Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

Dear all,
I would love to hear your thoughts, experiences and points about the following discussion point;

To what extent do you think that Young Adult readers and children becoming removed from the classical stories that have always informed and been referenced in literature?

As a teacher as well as writer, I have become increasingly concerned that children and YAs are no longer coming to Secondary School (High School;)) with what was once an innate knowledge of fairytales, biblical parables etc.
Is this impacting now on the way in which we are writing?

I don't know about 'impacting', but I'm sure it has an 'affect'. :)

Another reason why I home school. My kids (7) call it home's cool.

I place the blame on parents who think they are too busy to read to their kids. In fact, as a high school English teacher (who only gets to sub, since there are NO jobs around anymore!) that's the most important question I ask my students: were you read to as a kid? Did you like it? Then I read aloud to them in class, especially from classics they would not (or could not) read to themselves. This triggers their imagination which, in this day and age, does not get much of a work-out anymore!

Fiona, check out home schoolers in your area. most of them group up to share costs, and are always looking for tutor help. Offer yourself as a live, classics reader, for example. Put a program together.
I don't know why teachers don't look into this more. THIS is teaching. No Administrative bs, no discipline probs, total cooperation from students AND parents.
Granted, most of what passes for home school are religious nut-jobs looking to indoctrinate, but there are quite a few Montessori-type home schoolers who are only interested in giving their kids an education not indoctrination. The ability to think for themselves. You wanna teach? Let's get serious.

home's cool. check it out.

j

I appreciate the tip, J, but unfortunately we live in a town where the people who home-school do so "Because the only history book they need is the Bible! The only math book they need is the Bible! The only literature book they need is the Bible! The only science book they need is the Bible!" And since I think of all religious texts as interesting LITERATURE, that is works of fiction, I'm not sure how popular I would be. I have a tendency to encourage students to think for themselves, and that is not what most parents seem to want. And it is definitely what administrations DO NOT WANT!

I mentioned that most home schooling is precisely what you described, but I thought you lived in a bigger city with more options. Yeah, they really give home school a bad name. as for admin, couldn't agree more. learning to think for yourself means they can't turn them into future consumer corporate clones, which is what USAUSA is becoming, if not already.
Ever thought of doin a dvd and promoting it?

Kate wrote: "Dear all,
I would love to hear your thoughts, experiences and points about the following discussion point;

To what extent do you think that Young Adult readers and children becoming removed fr..."

Kate, that is great question and ever greater problem. As an author of YA fantasy similar to C.S Lewis or J.R.R Tolkien, I visit with middle school kids, parents and librarians (home school and public school) on a regular basis.

Your last comment about impacting the way in which is write, hits home. I wrote my book because my daughter asked me when she was in school. She was tired of reading the dark, horrible, graphic and sexual stuff being published for kids. Sad to say, the impact upon kids is worse now than when she graduated high school only 5 years ago.

I'm constantly speaking with parents, teachers and librarians who are disturbed not only by the books being written for kids, but the stories those kids write as a result. I've read some of them and they put Stephen King and other horror writers to shame!!! They are graphic, violent and disturbing.

As a writer, I seek to give kids a good, entertaining alternative with a classic fantasy story and not further feed their dark side. More parents and teachers need to be aware of the books these kids read. Gone are the days of fun innocent summer reads, replaced by edgy, push the envelope stories that some kids are not mature enough to handle.