online format."
- Wendy K. Baldwin, M.A. English degree student, Nashville, Tennessee 

"My students will benefit (even more than me) from all of this "exploration" as I will be book talking all of these books within the next month."
Evelyn Campbell, Middle School - Language Arts and World Geography Teacher, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

No travel to campus - 100% Online
  • Participate 24/7 from your home or work computer during hours that are best for your work and family schedule.
  • The class is highly interactive with a significant discussion component.
  • All discussion postings, projects, and assignments will be submitted via the course discussion board and Dropbox.
  • Activities are conducted according to a schedule with specific due dates each week.
  • There are no required "live" chat sessions.
  • This is not a self-paced class.