What does democracy look like in the teaching of literature? Selecting texts that authentically and democratically engage students in the knotty questions of contemporary life is no small task, especially where young adult (YA) literature is concerned. This article critiques didactic YA literature grounded in a developmental stage model of adolescence. The authors argue that such literature is undemocratic and support their claim by comparing and contrasting a memoir intended for adults with another meant for a teen readership.