[caseinpoint]

“Why schools are going away from classics is beyond me.”

The reason is simple. The classics were written by dead white men mostly and schools today think kids have to read books written by a diverse set of authors. So they select contemporary books written by women, blacks, Native Americans, Peruvians, Guatemalans, drug addicts and convicts, etc., etc. so all the kids’ “voices” will feel “represented” by the authors. Never mind that the books are poorly written, have little redeeming value, or may have been outright frauds. It’s the diversity that counts.

[GATOR NAVY]

Nice summary.

[raybbr]

The reason is simple. The classics were written by dead white men mostly and schools today think kids have to read books written by a diverse set of authors. So they select contemporary books written by women, blacks, Native Americans, Peruvians, Guatemalans, drug addicts and convicts, etc., etc. so all the kids’ “voices” will feel “represented” by the authors. Never mind that the books are poorly written, have little redeeming value, or may have been outright frauds. It’s the diversity that counts.

I agree and more. The classics require thought and the ability to discern meaning. The new books are simply words the reader hear in everyday life. It's like watching tv - it requires no imagiation or thought to "get" the story.

[raybbr]

I agree and more. The classics require thought and the ability to discern meaning. The new books are simply words the reader hear in everyday life. It's like watching tv - it requires no imagiation or thought to "get" the story.

Meant to add:

Therefore the teachers don't have to do any work to get the children to understand the books. They don't have to stand in front of the class and draw out a discussion about the story.

[Little Ray]

Dunno. Some “classics” are d@mn boring. I think I would pay money not to have read Dickens, Melville, or Tolstoy ever again. One Lit book I was using even managed to find a boring and unfunny Thurber story. I swear, sometimes it seems like the goal of literature classes is to make student hate to read...

And I LIKE reading.