From what I heard of the book I expected a courtroom drama or a kind of “I’m angry at the man now” tale of injustice. But instead, it’s a love poem to being a kid. I wish teachers would teach it that way. You can use a million real world historical events to open up a discussion about racism in America but this is a book that can get to kids where they live — the inevitable loss of their summer vacation (literal and metaphorical).

As for reading age-appropriate books, I totally support you in that. All reading is good reading. When I was in late grade school and reading novels with wild abandon, no teacher dissuaded me from reading Stephen King or the Three Investigators or any other kind of pop junk food. The only book any teacher suggested I put down was . . . wait for it . . . Moby Dick. She told me that I should read it when I was older because I would understand it better. She was smart enough to see that I had no idea what I was doing and just picked up the book to show off. She was right — diving into that beast at the age of 11 could very well have turned me off to reading, while diving into Pet Semetary turned it on.

I’m of the school that all reading is good reading at a certain age because that is how you build your vocabulary and reading skills. Even if you don’t entirely “get” what you are reading you are sure to pick up something (as long as you are paying attention). The problem lies in force feeding kids stuff they hate and then they decide they hate reading altogether – which means they never gain the skills or experience in reading. Nor do they have the motivation to read great works later in life. So, let them read something that isn’t as intellectually appropriate, just to get them reading (enter Harry Potter).

Though I politely passed on all the works I was supposed to study in high school (and some in college) I have reread them now with a great appreciation (well most of them). If I had been entirely turned off of reading I never would have gotten here.

I feel for dedicated educators like yourself. It’s hard to pass on a passion for literature to kids who play video games out of the womb. You’ve been set up to fail and then blamed for it. Keep up the good work though!

As a final thought, there don’t seem to be many differences in the fiction novels taught at the college level and those at the high school level. The young adult genre is still coming into its own etc, but valuable novels for those who are 12-17 years old are hard to come by. Moreover, finding YA lit. that includes concepts like symbolism, extended metaphor (allegory), etc is even tougher. It is as if public schools have built their standards around books that are too difficult and or uninteresting for average students… Welcome to my nightmare.

I agree that good teachers can make reading a better experience for the student. I remember I had a great 8th grade teacher who guided us through The Outsiders – a book that was relevant to us then and one that not surprisingly does not bear fruit in rereading as an adult.

I also agree that just reading the story for its superficial pleasure is not always productive (though there are plenty of books out there that offer only that). I personally enjoy a book that shows me something new or lets me into a character’s brain. If a story can do that without bashing the reader over the head with politicial or social agendas, so much the better. that is why TKaM is so amazing. It does all of that seamlessly and beautifully. It’s not weighed down by its own idea of what it needs to be.

Perhaps finding more age appropriate books is the key. There are so many great YA books now (though there were then too). I would rather have students cut their teeth on some good books that they relate to than have them feel unmoored in a sea of books they “have” to read, which they don’t get or dismiss as unnecessary. Especially if some of those books are great and should be read later in life.

Until then keep torturing students with Anna Karenina and The American Tragedy.