[LM_NET] GEN: cultural illiteracy

[Dorothy Scanlan <dgscanlan02@YAHOO.COM>]

Not only are you NOT off-topic with your vent, as this is something all librarians 
should be concerned with, but you are right on.  It's especially shocking to me, as 
teaching is a second career; I didn't step inside a school for twenty years.  I'm 
still reeling from the myriad differences between then and now.  I'll give a 
personal example of our culture's "dumbing down".  My tenth grade son is taking an 
honors English class.  In the past, three or four novels would be read.  He is 
reading only ONE - Ethan Fromme.  He's not reading Huck Finn or The Great Gatsby, 
or any of the ones he should be reading.  
   
  Part of the problem is that there is an implied disdain, which is passed from 
many adults to kids, for so-called classics - as if they have no relevance for 
today's youth.  In fact, the very reason they ARE "classics" is because they speak 
of timeless themes and emotions experienced by all of us.  We need to stop 
apologizing to kids for "making" them read excellent literature.
   
  Dorothy Scanlan
  Librarian
  St. Paul's School
  dscanlan@stpaulsschool.org

                
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