Introduction

Boarding Schools in Young Adult Literature: A Curated Project

Introduction:

           

            Many middle grade and young adult books are set at boarding schools, following in a rich tradition which stretches back as far as the mid-19^th Century, as popularized by Tom Brown’s School Days and its ilk. Over the decades, we’ve seen a great many stories take place at boarding schools, including the phenomenally popular Harry Potter series. The appeal of such a setting is obvious: in removing the protagonists from the comfort, security, and predictability of a home setting, the author opens up their story in numerous ways. Now, instead of having to deal with parents, the protagonist must merely outwit or otherwise elude teachers and faculty, who often don’t have the time, energy, or resources to properly oversee their teenage charges. Boarding schools act as pressure cookers, throwing dozens or hundreds of students together in close quarters for extended periods of time. They often come with a certain level of age, prestige, history or atmosphere which further lends itself well to the author’s needs. Boarding schools are the perfect setting for murder mysteries, coming-of-age stories, academic struggles, romantic dramas, or wacky hijinks. In this project, I will look at some of the elements which often characterize contemporary young adult boarding school stories, as found in certain selected texts. These elements are as follows:

1) Late night escapades, adventures, and rule-breaking--what characters get into when they're not in class or otherwise restricted by a routine schedule.

2) Romantic entanglements and complications--they say love makes the world go around, but how does romance factor in to a boarding school setting?

3) Underage drinking--a seemingly favorite pastime for teens in YA fiction, and a popular activity in these boarding school settings.

4) Academic achievement, stress, and struggles--Try as they might, characters can't completely ignore their studies or scholastic aspirations.

5) Power struggles, clashes, and social dynamics--Someone always comes out on top, but it doesn't stop other teens from trying to find their own place in the social order.

  

Featured Texts:

1)      The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart (2008)

In this book, the hyper-intelligent Frankie Landau-Banks chafes at the restrictions placed upon her by family, society, school and classmates for being a 15-year-old girl. As a result, she surreptitiously usurps control of Alabaster Prep’s secret male-only society, the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound, and prompts its members to play pranks aimed at challenging established traditions and other underpinnings of the school’s social structure.

2)      Winger, by Andrew Smith (2013)

14-year-old Ryan Dean West, a junior at Pine Mountain, has to deal with being younger and smarter than his supposed peers, as well as his crush on his best friend, 16-year-old Annie. A rugby player, he also has to juggle loyalty to the team with a dislike of certain other players, including his roommate.

3)      Looking for Alaska, by John Green (2005)

Miles Hafner transfers to Culver Creek Preparatory High School, where he meets the mercurial, troubled, unpredictable Alaska Young, with whom he falls in love despite her unavailability. When tragedy strikes Alaska, Miles and the rest of their social circle must deal with the emotional and social fallout.

4)      Without Annette, by Jane B. Mason (2016)

Josie Little and her girlfriend, Annette Anderson, transfer to Brookwood Academy as a way of getting away from Annette’s alcoholic, abusive mother. But instead of rooming together and enjoying their new freedom as a couple, they find themselves drifting away, with Annette seduced by a more popular clique. Josie has to reinvent herself and rediscover her own identity.

5)      Going Geek, by Charlotte Huang (2016)

Upon returning to Winthrop Academy, once-popular Skylar Hoffman discovers that her social cachet has faded, as she’s transferred from a popular dorm to one housing oddballs and misfits. Her boyfriend dumps her, her old friends desert her, and a newcomer has taken her place in the social order. Now she struggles to find her new role and identity, while battling her former friends for control of the powerful Social Calendar organization.