The literature for young readers (a label that in the publishing world is known with the English phrase “young adultOr already) is a growing market. Books that read the most in the public libraries of Spain They repeat this narrative pattern: they are contemporary books, published mainly after 2007; A majority of them translated from English and in the form of long sagas or trilogies; And starring teenage characters, who narrate their adventures in the first person and with a colloquial style, very similar to that their readers use in real life.

Titles like Invisible, Wonder or the novels of Blue Jeans They capture the attention of young readers. These are readings that address current issues and conflicts of adolescence and are mirrors of their reality, document their experiences and accompany their self -affirmation processes.

Invisiblefor example, has exceeded 50 editions since its publication in 2018; Spanish authors and authors as Laura Gallego, Care Santos o Blue jeans maintain a constant presence on shelves and reading preferences. They are not just popular books: They are emotional and cultural referents for their generation.

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An audiovisual reading experience

From the phenomenon Harry Potterinterest in stories with more elaborate narrative structures has grown, such as those proposed by the American expert Christopher Vogler in The writer’s trip. These are stories that incorporate secondary plots, complex characters and worlds rich in details, such as Percy Jackson, Red queen, The hunger games o After.

Most use a narrator in the present and generate an almost audiovisual reading experience: the reader not only reads, but “sees” the story to develop before their eyes. This narrative immersion reinforces the emotional bond with the characters and the plot.

These universes expand with sequels, prequels or reinterpretations, as has happened with the epic fantasy initiated by The Lord of the Rings and revitalized by Harry Potter. Thus, teenagers not only look for a good story, but to relive a reading experience that traps them. The criteria for choosing a new book is clear: “It hooks me.”

Homogeneous Anglo -Saxon culture

They seem to freely choose their readings, but this autonomy reveals a trend: homogeneity. A single genre (narrative fiction) and structures are repeated, the same issues predominate and contemporary Anglo -Saxon culture is imposed.

Actually, the operation of choice resembles that of social networks algorithms, audiovisual platforms or digital stores: more of the same. Recommendations reinforce their previous tastes and propose readings that reflect (or idealize) the life they have or want. Thus, the reading experience becomes a consolidated confirmation loop in The attraction caused by the familiarity of the knownmore than in an opportunity for discovery.

When the average librarian

In contrast to the repetition of patterns in autonomous reading, the middle spaces (such as reading clubs) offer a different experience. The specialized reader selects the works following criteria such as literary awards, critical recognition, author’s prestige or specialized recommendations.

Young people access texts that go beyond the dominant youth narrative: they open up to new literary genres, to works written in other times, from other cultures and with diverse styles. Thus, reading becomes an opportunity to discover new voices, expand perspectives and enrich their literary and personal training.

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Teach literature or teach to read literature

From the data, the criteria for selecting the books in the school should be based on the “likes” of students? And if so, what students do we talk about?

The school is not only a space for transmission of content, but a place of training and equity, where the cultural capital that each student brings from home is level (or level).

In this context, language and literature subjects not only teach literature: they should teach literature. It is not the same, as experts explain: The literature class can be a space where discovering that the words written can once talk about us and our world.

It is not just about transmitting a fee or teaching to do analysis, but expand the ability to understand and enjoy reading. This must be guided: it is about accompanying, showing paths, helping to overcome obstacles and teach to do it autonomously. Guiding reading implies inviting, suggesting and teaching interpretive strategies.

All readings are not equal

That literary reading emotionally and socially is not just an intuition of the teacher: recent studies https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/lit.70006 They reveal that, through fiction, adolescents experience both affective empathy (feel what the characters feel) and cognitive (understand their thoughts and motivations). They conclude that voluntary reading should not be limited to pleasure, but must include benefits such as empathy, personal growth and social connection.

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Two years before, A longitudinal study He showed that not all reading for pleasure has positive long -term effects. The conclusions show that the accumulated reading of classical and contemporary literature is associated with greater prosocial behavior and a better social adjustment; While repetitive narrative fiction reading, by itself, does not predict these benefits.

Enjoy literary heritage: a right

Accompanying all students (with or without cultural capital) in their access to literature, in their right to enjoy their literary heritage, does not consist only of choosing a series of works, but in offering different reading approaches. Personal opinions or impressions are not enough: it is necessary Exercise mediationoffer a context and deploy strategies that allow students to access their aesthetic, historical and cultural wealth.

The data show that the adult reader tends mostly narrative fiction based on repetitive patterns. Therefore, it is in the school where the right to read and enjoy more demanding works, written in Catalan, Basque, Galician, Spanish and other curricular languages, must be forced.

These works not only tell stories: they tell us who we are, they connect us with our roots and help us understand the world from multiple perspectives.

This article was originally published in The Conversationa non -profit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

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Gemma Lluch does not receive salary, nor does he exercise consulting work, nor have actions, nor receive financing from any company or organization that can obtain benefit from this article, and has declared to lack relevant links beyond the academic position cited.