Notable Books from 1960's & 1970's:
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Ronald Dahl (1964)
- Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (1964)
- The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (1967)
- The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (1970)
- Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks (1971)
- Heads You Win, Tails I Lose by Isabelle Holand (1973)
- The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (1974)
- Forever by Judy Blume (1975)
- I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan (1975)
- Gentlehands by M.E. Kerr (1978)
- Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews (1979)
Cover Art:
In concern to the book as artifact, if you take a look at the cover art of popular novels from the 50's and 60's, you will notice that the colors are often still relatively muted, but a wider color span is used in these decades compared to previous. The cover art, where tame in the 40's and 50's is slightly more provocative and intriguing with less use of landscape drawings and more focus on faces and character images.
In concern to the book as artifact, if you take a look at the cover art of popular novels from the 50's and 60's, you will notice that the colors are often still relatively muted, but a wider color span is used in these decades compared to previous. The cover art, where tame in the 40's and 50's is slightly more provocative and intriguing with less use of landscape drawings and more focus on faces and character images.
Common Themes:
Furthering the idea of books as knowledge, think of the novels released in the 60's and 70's. Within these decades, there was a heavy publication trend of 'problem novels'. These so called problem novels dominated the youth literature field and typically dealt with a single dramatic issue—divorce, bullying, identity, drug abuse, poverty—at length. In these two decades, this was the first time that young adult literature began to explore darker, or more serious topics. Strickland states that "The young adult books of the 1970s remain true time capsules of the high school experience and the drama of being misunderstood and dealing with difficult issues" (Strickland). For example, in the novel The Outsiders our main characters mature in a world that is anything but typical with exposure to drugs, drinking, fighting, etc. They don't get to be kids, "I wanted to cry, but Greasers don't cry in front of strangers. Some of us never cry at all. Like Dally and Two-Bit and Tim Shepard--they forgot how at an early age" (Hinton).
These 'problem novels' were in acknowledgment that the teens of this time were living through similar experiences and that those harder to deal with issues needed to be addressed. Lamb tells us that "During the 1970s and 1980s the young adult literature market became distinct from children's literature and works written for adults. Many of the books contained issues of interest to young people including sexuality, drinking, and drug use" (The Book as Knowledge: Fiction Literature).
Furthering the idea of books as knowledge, think of the novels released in the 60's and 70's. Within these decades, there was a heavy publication trend of 'problem novels'. These so called problem novels dominated the youth literature field and typically dealt with a single dramatic issue—divorce, bullying, identity, drug abuse, poverty—at length. In these two decades, this was the first time that young adult literature began to explore darker, or more serious topics. Strickland states that "The young adult books of the 1970s remain true time capsules of the high school experience and the drama of being misunderstood and dealing with difficult issues" (Strickland). For example, in the novel The Outsiders our main characters mature in a world that is anything but typical with exposure to drugs, drinking, fighting, etc. They don't get to be kids, "I wanted to cry, but Greasers don't cry in front of strangers. Some of us never cry at all. Like Dally and Two-Bit and Tim Shepard--they forgot how at an early age" (Hinton).
These 'problem novels' were in acknowledgment that the teens of this time were living through similar experiences and that those harder to deal with issues needed to be addressed. Lamb tells us that "During the 1970s and 1980s the young adult literature market became distinct from children's literature and works written for adults. Many of the books contained issues of interest to young people including sexuality, drinking, and drug use" (The Book as Knowledge: Fiction Literature).
Audiences:
The age of the audience for young adult fiction did not change much between the 40's and the 70's. Teenagers ages 13-18 continued to be the dedicated audience and publishers continued to target that age group extensively. Rather than books being originally published for adults and read by young adults, the YA genre was targeted specifically to them.
However, the change, according to Philip Beidler is that the 1960's was "the end of the last great reading culture perhaps in... history" (Beidler). This opinion was based on the notion that the internet, movies, and other entertainment possibilities drastically reduced the number of avid readers. Essentially, that if readers did not have to read for the sake of filling their time, they would find other means of amusement. While this opinion may be accurate in concern to other genres of fiction or non-fiction, it was false for YA. The genre continued to explode and had sales and interest higher than any previous decades.
The age of the audience for young adult fiction did not change much between the 40's and the 70's. Teenagers ages 13-18 continued to be the dedicated audience and publishers continued to target that age group extensively. Rather than books being originally published for adults and read by young adults, the YA genre was targeted specifically to them.
