Check it out

“Do we really need a literature for young adults?” asks Michael Cart in

“From Romance to Realism,” his overview of a genre that has, in the past

decade, reflected an increasingly authentic view of adolescent realities.

The question is of course rhetorical, for rather than viewing a literary

form some have dismissed as unneeded and near extinction, Cart issues a

call for young-adult literature that “risks taking the gloves off to

tackle dangerous subjects and to deal with them unflinchingly and

honestly.”

Teens can hear how a quartet of authors, in addition to Cart, have risen

to the challenge at “Meet the Authors,” a series featuring renowned

writers of young-adult literature speaking about their books and the

writing process. All programs will begin at 7 p.m. at the Newport Beach

Central Library.

San Diego-based Nancy Holder and Jeff Mariotte will launch the series on

Tuesday. The duo is working on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Watcher’s

Guide 2,” the newest addition to the popular series about a high school

girl who embodies teen empowerment -- she spends her nights slaying

vampires and demons.

A dominant name in the horror field, Holder has received numerous honors,

including four Stoker awards. Mariotte is a senior editor for DC Comics,

in charge of the “Star Trek” publishing program and the author of several

novels and original comic book series.

The series will continue on Tuesday, May 9, with Ron Koertge, author of

eight acclaimed novels for teens that treat adolescent angst with humor

and compassion. The Pasadena City College English professor’s works

include “Where the Kissing Never Stops,” “The Arizona Kid,” “The Boy in

the Moon,” “Mariposa Blues” and “The Harmony Arms” -- all coming-of-age

tales featuring teen protagonists dealing with dawning independence and

rites of passage.

On May 24, nationally known author and critic Cart will appear. In his

newest work, “Tomorrowland: 10 Stories About the Future,” the young-adult

literature expert presents a vision of the new millennium through a

collection of short stories by nine well-known authors of young-adult

fiction.

Los Angeles screenwriter, playwright and young-adult novelist Neal

Shusterman will conclude “Meet the Authors” on June 7.

“I’ve always felt that stories aimed at adolescents and teens are the

most important stories that can be written because it’s adolescence that

defines who we are going to be,” Shusterman writes in an essay on his Web

site.

His award-winning novels include “The Shadow Club,” “What Daddy Did,”

“The Eyes of King Midas,” “Speeding Bullet,” “MindQuakes: Stories to

Shatter Your Brain,” “The Dark Side of Nowhere” and “Downsiders.”

All rise to Cart’s challenge by holding an unblemished mirror to

contemporary teen issues while softening the reflection with wit and

sensitivity.

CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library.

This week’s column is by Melissa Adams.