Young Adult Literature Interview: Alexander Croft
Hometown: Grass Valley
-Has Young Adult literature served as any kind of inspiration in your life?
Alex: Yes, in the book, Call of the Wild, Jack London describes courage, perseverance, the desire to succeed despite all odds. Some fail, some are successful, but all the main characters try no matter what the odds. Also, in the novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, the author writes about the importance of family, the cruelty of prejudice, and again the courage to succeed despite enormous obstacles.
-Do you have any favorite authors or books?
Alex: The Call of the Wild, Jack London, Old Man in the Sea and Ernest Hemingway.
-As a teacher, what do you feel is the importance of YA literature?
Alex: I think much of the importance is for young adults to begin to be aware of the world around them, of injustice, of courage, to awaken inside of young adults to see and to begin to think about the world and not just themselves.
-Do you think that certain books should be censored from young adults?
Alex: Hell yes. Playboy, Hustler and any other kind of dirty reading material… We censor movies don’t we? We shouldn’t allow young adults to read anything that isn’t going to be a good influence. I think all adults needs to remember how sensitive kids are they are when they are still young. There is always a balance, but some books are simply not appropriate your middle schoolers.
-Are today’s schools doing an adequate job in promoting students to read YA lit?
Alex: I can only speak for our school, Magnolia Intermediate, and I think we do a really good job. Whether we are reading a short story or a novel, virtually all of them challenge the student’s worldview and encourages them to think about issues that they normally would not be discussing in the lunchroom.
