All people, including teens, generally seek to see themselves in literature before they choose to read other narratives. Author Jason Reynolds speaks to this when he shares that "there is something practical and honestly just human with wanting to see yourself before you can see everybody else". I find it hugely important for teens living in rural areas to see themselves in contemporary books. Below is an academic essay I wrote regarding this topic.
Mikayla R. Johnson
Professor Ann Dee Ellis
ENGL 420
24 May 2022
Rural Settings in Contemporary Young Adult Literature
For the majority of my life, I have lived in semi–rural areas. Though you’d never know it now, the towns of Lehi and Highland, Utah, were famously referred to amongst locals as “the sticks” by Salt Lake City and Provo residents during the 20th century. The Lehi and Highland of my childhood were filled with pastures and pig pens, horse parades and rodeos, single stoplights and a heckuva lot of truck beds. I remember a time when Thanksgiving Point was still a field, and the mountain between us and Draper wasn’t dotted with houses and office buildings. Over the course of my adolescent and adult years, the land of horseback riding lessons and ATV rides was paved over to make room for new homes and new jobs. There’s beauty in that growth, but to be honest, my heart aches sometimes for the smaller towns I once knew. In my late twenties, my husband and I moved to Santaquin, and while much of Santaquin’s land is still coated in corrals and cherry orchards—a reality that flushed my lungs with peace and fresh air—it too, is growing. I may not know the miles–from–anyone–and–everyone type of rural living, but I know something about farm country and quiet, and that to me is “rural.” Some folks define rural as backwoods lumberjacking while others place a lonesome Californian island in the category. So, what exactly is “rural living?” Though every expert will pin down parameters differently, in the YA short story anthology Rural Voices, I found their rural living definition to be “belonging to a community consisting of ten thousand people or fewer that is a significant driving distance from an urban area” (Carpenter et. al, 2020).
While small-town USA may seem just that—small—to some city slickers, according to researchers Kuehl and Parton, “around 44% of the world’s population is rural . . . according to the U.S. Census Bureau, around 20% of the U.S. population (60 million people) live in rural areas” (2022). I started to wonder, are there modern narratives that reflect the experiences of over one-fifth the American people?
In response to this question, I’ve reflected on my own experience. As a child raised in a semi–rural area, I gobbled up stories about people who felt like me: a young girl working with horses (Hoofbeats of Danger by Holly Hughes), a teen boy who works hard outdoors alongside his trusty dog (Old Yeller by Fred Gipson), and a ten-year-old who thrives on camping and exploring the woods (My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George). While these books are definitely children’s literature, feature rural settings, and worked as mirrors for me, the problem is this: they’re all historical. I read widely as a child and teen, and while I found a few books that highlighted contemporary rural living—like the Pony Pals and Animal Ark series—those books were all middle grade, and I outgrew them. From this reflection, my essay question is this: Are modern teens living in rural areas of the United States currently represented in contemporary YA literature? And if not, why not? The following essay is a compilation of the answers I’ve been finding.
Why Rural Settings in Contemporary Young Adult Literature Are Important
All people, including teens, generally seek to see themselves in literature before they choose to read other narratives. Author Jason Reynolds speaks to this when he shares that “there is something really practical and honestly just human with wanting to see yourself before you can see everybody else” (2021). I believe that teens living in rural areas will be able to read more widely only after they are able to feel seen and heard in literature. Only after reading historical rural novels as a teen was I personally able to read other historicals and, for that matter, other genres like fairytale retellings and dystopian novels.
One issue that has harmed rural teens’ ability to feel seen and heard in literature is the negative lens rural America is often portrayed through. West Virginia–born Nora Shalaway Carpenter has much to say in regards to this negative lens. She asserts:
"In the months following the [2016] presidential election, rural people became something
of a media obsession. Derogatory remarks about rural Americans became increasingly
prevalent and intense. Over and over again, people outside the rural experience tried to
understand and explain the rural narrative. Over and over again, the story of a rural
monolith—a uniform, like minded population that shares the same beliefs, value system,
identities, and political leanings—was told and accepted as truth . . . I saw the electoral
maps like everyone else, but those visuals don’t tell anywhere close to the whole story
(2020)."
Teens not only deserve to be represented in literature, but they deserve to be represented fairly. Varied, multi-perspective and authentic young adult narratives taking place in rural settings must be published in order for this representation to happen. As Carpenter later says, “There’s not just one type of rural” (2020). I’ve experienced the small town diversity firsthand; Santaquin has a large Latinx community and people pertaining to many different religious denominations. And while the dozens of planted Trump flags might cause you to doubt me, I know several left-leaning, libertarian, and middle-ground voters.
