Death of Genre: Why the Best YA Fiction Often Defies Classification, The

A few years ago, I received a phone call from a desperate sixth grade reading teacher. "Help!" ehe cried, "I have a literary mutiny on my hands. I need your help now!!" I immediately raced upstairs.

Our sixth graders read Louis Sachar's Holes as a required novel. The teacher uses Holes as part of her unit on fantasy. In a time where many middle schoolers are steeped in Harry Potter and Paolini, Holes just did not seem to fit into that the same category of fantasy.

"Mr. Smith," they argued, "It can't be fantasy. It's too real."

What followed was a long discussion about the different types of fantasy. We debated over the effects of rattlesnake nail polish, the existence of yellow spotted lizards, the role of coincidence, Sachar's use of the legend of Kissin' Kate, the folktale qualities of Madame Zeroni's curse, and the quest for treasure. We even delved into the archetype of the "hero" as we analyzed Stanley's character. Most students remained unconvinced of the classification of Holes as a work of fantasy.

Sixth graders are not the only ones who struggle with the standard conventions of genre. As I revise my genre lists each year for my graduate level Young Adult Literature class, I find myself shifting books from fantasy to historical fiction and realistic fiction to fantasy. I have even considered adding a list called genre-busters, novels which do not easily fit into a single category. The more I think about my YA favorite titles of the past few years, the more bewildered I become. Zusak's The Book Thief-historical fiction or fantasy? Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing-historical fiction or science fiction? Rosoff's How I Live Now?-realistic fiction or science fiction? Shusterman's The Schwa Was Here-realistic fiction or fantasy? I have come to the realization that genre might be dead, that many of recently published YA novels no longer fit into the predictable categories we typically designate for books. Is it time to despair? I think not. Rather, let us celebrate the innovative fashion in which today's YA authors are bending the traditional definitions of genre. An exploration of early genre benders may provide some illumination, as well as an investigation of how many of today's best YA novels are further blurring the lines between genres.

Young Adult literature has a long tradition of authors whose works defy genre classifications. Francesca Lia Block represents a genre unto herself with the fractured fairy tales that surround her quirky protagonist Weetzie Bat. Patrice Kindl's Owl in Love mixes myth, fantasy, humor, and modern realism in her critically acclaimed novel. With innovative stories like The Mind's Eye, Whirligig, and seek, Paul Fleischman has long challenged the conventions of style, format, and genre. Elements of the supernatural run through the mysteries and suspense stories of Robert Cormier, Lois Duncan, Joan Lowery Nixon, and-more recently-Nancy Werlin and Kevin Brooks.

For the genre enthusiast, historical novels offer a variety of complex issues. The kingdom-and-the-castle story found in works like Megan Whelan Turner's The Thief, Gerald Morris' The Squire Tales, and Kevin Crossley-Holland's The seeing Stone blend medieval settings with magic and legend. Donna Jo Napoli's retold fairy tales (Beast, Bound, Breath) borrow much from traditional literature but abound with rich historical details. Napoli's novels are clearly fantasy titles; they also have much to offer to readers of historical fiction. Time-slip and timetravel novels present a similar dilemma-historical fiction or fantasy/ science fiction? Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic, Susan Cooper's The King of Shadows, Susan Price's The Sterkarm Handshake, and Edward Bloor's London Calling are filled with history yet are based on the premise of traveling back in time. One would be remiss to classify Philip Pullman's trilogy about Sally Lockhart and Eleanor Updale's Montmorency series as simple Victorian mysteries. One cannot deny the historical qualities found in these novels. What about speculative fiction, those historical novels that ask the difficult question of what if? In The Year of the Hangman, Gary Blackwood proposes the dilemma of what if the British had won the Revolutionary War. Finally, in which genre does one place Aiden Chambers' Postcards from No Man's Land? Chambers masterfully intertwines two narratives-one set in the 1990s and the other set during WWII-into his award-winning novel. Historical fiction or modern realistic? Neither or both?

Since the publication of his critically acclaimed Skellig and Kit's Wilderness, David Almond has blurred the lines between fantasy and reality in a genre that is often called magical realism. He has returned to that successful formula with his newest novel clay. In the best works of magical realism, one cannot easily determine where reality ends and fantasy begins. Popular chick-lit titles like Sarah Weeks' So B. It, Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries, and Ann Brashares' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants can hardly be considered completely "realistic. " In So B. It, Heidi has developed a special touch with the slot machines; she always wins. Only after she has completed her quest to uncover the secrets of her past does her luck return to normal. The fairy tale quality of Mia's rise from social outcast to crown princess is a far cry from probable. The same can be for said for those magical jeans in the Sisterhood series. Magical realism also plays a major role in numerous novels for tweens. From Hiaasen's Hooi to Hannigan's Ida B., from many of the novels of Sharon Creech to the allegorical works of Jerry Spinelli, elements of the fantastic add a sense of mystery and wonderment to many novels categorized as middle grade fiction. The mixture of fantasy (the call of the sea, the seemingly supernatural powers of Mullet Fingers and Maniac Magee, the talking trees, anthropomorphic pigeons and owls) with realistic stories appeals greatly to readers on the verge of adolescence.