Enough with depressing reading lists

Well-written books don't need to have a twisted plot to keep you engaged.

from the September 14, 2007 edition

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Fearful that these titles might prove too abstract and difficult for my daughter, I decided to try some humor and handed her David Sedaris's "Holidays on Ice." She brought it into class as part of her volunteer reading and quickly turned other students on to this New Yorker writer, whose tale of working as an elf at Macy's during the Christmas season is a wonderfully well-crafted and whimsical romp.

Of course, there is a strong push in many middle and high schools to use novels that work across the curriculum. Examining the life of a 30-something man working as an elf at Christmas in New York City isn't going to provide much help to the history teacher, who, understandably, wants to spend more time exploring the causes of the Civil War and the horrible treatment of slaves.

But as my 14-year-old points out, classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird" showcase a fantastic control of the language and raise complex racial issues, but they don't hit the reader in the gut with gruesome details. My daughter also suggested "The Life of Pi" to her friends, because it uses symbolic violence, which makes it easier to create some emotional distance between her and the struggles of the central character.

The string of searing plot patterns has resulted in some very peculiar unintended consequences. Most of the students I spoke with from my daughter's middle school claimed that the readings made them feel inadequate because they never "experienced these horrible things."

"It becomes awkward," one student said, "because you're constantly made to feel spoiled or privileged."

I also noticed that no matter what movie we watch, even a comedy, whenever the tension begins to rise, my daughter assumes that someone is about to be hurt in some drastic manner – because that's the narrative pattern she encounters in her reading.

I was relieved to see that the summer reading list for her new high school included Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods," a witty account of a man's attempt to right his life and hike the entire Appalachian Trail (with an overweight partner who has a penchant for Little Debbie cakes). Students could also read Mark Twain. The list seemed to be a thoughtful mix of classics and newer titles that didn't reach as far over the shock line as, say, the slave novel "Day of Tears."

But then we received a letter informing us that the entire school – teachers, administrators, and all students – would be reading Ronald Wright's "A Short History of Progress." I have not personally read this book so I don't know the precise story line, but the cover blurb says: "If you read one book about impending doom this year, make it this one."

• Mary Collins is an assistant professor of creative writing at Central Connecticut State University.

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