I maintain that half of the “classics” we read in school are given to us too young. That’s why so many american kids end up hating reading— being forced to read old books that are a chore to get through, is not what captures the interest of a young reader.
Schools should start off with more modern works, things from the past half-century at minimum, before hucking kids into the “classics”. Even if they are as good as the literary world seems to think, kids can’t possibly know that, because “classic” is a comparative term, and they don’t have the most solid basis for it. It’s like starting off a new whiskey drinker with a 21-year single-malt— sure they could like it right away, but what do they have to compare its quality to?
Plus, just my opinion… a lot of “the classics” are boring and tough to get through even with that solid base of reference!
I maintain that half of the “classics” we read in school are given to us too young. That’s why so many american kids end up hating reading— being forced to read old books that are a chore to get through, is not what captures the interest of a young reader.
Schools should start off with more modern works, things from the past half-century at minimum, before hucking kids into the “classics”. Even if they are as good as the literary world seems to think, kids can’t possibly know that, because “classic” is a comparative term, and they don’t have the most solid basis for it. It’s like starting off a new whiskey drinker with a 21-year single-malt— sure they could like it right away, but what do they have to compare its quality to?
Plus, just my opinion… a lot of “the classics” are boring and tough to get through even with that solid base of reference!