Reading the classics

Regi Routeman, a wonderful teacher of the gifted, once wrote,
"It is strange to me that teachers/parents who read every Danielle Steel, Stephen King and People Magazine insist that all children must read classics."

Is this a subtle form of child abuse? Have you tried reading Treasure Island or Hans Brinker lately? It will be interesting
to see how many people read Anna Karenina Oprah's latest classic choice. If such statistics could be gathered, comparison of the number of readers of Oprah's classics and Oprah's former book club choices would be enlightening.

We are all drawn in by the term "classic." I have a friend who joined a classic book of the month club. He was enamored by the "red hand-tooled leather bindings." Almost bankrupted before he could get out of the club, he says the books do look nice on the shelf.

Every age has its classics. One of the definitions of a classic is a book which is still in print and being read after 50 years. Children today should read or have read to them Goodnight Moon, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Where the Wild Things Are, Winnie the Pooh (the original) and Charlotte's Web.

Thank you God for Margaret Wise Brown, Beatrix Potter, Maurice Sendak, A. A. Milne and E. B. White who lead us so gently through childhood and for Jesus who leads us gently home.