I am pretty passionate on the topic of kids and books. Last year, I wrote to Scholastic after seeing their Top X Number of Books touted for fifth graders. This list included books such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid and other pop culture favorites. Really, Scholastic? Your Top Books for Fifth Graders? Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
Like any for-profit enterprise, Scholastic is in the business of making money. And the product that they deal in is books. If the likes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid is what brings in the bucks, clearly they are going to highlight these books. But what should we be highlighting as parents and educators?
Clearly we want our children to read. And if we are at all honest with ourselves, we will admit that even we like reading light, fluffy material at times. There is clearly a time and a place for relaxed pursuit of the written word. I will be the first to admit that I loved The Hunger Games. I couldn't put them down. They had me motivated to get up at 5 AM each morning to get on my eliptical...just so I could read some more. I was engrossed in the lives of Katniss and Peeta, while all the while analyzing the author's lack of writing prowess. I had read enough good books to know that I was not reading quality literature, as eager as I was to continue.
But what of our children? What should they be reading? As a classical school, the answer is a resounding "good quality, classics". Books that have stood the test of time. Books with a lesson and a point that extend beyond any relevance to the moment in which they were written. There is universal appeal to a classic that stands the test of time, the
reader can make connections to his/her life and to other pieces of
literature. Books that teach lessons in the depth of human character or the human condition, granted at an age appropriate level, are classics. Classic literature may not have been a best-seller and may not be your favorite book, but there is a continuity to the study and appreciation of these novels.Classics not only reflect history, but influence it.
To me, one of the most important rationale for reading classic literature at the elementary level is the exemplar of excellence in writing. If we want our kids to grow up strong nutritionally, we will expose them to good food. We will encourage them to try brussel sprouts alongside their hamburger. There is a time and a place for McDonalds, but we would most likely agree that a pure diet of McDonalds would not a strong body make. To me the analogy with good literature is equally clear. If we want our kids to grow up strong readers and writers, we need to expose them to good writing. There may be a time and a place for pop culture literature, but a steady diet of Wimpy Kids will neither encourage clear and analytical thinking nor model the type of writing we hope our children produce.
So as you encourage your children to read this year, I suggest you to look to the classics. There are many places to find lists of such books. The link here is but one of many. http://www.npr.org/2013/08/05/207953619/100-must-reads-for-kids-9-14-the-printable-list. I have not read each of these titles, so I can not endorse each individually, but the overall theme of the list is good quality literature.
