Readicide: The Problem and The Solution

At some point in their high school career, everybody has had to read a book that they didn't like. Whether it's Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, or Of Mice and Men, some people are just not fans of the classics. Despite protest, kids are forced to read these classics for school and it dramatically lessens the love of reading. For me, my least favorite classic books were Brave New World, Catcher in the Rye, and The Great Gatsby. I was really getting sick of reading because I would have to read the novel through a specific point of view and I feel like I didn't get understand the whole story. I also feel like I didn't get the opportunity to make my own opinion of the novel because I was trying to satisfy an assignment. 


I feel like schools need to incorporate more genre fiction into the curriculum. I don't think that modern books can replace the classics because I think they still have lots of academic merit but there are places where more modern books can be worked in that will help maintain student's love of reading. An example is when students first learn how to write an essay. The students can pick any book that they want and then go through the process of building an essay using an enjoyable novel. We should want our children to be able to enjoy reading in school so that they will continue to read long after school is out. The classics are not for everyone but I think that schools can reach a happy medium to help maintain the love of reading.