29. How has young adult literature evolved over the years?

Annual sales of young adult fiction reached a new high of $80 million in 2018 and book sales increased nearly 10 percent per year during the pandemic. Why is this genre gaining popularity? How has it changed over the years? And why is it so important for kids in this age group to be engaged in literature? In this episode, Kevin turns to Dr. James Blasingame, an English professor and co-editor of the ALAN Review.