I shouldn't have to point out that Potter is written for 8-12 year olds and LOTR appeals to a much older crowd.
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All children are alike? All children are the same audience? All children have the same interests, the same temperament? Or is it just the anointed children, the worthy? You can't imagine how much you sound like an arrogant, eastern liberal elbow-patched-sweater, pipe smoking Bostonian.
And you can't imagine how much you sound like more than half of the educators in this nation with the attitude of 'it's too hard for them!!! they won't understand it. It's aimed at an older crowd that has a larger vocabulary'. And that's the exact problem in this nation. Instead of actually challenging and educating young children in this nation, teachers are coddling little Johnny and little Susie so they don't get their feelings hurt. And you know what you get? 12 year old brats that can stand in a front of a camera and say 'Just look at ME. PHONIKS WERKS!!'
I don't remember anyone in my class getting coddled. Did we have those that were slower to pick up than others? Sure. Know what happened to them? Summer School!! Know what happened if they didn't make the grade sooner or later? Well, there were jobs out there for kids with or without high school diplomas. A lot of them. Sound harsh? Are we back to every kid IS OWED an education? Could you point that out to me in the Constitution please?
Look I'm not trying to sound like a cold heartless b@stard, but there are teachers out there that are passing children left and right just to keep their jobs because the childrens' parents, who have the I'm the parent of a terrific kid' smacked on the back of their minivan will sue the county or try to get the teacher fired if he or she even recommends a child might need to stay back or go to summer school. And then you have teachers that are there just for the paycheck(not here in NC no one in their right mind unless they just love teaching) and could care less about the children. They pass them from 1st to 2nd and on up to 6th grade without teaching a thing. Things like words, facts, and mathematical equations get in the way of having (and I'm not kicking on all teachers here, there are good ones, we all know that) to babysit and cuddle the little vermin without, God forbid, telling them it might take some extra effort because Lord knows we don't want to get sued.
I'm only 32 but I remember in public school that you either sat down, shut up, and listened or else you went to the principal's office and at least got threatened with a whipping. Now? Hell, they're too busy passing out bumper stickers to lift the little kiddies egos to actually teach them anything!! So what suprise is it, when less than 50 years after the writing of one of the greatest pieces of literature in the twentieth century, children today are reduced to reading what would be a lame excuse for a Dick and Jane book back then in the 6th grade now.
You are the one who doesn't give kids enough credit. Sit them in a room for a little while and you'd be suprised what they'd read. Oh, but oh no, we've got soccer practice, video games to play, TVs to sit in front of to watch the newest Power Ranger movie(remember Ultra Man? that had more acting talent in it than the Power Rangers and I don't know ANYBODY who watched it seriously past the age of 7!!) Children are intelligent and whe pushed to their point of excellence WILL excel. But no we're too busy not hurting their feelings for them to learn
Elbow patched sweater? Don't think so. Bostonian? I wouldn't allow you to carry my dead body further north than the borders of Virginia.
I do not believe kids are any stupider today than in my day, although I believe more stupid kids are getting better grades (if that's what you mean by dumbing down).
You have only to read this thread to see that some kids today are still reading. I don't know any boys from my generation who read novels as young children. What we read was Popular Science, Boys Life, Field and Stream, and by age 12, Scientific American.