However, the change, according to Philip Beidler is that the 1960's was "the end of the last great reading culture perhaps in... history" (Beidler). This opinion was based on the notion that the internet, movies, and other entertainment possibilities drastically reduced the number of avid readers. Essentially, that if readers did not have to read for the sake of filling their time, they would find other means of amusement. While this opinion may be accurate in concern to other genres of fiction or non-fiction, it was false for YA. The genre continued to explode and had sales and interest higher than any previous decades.
Cultural Events:
During the 1960's, the biggest cultural event is the fact that the idea of authorship is brought into question. Essentially, the idea that the author only exists in relation to the work that they have written. Foucault states, "The coming into being of the notion of 'author' constitutes the privileged moment of individualization in the history of ideas, knowledge, literature, philosophy, and the sciences" (Foucault). This is vital in concern to understanding the history of young adult fiction, in relation to the book as a cultural icon. Lamb tells us that "even mediocre books by obscure authors can suddenly become cultural icons" and this is precisely because the authors don't matter as much as the content of the novel (The Book as a Cultural Icon). The content of the novel is what can spur change and begin discussion, regardless of who wrote it, as long as it holds relevancy to the current society.
During the 1960's, the biggest cultural event is the fact that the idea of authorship is brought into question. Essentially, the idea that the author only exists in relation to the work that they have written. Foucault states, "The coming into being of the notion of 'author' constitutes the privileged moment of individualization in the history of ideas, knowledge, literature, philosophy, and the sciences" (Foucault). This is vital in concern to understanding the history of young adult fiction, in relation to the book as a cultural icon. Lamb tells us that "even mediocre books by obscure authors can suddenly become cultural icons" and this is precisely because the authors don't matter as much as the content of the novel (The Book as a Cultural Icon). The content of the novel is what can spur change and begin discussion, regardless of who wrote it, as long as it holds relevancy to the current society.
Controversial Material:
The restriction and fear of inappropriate materials being offered to youth did not end in the previous decades, in fact, it became more rampant. According to Heins, "When, in the mid-20th century, courts began to realize the censorship of the reading matter of adults should not turn on what might be thought appropriate for a child, new doctrines ('variable obscenity', 'indecency') were created to maintain society's special interest in restricting information, ideas, and entertainment available to youth. The Supreme Court's pronouncements in this period zigzagged dizzily - on the one hand recognizing minors' free-expression rights and on the other moralizing about government's interest in protecting them from a too vigorous exercise of those rights, particularly when the subject was sex" (Heins 9).
Concepts of shielding youth from everything perceived as too mature or harmful, particularly books about sex was not uncommon. Parents were quick to ensure that there kids were not exposed to it in any environment, home or school.
The restriction and fear of inappropriate materials being offered to youth did not end in the previous decades, in fact, it became more rampant. According to Heins, "When, in the mid-20th century, courts began to realize the censorship of the reading matter of adults should not turn on what might be thought appropriate for a child, new doctrines ('variable obscenity', 'indecency') were created to maintain society's special interest in restricting information, ideas, and entertainment available to youth. The Supreme Court's pronouncements in this period zigzagged dizzily - on the one hand recognizing minors' free-expression rights and on the other moralizing about government's interest in protecting them from a too vigorous exercise of those rights, particularly when the subject was sex" (Heins 9).
Concepts of shielding youth from everything perceived as too mature or harmful, particularly books about sex was not uncommon. Parents were quick to ensure that there kids were not exposed to it in any environment, home or school.
Citations:
Beidler, Philip D. Scriptures For a Generation: What We Were Reading in the 60's. University Of Georgia Press, 1995.
Foucault, Michel. What is an author?Collège de France , 1969.
Heins, Marjorie. Not in front of the children: indecency, censorship, and the innocence of youth. Rutgers University Press, 2008.
Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. Viking Press, 1967.
Lamb, A. (2016). The Book as Knowledge: Fiction Literature. The Book 1450 to the Present. http://http://eduscapes.com/bookhistory/knowledge/2.htm
Strickland, Ashley. “A brief history of young adult literature.” CNN, Cable News Network, 15 Apr. 2015, www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/living/young-adult-fiction-evolution/index.html.
Beidler, Philip D. Scriptures For a Generation: What We Were Reading in the 60's. University Of Georgia Press, 1995.
Foucault, Michel. What is an author?Collège de France , 1969.
Heins, Marjorie. Not in front of the children: indecency, censorship, and the innocence of youth. Rutgers University Press, 2008.
Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. Viking Press, 1967.
Lamb, A. (2016). The Book as Knowledge: Fiction Literature. The Book 1450 to the Present. http://http://eduscapes.com/bookhistory/knowledge/2.htm
Strickland, Ashley. “A brief history of young adult literature.” CNN, Cable News Network, 15 Apr. 2015, www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/living/young-adult-fiction-evolution/index.html.