The Readers' Advisory Guide to Street Literature

July 1, 2012

Morris sets out to help public and school librarians gain an understanding of the content and history of street lit. In her introduction, she reiterates the need for this literature wherever there is demand, whether the collection is for teen or adult readers. She calls for librarians to be both knowledgeable about the genre and to be readers of it, and advocates for them not to judge or dismiss its fans. Morris sets the record straight that street lit is about more than drug dealers and domestic violence. It focuses primarily on African American characters and is about life and survival in inner-city, lower-income areas. She compares the genre to other early survival-story novels such as Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders and Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. She suggests series titles, individual titles, both fiction and nonfiction, and lists a few Christian teen-friendly series. The book discusses the appeal, characteristics, the structure of the genre, and mentions themes and subgenres, YA recommendations, and tips for selection and readers' advisory. In this comprehensive book, Morris provides excellent input to aid in collection development and includes a list of publishers.-Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2011
Morris, an assistant professor of library science at Drexel University, explains in her introduction that she's been a fan of street literature ever since her father gave her an Iceberg Slim novel when she was nine. Working with young adults in Philadelphia, she saw high demand for the titles and worked with her readers to build a collection. In this entry to ALA's Readers' Advisory series, Morris presents a solid overview of the genre. From exploring the genre's roots (Moll Flanders and Oliver Twist, anyone?) to articulating the appeal of the books, this accessible volume covers unique and useful material. For example, there is an entire chapter on teen-friendly street lit, as well as material on collection development. Appendixes include a list of publishers and unannotated book lists. The epilogue is a transcript of e-mails Morris exchanged with author Zetta Elloitt candid conversations about the merits and the challenges of street lit. This guide is a necessary read for anyone working in a library with (or in need of) a street-lit collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)