If a monolithic narrative is all that YA literature offers, there are dangers to the way rural teens may begin to view their own narratives through a negative lens. Allie Behrens, an English teacher in rural Montana, shares her story:
"Like numerous young people in rural communities, I believed to be successful, I had to escape . . . In many ways, my departure began in the pages of novels . . . I read voraciously, devouring book after book—classics and young adult alike. Those pages provided a window into worlds vastly different from the place I called home, worlds that seemed far more exciting and superior to my own. Now, several years and a thousand miles from my hometown, I recognize a gap in the reading of my youth. I’d hardly ever read—or even knew about—books, especially YA, that depicted the rural people and culture I grew up knowing—and not as historical caricatures of hardy homesteaders but as contemporary, multi-dimensional people and places. Where were the books about kids like me?" (2017)
In order for teens to value their own narratives, accurate depictions that mirror the complexities of their life must be available on bookstore and library shelves.
History of Rural Settings in Young Adult Literature
After establishing why contemporary rural stories are important, I wanted to explore the history of YA rural stories. Jack London’s barren Alaskan plains in White Fang and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s forest wilderness in Little House in the Big Woods are both pertinent literary examples of characters existing (and thriving!) in rural settings. While these books are foundational in children’s literature and are beloved classics, S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders is widely accepted as the first young adult novel. While there are rural elements in Hinton’s book, including Sodapop’s horse Mickey Mouse and their group hangouts at the rodeo, Tulsa Oklahoma (the town on which the book was based) was still quite urban, even back in the 60’s. Ponyboy and Johnny do make their escape to a rural little town after their fateful run–in with the Socs, but that setting is only a fraction of the backdrop of the narrative.
A handful of foundational modern YA books with rural settings have been published since The Outsiders, though. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor was published in 1976 and focuses on the work–the–land life of the Logan family (though this book is predominantly considered historical fiction, not contemporary). Running Loose by Chris Crutcher features a rural setting in Trout, Idaho, and fits the standard of contemporary YA for the year it was published, 1983. Later, in 2013, Forgive Me Leonard Peacock was published, set in the rural outer banks of North Carolina. Lastly, Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy focuses on a small Texas town.
The Presence—and Lack—of Rural Settings in Contemporary Young Adult Literature
While there is proof that there are some contemporary teen books with rural settings being published on the modern market, some debate has ensued that the amount of rural YA books is disproportionate to the amount of teens living in rural settings. Since one–fifth of K-12 students in the United States attend rural schools (Parton, 2020), it would make sense if 20% of contemporary YA novels incorporated rural settings. Behrens and Petrone assert that this isn’t the case; they venture to state that “there is just not much [young adult literature] with contemporary rural representations” (2017). Keuhl and Parton assert that “rural people, places, and experiences are often difficult to find in YA books” (2022).
That said, Keuhl and Parton also concede that “It’s hard to know just how difficult because there is no market research on the percentage of YA books published that take place in different (e.g. rural, urban) geographies and because ‘rural fiction’ is not used as a genre in conjunction with its ‘urban fiction’ counterpart” (2022).
Having explored the importance of rural stories, their history, and the argument that there are not enough rural stories, I was ready to unpack the presence and absence of rural stories on contemporary shelves through my own research. On the “new releases” page for each of the top five United States publishing houses (Simon & Schuster, MacMillan, Penguin, Hachette, and Harper Collins), I found the most recent YA books each house listed. Then, I looked up each book individually and read the synopsis. Based on the synopses, I deducted whether the book was a contemporary urban book, contemporary rural book, or other genre. I did not include thrillers, horrors, or low fantasy novels in this survey. Finally, I did the math to find out what percentage of contemporary books were set in urban settings, what percentage were set in rural settings, what percentage were from an unsure/unknown setting, and what percentage take place in another country altogether. Here’s what I found.
In my research, I found that 33 out of 71 new release books from the top five publishing companies feature contemporary settings. I also found that 7 out of the 33 contemporary novels featured rural settings, equating to 21% of contemporary books published. To be honest, this number shocked me. Remembering Parton’s statistic about 20% of K-12 students living in the rural U.S, I realized that the amount of contemporary rural stories being published on today’s market by the top five publishing companies is exactly proportional to the amount of teens living in rural areas. At least, according to my research.
While I’ve now found my own answers about the vibrant presence of rural stories in today’s market, perhaps the real difficulty the aforequoted researchers are grappling with is twofold: connecting rural books to rural readers, and ensuring that the rural narratives are diverse and authentic. Janelle, a high school freshman, shares her thoughts on this: “One thing I want all teachers to know is even though we all go to the same school and are from the same town, our windows, mirrors, and sliding glass door books are so different. It’s just like real life. We’re all unique, different people” (Ruday, et. al. 2021).
