Often, those of us in the business of deciding and providing what children "should" read act like gatekeepers, as if we have forgotten that the wonderful world of literature we are guarding isn't ours in the first place. Children are not adults in training, but people in their own right, full of opinions and needs. If we are less than thrilled to have them reading certain books, better to be involved in their lives and grateful that they are reading than rail against their choices. It is not the selection of a particular book that is a problem, but the lack of a concerned and interested adult to help young readers understand their choices.

-- "Valerie & Walter's Best Books for Children," by Valerie V. Lewis and Walter M. Mayes

Pub Date: 06/16/99