YA Connections forThe Catcher in the Rye The Catcher in the Rye has become the quintessential coming of age young adult novel and Holden Caulfield is a character that every teen can easily identify with. The journey that Holden embarks upon is representative of the journey all teenagers take to find themselves and where they “fit in” in the grand scheme of things. There are many young adult novels that deal with growing up and teens finding their places in life’s design. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: In this novel, Junior, the book’s main character, embarks on his journey from life on a reservation to life as the only Native American in a mostly white upper-class school. Much as Holden tries to avoid becoming a “phony”, Junior tries to satisfy his role at the reservation and at school and discovers that he does not have to give up one life to have another. This pairing would give students a broader perspective about self-growth. It would also offer a point-of-view from a character with a racially diverse background and can introduce students to the ideas of cultural diversity. The Body: This novella by Stephen King also depicts a journey. Four boys in the summer of 1959 hear of a dead body along the railroad tracks and decide to try and find it. Along the way, they learn more about themselves that they ever imagined. There are no themes of isolation as in Catcher, but they do embark on a journey of self-discovery. This pairing would help students understand how friends influence decisions and the important place friendship, trust, and loyalty has in the scheme of growing up.
The Catcher in the Rye has become the quintessential coming of age young adult novel and Holden Caulfield is a character that every teen can easily identify with. The journey that Holden embarks upon is representative of the journey all teenagers take to find themselves and where they “fit in” in the grand scheme of things. There are many young adult novels that deal with growing up and teens finding their places in life’s design.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: In this novel, Junior, the book’s main character, embarks on his journey from life on a reservation to life as the only Native American in a mostly white upper-class school. Much as Holden tries to avoid becoming a “phony”, Junior tries to satisfy his role at the reservation and at school and discovers that he does not have to give up one life to have another. This pairing would give students a broader perspective about self-growth. It would also offer a point-of-view from a character with a racially diverse background and can introduce students to the ideas of cultural diversity.
The Body: This novella by Stephen King also depicts a journey. Four boys in the summer of 1959 hear of a dead body along the railroad tracks and decide to try and find it. Along the way, they learn more about themselves that they ever imagined. There are no themes of isolation as in Catcher, but they do embark on a journey of self-discovery. This pairing would help students understand how friends influence decisions and the important place friendship, trust, and loyalty has in the scheme of growing up.