Comprehensive and substantial … a highly recommended resource," raved VOYA about the third edition. Now, to keep pace with changes in the field of publishing and realign itself to the newest generation of young adults, Cart returns with a sweeping update of his classic text. Relied upon by educators, LIS instructors and students, and practitioners for its insight and thoroughness, his book:

• surveys the landscape of YA lit both past and present, sketching out its origins and showing how it has evolved to deal with subjects every bit as complex as its audience;
• closely examines teen demographics, literacy, audiobooks, the future of print, the role of literary criticism, and other key topics;
• provides updated coverage of perennially popular genre fiction, including horror, sci fi, and dystopian fiction;
• delves deeply into multicultural and LGBTQIA literature, substantially updated in this edition;
• features expansive interviews with best-selling authors like Eric Shanower, Jackie Woodson, and Bill Konigsberg as well as several publishers and leaders in the field;
• discusses the impact of the Printz Award, ALAN's Walden Award, the National Book Award, The Los Angeles Times Book Award, and other honors; and
• features abundant bibliographic material to aid in readers' advisory and collection development.

In its newest edition, this "shrewd and thorough survey" (ARBA) is a must-have for everyone who wants to understand where YA lit has been and where it's heading.

Michael Cart is a nationally known expert in young adult literature, which he taught at UCLA before his recent relocation to the Midwest. A columnist and reviewer for ALA's Booklist magazine, he is also the author or editor of more than 20 books and countless articles that have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Parents Magazine, American Libraries, School Library Journal, and elsewhere. The former president of both YALSA and ALAN, he is the recipient of the 2000 Grolier Award and the first recipient - in 2008 - of the YALSA/Greenwood Publishing Group Service to Young Adults Award. He appointed and chaired the Task Force that created the Michael L. Printz Award and subsequently chaired the 2006 Printz Committee.