Varied teen experiences in rural settings are imperative. It is evident that the aforequoted Janelle craved a different rural story than the one she was presented with in school. If educators can do a little research, they will find that there are diverse rural stories out there. Several authors have already broken ground in this regard (“18 YA Books Set In Small Towns”) (Fultz, 2017). The Key to You and Me by Jaye Robin Brown, Pumpkin by Julie Murphy, and Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall all feature LGBTQ protagonists while mainstream rural narratives have previously featured only straight protagonists. A Sky For Us Alone by Kristin Russell explores small-town government and business monopolies, as well as unresolved murder and family secrets, while previous narratives have focused on happy-go-lucky community unity. The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen tells the narrative of small towns being divided into rich and poor neighborhoods, a reflection of urban living that isn’t widely acknowledged in rural stories. Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anne-Marie McLemore gives voice to rural Latinx teens while A Very Large Expanse of Sea highlights the rural experience of rural Muslim teens. Fig by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz addresses a rural teen’s struggle with her parent’s mental illness. As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds bridges the gap between urban and rural divisions. Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin features a neurodivergent protagonist living in rural New York. While arguably there are many YA rural setting books left to be written, contemporary authors are already off to an incredible start.
Where to From Here? A Conclusion
The amount of rural young adult literature being published on today’s market is in exact proportion to young adults living in rural settings. In order for rural teens to feel seen, heard, and valued, this proportion, and the diversity of rural stories shared in this market, must continue. My hope is that rural and semi–rural teens, like I was, will be able to find beautiful mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors about the rural experience in modern YA literature.
Works Cited
“18 Ya Books Set in Small Towns.” Epic Reads, 11 May 2021, https://www.epicreads.com/blog
/books-in-a-small-town/.
Carpenter, Nora, et al. Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions about Small-Town America.
Candlewick Press, 2020.
Fultz, Elaine. “Top Ten Books with Rural and Small Town Settings.” Nerdy Book Club, 12 Aug. 2017,
settings-by-elaine-fultz/.
Parton, Chea, and Rachelle Keuhl. “Rural Young Adult Literature: Considering Diversity and Combatting Rural Erasure in the U.S. and Abroad.” Study & Scrutiny, vol. 5. No. 2, 2022.
Parton, Chea. “‘I Think of My Dog Dying Books’: Possible Challenges to and Suggestions for Teaching Contemporary Rural YA Literature in Secondary ELA Classrooms.” Journal of Literacy Innovation, vol. 5, no. 2, 2020, pp. 61–80.
Petrone, Rob, and Alli Behrens. “Representations of Contemporary Rural People and Places in Yal.” DR. BICKMORE'S YA WEDNESDAY, 31 May 2017, http://www.drbickmoresyawednesday.com/
weekly-posts/representations-of-contemporary-rural-people-and-places-in-yal.
Reynolds, Jason. “Time 100 Talks.” Facebook, TIME, 26 Mar. 2021, https://m.facebook.com/watch/
?v=157673496215728&_rdr. Accessed 23 May 2022.
Ruday, Sean, et al. “Books as Portals: Using Place to Understand Rural Students’ Individuated Reading Experiences.” English in Education, vol. 56, no. 2, 2021, pp. 122–138.,
Works Consulted
“Appalachian Rural Talent Initiative.” Center for Rural Education, 2 Mar. 2022,
Becnel, Kim, and Robin A. Moeller. “What, Why, and How They Read.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, vol. 59, no. 3, 2015, pp. 299–307., https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.452.
Biddle, Catharine, and Amy Price Azano. “Constructing and Reconstructing the ‘Rural School Problem.’” Review of Research in Education, vol. 40, no. 1, 2016, pp. 298–325., https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732x16667700.
“Children's Recent Releases.” HarperCollins, 21 May 2022, https://www.harpercollins.com/collections/childrens-recent-releases?page=3.
English, Cathie. “Developing a Critical Rural Literacy through Local Inquiries,” Journal of
Literacy Innovation, Vol. 5, no. 2, 2020, pp. 24–42.
Kuehl, Rachelle. "Connecting to Place in the Literacy Classroom," Virginia English Journal, vol.
70, no. 2, 2020, article 3.
Kuehl, Rachelle. “A Place for Reading: Leveraging Mentor Texts With Middle Grade Rural Readers.”
Journal of Literacy Innovation, vol. 5, no. 2, 2020a, pp. 5–23.
“New Releases.” Macmillan, 20 July 2021, https://us.macmillan.com/search?dFR%5Bcollections.list
.name%5D%5B0%5D=New+Releases&searchType=products.
“New Releases: All Books: Penguin Random House.” PenguinRandomhouse.com, 21 May 2022,
“New Teen and Ya Book Releases, Bestsellers, Author Info and More at Simon & Schuster.” New Book Releases, Bestsellers, Author Info and More at Simon & Schuster, 21 May 2022,
Parton, Chea. “Dr. Parton's Literacy in Place.” Dr. Parton's Literacy In Place, 21 May 2022,
“Teen & Young Adult.” Hachette Book Group, 3 Mar. 2020, https://www.hachettebookgroup.com
/genre-category/teen-young-adult/.