The Santa Sabina Youth Review Forum provided an opportunity for a group of Year 10 students, to discuss numerous novels that had been nominated for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards in the Older Reader’s Category. The books explored a range of issues facing adolescents, introducing unfamiliar concepts and challenging adolescent stereotypes.
The forum gave us the chance to express our individual thoughts about the various aspects of novels that appeal to young adult readers, enabling us to develop a greater appreciation for literature. The opportunity to share our opinions and listen to others’ viewpoints was valuable to assist us to fully immerse ourselves in the texts. Through learning about the opinions and responses of other readers we were exposed to alternative ideas and attitudes, furthering our understanding and appreciation of what we had read.
The opportunity to expand our knowledge of the authors and the craft of writing was also a valuable learning experience. Our moderator, Mr Paul McDonald offered interesting insights into the background of the authors and the realm of Young Adult literature, which provided a useful context for improving our understanding of these books and literature in general.
The collaboration of the four schools (Santa Sabina College, St Patrick’s, St Joseph’s & Meriden) allowed for a balanced opinion to be developed, through the exploration of a broader range of ideas. Challenging one another to think differently about what we had read, enabled us to more clearly develop our own positions and appreciate others’ literary interpretations. It was particularly interesting for us to note the ways the boys responded to literature.
Although we were initially apprehensive at the idea of discussing our opinions in front of an audience, all members of the panel agreed that the confidence we developed has improved our public speaking skills. We all felt great pride in having spoken articulately and made valuable contributions to the discussion. These skills, together with our greater ability to analyse and critique literature, we feel will assist us in our HSC English studies. Overall, the Youth Review Forum was a highly enjoyable experience and we would strongly recommend others to grasp the opportunity to partake in future events.
Julia ,Catherine, Nina, Ellen, Rebecca and Christine
The SSC Youth Review Forum Panel 2014
