Something that concerns me about reading is the thought that there has to be certain criteria met in order for a book to be considered a "literary work". What I call "book snobs", seem to believe that not just any book has literary value. Some also believe that only certain types of books should be taught from or about. There are even some who believe books that don't meet certain criteria shouldn't even be read!
My boys were slow starters in reading. They didn't like it, at all. My oldest fought tooth and nail to avoid reading. Finally, I convinced him that if he tried a book that was written about something he enjoyed or was interested in, he would like to read. He eventually chose "Where the Red Fern Grows" and loved it. That sparked interest in some other similar books, and he was off! Is it a piece of "classic" literature? I guess it depends on who you ask. What I do know is that it's not meeting the criteria of a set of "rules" someone made up that makes a book great. Labeling a book as a certain thing doesn't make it so. Doesn't necessarily make it anymore enjoyable to read, or any more thought provoking.
Last year my son's 5Th grade teacher said that she didn't care what the kids were reading, as long as they were reading. What a great concept. She recognized that some kids won't start to read for enjoyment, and reap the benefits that reading offers, if they don't like the subject. In that regard, I think as long as you're reading (whatever it may be) it's a great thing!
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Hi, again, Tonya. I agree! I think reading is reading and that we shouldn't classify some books as mattering and others as not. The classifications interfere with the actuality. For example, 80% of novels written in Britain in the 19th century were written by women, but we don't have much of a sense of who those women were today because their work somehow didn't make the cut of "real" literature. Nancy
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I never understood the difference. Who got to decide what the guidelines were for "real" Literature. Given an opportunity would todays readers establish the same guidelines or would they chose different ones?
ReplyDeleteTonya~
ReplyDeleteWhat a great topic to write about! I really enjoyed your post.
I would definitely agree with your son's teacher that as long as they are reading, it really does not matter what children choose for casual reading. The idea is that they are indeed "READING" something.
I teach a 3rd grade class and I have turned many of my students - who had no previous desire to read - onto the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Have your boys discovered them yet? They are quite popular here in California. I have seen kids who absolutely ABHOR reading immerse themselves in these short comic strip fictions just as avid readers would a "literary classic." Their reading skills have greatly improved as a result.
Both of my own kids love to read, but a while back I noticed them arguing over the Calvin & Hobbes book that I kept in the car. So, needless to say, I now keep TWO of them in each seat back pocket, just to keep the peace. ;o)
I also appreciate and agree with Nancy's comment that many great 19th century writers were overlooked, simply because they did not meet the criteria to become known as "real" literary authors for reasons we may never agree with or understand.
Thanks for the great post!
~Lisa Ball