YA Bestselling
Dystopian Series
A Book Talk
By Charlene V. Martoni
What makes dystopian fiction so fascinating�to young readers?
Perhaps it’s the genre’s tendency toward cultural criticism, helping children and young adults understand and analyze the society in which they live. It could also be the ever-present motif of defiance found in most (if not all) dystopian novels, mirroring the rebellion for which many youngsters inevitably yearn. Whatever the reason for their popularity, dystopian novels are not new: Gulliver’s Travels (1726) was published over three-and-a-half centuries ago. If you want to get kids hooked on reading, your odds are pretty good if you hand them the latest young adult dystopian bestselling series. But what’s more important than their popularity are the values novels in this genre teach: courage, honor, endurance, compassion, selflessness—The list goes on and on. These virtues are why educators, librarians, and really anyone who has a child in their life should recommend dystopian fiction to children. Below, you will find a critically annotated bibliography of three can’t-put-down, bestselling dystopian novels and their accompanying series for young readers.
A Book talk/read aloud with Ms. Martoni
Bibliography
Book-alikes