Insomniac's blog

After reading and discussing literature choices for adolescents, I have changed my mind slightly. I still believe a canon of some sorts is important. The so-called classics are classics for a reason and in college students are reading these classics still. In order to prepare those of our pupils interested in college for it, we need to familiarize them with these classics.
However, having said that, I think the classics need to be supplemented with books that are more current and more directed at the culture of this time. The classics became classics because they often represented a voice for the age in which they were written. If educators do not allow for new books to enter into their canon then what will happen to the voice of the current generation? Let's face it, Melville and Shakespeare do not always represent our way of thinking in this more modern age. Albeit some of the same themes can transcend time. Themes of love, violence, jealousy, depression, and other human emotions never truly leave humanity, and that is why having these classics around is still important.
But, more modern writers can also represent those human emotions in their stories as well. I think that there has to be a balance of sorts. Modernity with the past.
As far as what I will teach, I am not sure yet. To be honest I am not up to date with the newest YA authors out there so I cannot reel off a list of authors and books I would teach. I do know that I would teach books from authors that are vastly different from my pupil population. If I am teaching in a rural, white, midwestern area I would teach books from African American, Latinos, Native Americans, as well as books which deal with issues in which my pupils may not be familiar, like homelessness, urban settings, and other "big city" types of issues. I would turn this around if I was teaching in an urban setting or in a setting in which my pupils were of a certain ethnic origin. I believe it is important to expose young people, especially those in the middle school years, to things outside of their normal daily environment.
I also have a bit of a rebellious streak in me, so teaching controversial books could be a huge temptation for me. Would I teach Huck Finn? You better believe it, although I may send home a warning/permission slip to parents. I would also offer substitute books to pupils who may have a hard time with certain controversial books. I do not want to hurt anyone or deeply offend anyone so offering substitutes would always be appropriate. However, I do not want to become so touchy feely that I cannot assign a text without some kid begging not to read it because it has a bad word in it.
So, I do not know exactly what adolescents should read. It is up to individual parents, educators, and kids themselves to decide what is read-worthy.