Fuse #8

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Hulk (re: Me) Smash!

You know who knows far more about children's reading habits, preferences, and what's "good" for them than trained children's literture specialists? The Wall Street Journal. No, really! According to them we're raising a nation of "cereal-box readers" because our kids aren't perusing 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in their spare time. Should you wish to feel the delightful taste of bile rising to the back of your throat, check out this article on how the Children's Book Council and ALSC are single-handedly destroying our nation's youth. Special thanks to Jen Robinson who also posted Shannon Hale's response.

And many many thanks to bookshelves of doom for the links.

7 Comments:

At 11:18 AM , Blogger MotherReader said...

I have a special interest in the article, which I can only hint at. But you folks are smart, I bet you'll guess it (to yourselves, of course). Hmm, who worked on the summer reading list for her library system. What state does she live in? How does that all connect?

 
At 2:51 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oooh, what really gets me about that article is that (like I think you posted a bit ago), there's obviously been no good literature published after 1850 or so. (I'm making up that date; I actually have no idea when most of those "classics" were written, having never actually read most of 'em.)

 
At 6:28 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for the link. Glad that you enjoyed the article. Well, as much as one can enjoy anything bile inducing. It's certainly a good excuse to rant, that's for sure. The whole thing has me pretty determined not to go out and 20000 Leagues Under the Sea any time soon, I'll tell you that.

 
At 8:06 PM , Blogger fusenumber8 said...

The movie's good, tho.
Ah, Peter Lorre. You lovable scamp, you.

 
At 8:13 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's obvious that the Wall Street Journal author read the reading list descriptions, not the books. TANGERINE is absolutely brilliant, and I don't think anyone who's read it would describe it as a "light, fun" book.

 
At 8:34 PM , Blogger fusenumber8 said...

Nope. Brilliant, yes. A lightweight traipse through the daisies, not so much. I still can't get the image of an older brother spray painting his ... but I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

 
At 2:07 PM , Blogger Little Willow said...

Someday, I hope that high-profile articles such as these are written by journalists WHO HAVE ACTUALLY READ the books. Sigh.

 

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