Quote:
Originally Posted by ProfCrash
And to think, I was excited this morning when I saw that The Serpent's Shadow (The Kane Chronicles, Book Three) was released.
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So tonight I will read about Egyptian Gods and Magic through the lens of a kids book, I don't know that it even qualifies as a young adult book, and smile. Because it will have an intersting plot and do some cool things with mythological gods that I would not have expected. I also know that in another 5 years or so I will be able to recommend American Gods to my Nephew knowing that he actually knows most of the Greek and Egyptian Gods because of reading these types of books. Heck, I was able to discuss the Greek Gods with my 9 year old niece because she loves Percy Jackson.
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Some of these books and series are pretty complex. They prepare kids for delving into some pretty complex concepts later in their life. I have no doubt that my nieces and nephews, all are readers, will not have a problem reading Dune, the Foundation Series, and Dickens because they have been learning how to understand and remember details from the various books that they read.
Now, I do not think Cat Warriors is on par with the Hunger Games, I am not sure 9 is the right age for Hunger Games, and I don't see too many adults getting into the Warrior Cats but to write off YA or even some Kids literature as meaningless and not complex is flat out silly.
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I agree that writing off YA and Kid's lit as not complex is flat out silly. I also have the new Rick Riordan book downloaded, and I can't wait to start it after I finish the book that I am currently reading (likely today).
I read the NY Times article in question about a month ago, and I found it very offensive to suggest that adults shouldn't read YA. I read a very wide variety of literature, ranging from the classics of Greece and Rome (in the original Greek and Latin) to the Babysitters Club novels that I've kept since childhood. I resent anyone telling me what I should or should not be reading, and the elitist and snobby attitude that goes along with that sort of prescription. What anyone reads or doesn't read is their business.
To generalize about the value of YA fiction, comparing it to video games (which I also enjoy) without having read the books in question is, at the very least, a sign of extremely poor taste. I haven't read an article that got me this angry in a long time.