Before reading Sarigianides, Petrone, and Lewis, I don't think I had ever really stopped to think about adolescence as something that has been socially constructed. Like many educators, I often thought about adolescence in terms of developmental stages and the characteristics that are commonly associated with teenagers. What stood out to me most in these readings is the idea that many of the assumptions we have about adolescents—being emotional, irrational, peer-obsessed, or rebellious—are not necessarily natural truths but expectations that society has created and reinforced over time. The authors argue that we should ask, "How do texts represent adolescents?" rather than simply accepting those portrayals as reality.
As I reflected on the books we've read this semester, that question completely changed the way I viewed many of the characters.
One novel that immediately came to mind was The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky. Before reading about the Youth Lens, I might have described Brett as a teenager struggling with identity, body image, grief, and mental health. While that's true, I now see that his challenges are not simply the result of him being an adolescent. Brett is carrying an incredible amount of emotional weight while trying to cope with his mother's cancer diagnosis, his eating disorder, and feelings of isolation. A Youth Lens helps me recognize that Brett's struggles are connected to real circumstances, not some stereotype of what it means to be a teenager. Instead of seeing him as overly emotional or confused, I see him as a young person navigating situations that would be difficult for anyone. This reminds me of the discussion in the text about Holden Caulfield, where students learned to see him not as whiny but as someone responding to unrealistic social expectations.
I found myself thinking similarly about Cassie in Messy Perfect. Cassie spends so much of the novel trying to be what everyone expects her to be—the perfect student, daughter, and Catholic teenager. Through a Youth Lens, her story becomes less about a teenager "finding herself" and more about a young person pushing back against social expectations that limit who she can be. The authors explain that adolescents are often positioned as people who are still becoming rather than people whose experiences matter in the present. Cassie's journey challenged that idea for me because her experiences, struggles, and decisions are meaningful right now, not just as preparation for adulthood.
As I think back to other books we've read, I see similar patterns. In Look Both Ways, the characters are not simply focused on peers or typical adolescent concerns. Many of them are dealing with illness, family responsibilities, fear, and personal challenges. In Fighting Words, Della and Suki are carrying trauma and navigating foster care while trying to reclaim their voices. In Monday's Not Coming, Claudia's determination to find her missing friend highlights how often society ignores certain young people. These characters challenge the stereotypes that adolescents are self-centered or incapable of serious thought. Instead, they demonstrate resilience, empathy, courage, and agency.
What I appreciate most about the Youth Lens is that it amplifies adolescents' humanity. The readings point out that society often portrays young people through deficit perspectives—as irresponsible, immature, or irrational. When we apply a Youth Lens, we begin questioning those assumptions. We look at what pressures young people are facing, how institutions shape their experiences, and whose versions of adolescence are being represented.
For me, this has definitely complicated my thinking as a teacher. I've always valued young adult literature because it provides representation, builds empathy, and helps students see themselves in texts. However, these readings pushed me to think about YA literature on another level. It's not enough to ask whether students can relate to a character. I also need to consider what messages the text is communicating about adolescence itself.
As teachers, we are not just teaching books; we are teaching ideas about young people. Sarigianides, Petrone, and Lewis remind us that YA literature can either reinforce stereotypes about adolescents or challenge them. That realization has made me think more carefully about the conversations I facilitate in my classroom. I want my students to question how youth are represented in literature and in society. I want them to see that many of the labels placed on adolescents are not universal truths but social expectations they can challenge and resist.
Ultimately, these readings reinforced something I have learned throughout this course: adolescents are far more complex than the stereotypes that often define them. The books we've read consistently show young people demonstrating resilience, compassion, courage, and critical thinking. As a middle grades ELA teacher, I think the Youth Lens helps me honor those complexities and better understand both the literature I teach and the students sitting in front of me every day.
References
Sarigianides, S. T. (n.d.). Teaching canonic high school literature through a youth lens: Reading adolescence in The Catcher in the Rye.
Sarigianides, S. T., Petrone, R., & Lewis, M. A. (n.d.). The teaching/s of young adult literature: Using a youth lens to analyze adolescence in YAL.
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