I'm a bit perturbed by our school district's summer reading list. My daughter had the choice of reading The Lovely Bones or The Secret Life of Bees. Considering The Lovely Bones is a book I wouldn't even read for my own book club, I ordered the other book, which I have read. Although not exactly an upper either, it is not about a brutally raped and murdered child looking down from heaven.Last summer, this same daughter had to read Speak, about a girl who was date raped and then became an outcast at her school. I'm not disputing that it was a well-written, modern publication, but could we maybe read something a little more..........I don't know, cheerful? She was also forced to read Claws, a book about two teens who discover that their parents are having an affair. That one also included drug use and a violent teen death.
My son, who is only going into the 8th grade, must read Night (concentration camp memoir) and Of Mice and Men. At least this is considered a classic, but a mentally retarded person being falsely accused of rape and then who is shot by his best friend in the end to put him out of his misery? Is anyone else seeing a pattern here?
Not to be crass, but isn't the suicide rate high enough already? These are just seriously depressing books for kids who are supposed to be on vacation!
Holy cow. There are tons of great, uplifting books for teens, unless the district's goal is to turn them off of reading permanently so there will be a bigger audience for American Idol.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same way the Oscars only want to award movies that make me want to kill myself rather than smart, well crafted comedies.
One of the larger metro schools is having their high school students read a lot of books on the actual art of writing, rather than a lot of fiction. At least, that's based on what students are coming in and asking for. The only fiction they're reading is Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, and that book is intense!
ReplyDeleteI don't read a lot of young adult titles, but when I was working in the kids/teens department last year, it seemed the theme of so many of the titles that came in was suicide. Suicide or teenage vampire love stories, and I must be honest, I'm not a huge fan of either!
My kids aren't school age yet- but I am going to have to stop by the school web site and see what our area is offering for summer reading... i am interested to find out...
ReplyDeleteTrooper - I was initially thinking the same thing - there are tons of books out there, right? Then I started thinking about what I read as a teen (Scarlet Letter, Grapes of Wrath, Moby Dick) and realized that none of them were all that uplifting!
ReplyDeleteFADKOG - is there a connection between all the goth kids and the vampire chronicles? Always wondered about that....
Buttafly - yeah, I'd be interested in what other schools are requiring as well.
So this may be a grade by grade thing... the actual web site of the school just gives places to look for books- but doesn't give specific books that have to be read. And remembering back- we did get to choose a book, or two or three that we had to read over the summer and had to do book reports on them... so who knows... maybe the english teacher for the new year sends info out on what she would like the students to read... who knows these days anymore
ReplyDeleteHunh. I don't have kids, and for the life of me can only remember "required" reading when I got to high school.
ReplyDeleteBefore that, we just had book fairs and could pick what we wanted...
Do they have to do book reports on these, too?
Buttafly - thanks for checking. This summer reading just started a couple of years ago. I don't know if any of the younger grades get to choose their own titles or not.
ReplyDeleteLB - Each teacher is different as far as the project. My daughter has to write a magazine interview of some of the characters from the book.
I agree with you, jeez. Too depressing - I myself choose to read mostly smut during the summer. How can you even think in the heat?
ReplyDeleteAlice, I'd never admit it to my book club buddies, but I too enjoy a good bit of summer smut reading (aka "chick lit").
ReplyDeleteI came across your blog today and I have to say it's a great one.. definitely going on my daily reads.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Trooper.. There are plenty of uplifting books for teens. There are also challenging and thought provoking books out there without the rape,sex and murder.
I remember as a kid challenging my English teacher over what was acceptable reading. It was all doom and gloom.
It's all a conspiracy I say. These types of reads are what make them all broody and emo.
Wow! Thanks Frances. But you better put me on your weekly reads, because I don't post that often!
ReplyDelete