How are the religious experiences of teenagers expressed in today's young adult literature? How do authors use religious texts and beliefs to add depth to characters, settings and plots? How does YA fiction place itself in the larger conversation regarding the post secular? Modern YA fiction does not shy away from the dilemmas and anxieties teenagers face today. While many stories end with the protagonist in a state of flux-if not despair-some authors choose redemption or reconciliation. This collection of new essays explores these questions and more, with a focus on stories in which characters respond to a new (often shifting) religious landscape, in both realistic and fantastic worlds.

Although there is a growing interest in disability studies in art, literature, film, politics, and religion, there is still a dearth of scholarship that explores the intersection between young adult literature and disability, more specifically. This gap in scholarship among young adult literature scholars and teachers is surprising: disability is a growing reality in all of our lives. According to a 2012 report by the United States Census Bureau, ""About 56.7 million people-19 percent of the population-had a disability in 2010, according to a broad definition of disability, with more than half of them reporting the disability was severe."" This is a fruitful time to continue exploring the intersections between literature written for children and teens and disability studies. Whether read in connection to each other or in isolation, readers will find excellent textual analysis, sound pedagogical advice, numerous textual examples, and a thoughtful introduction into the complex (and sometimes complicated) world of connecting students to people (characters and those in real life) that both reflect and contrast the reader's reality. My hope for this book is that it encourages and empowers teachers to expose students to dynamic characters that may or may not be different from them.

Discover the Good Life as you learn from the wise voices of the past. We've lost ourselves. Disconnected from the past and uncertain about the future, we are anxious about what our lives will be and troubled by a nagging sense of meaninglessness. Adrift in the world, many Christians have their identity completely wrapped up in work, and their definition of the "good life" is financial success. Fewer of are staying committed to the Christian faith, finding it difficult to reconcile their experience with their longings and desires. With so much uncertainty, where can we find a true vision of "the Good Life"? Learning the Good Life speaks to this malaise with a curated collection of voices from the past, inviting Christians into an ages-old dialogue with some of history's wisest and most reflective minds. Featuring thought-provoking writings from a diverse lineup of over 35 writers and thinkers: From the classic-including Confucius, Augustine, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Henry David Thoreau, and Frederick Douglass; To the modern-including W.E.B. DuBois, Flannery O'Connor, T.S. Eliot, and Simone Weil; To the contemporary-including Wendell Berry, David Foster Wallace, and Marilynne Robinson. Together these sages, writers, philosophers, and poets address important issues such as virtue, beauty, community, wonder, suffering, and meaning. Each of these texts are introduced by experts from a variety of Christian colleges and universities to help provide a richer narrative in which Christians can participate. Each text is also accompanied by discussion questions to provoke further thought and contemplation and to facilitate discussion when used in groups. Learning the Good Life is ideal for any Christian seeking a deeper connection to the wisdom of the past and wanting a more cohesive vision of the good life. Though not all these writers were themselves Christians, they all have a message for you. All of them are calling you to die to yourself, to your habits of indulgence, to your pride and ambition-and to dedicate your time to learning, thinking, and loving.