YAL History

Young people were forced into schools to offset the labor problems of the American Depression.

Classics were meant to be enjoyed.

In 1904, G. Stanley Hall invented a whole new category of human beings called “adolescents.”

In 1850, Charles Dickens coined the word “canon” which we now commonly refer to as classic literature.

Teenagers prior to the Great Depression read novels that were designed specifically for their age group.

Classics are about teenage concerns and were written for teen audiences.

“Classics” came from a Harvard president who wanted to fit books onto a 5-ft shelf to mimic a liberal edu