"But, Is It Good Enough to Teach?"

After reading the chapter written by Foster I have mixed feelings about the books that we have read so far in class. I believe that all three of them were a good choice to read and discuss in our class about adolescent literature, but I don't think that they should all be taught to adolescents. Harry Potter and Twilight are two of the most popular books on the shelf right now, and so it is important to discuss them in class because of their appeal to adolescents. On the other hand Copper Sun could greatly benefit young readers if it was taught in schools.

I would not like it if Harry Potter and Twilight were taught in schools because I think that it would ruin those books for the young readers. I believe that these books are already serving their great purpose by inspiring many kids to read, and even motivating them about reading long time consuming books. These books are meant to entertain and inspire children's imagination. It would greatly take away from the plot, the characters, and the magic that these books give children if they were taught in schools. Without analyzing these books in school kids will still be able to pick up on the themes of hope, never giving up, the power of love, and the great importance of friendship. I can only hope that these two influential books will continue to keep young kids reading and inspired.

Copper Sun is different than the other two books in many ways. First of all Copper Sun is not even half as popular as either of the other books, and most young readers if not all have probably never heard of this book. This book should be taught in school because it has great educational value. This book tells of the terrible events of slavery, and the point of view that the book is told in helps to open the eyes of the reader forcing him or her to sympathize with the characters. This book has the potential to educate adolescents on slave tales, the many atrocities that occurred, and contains essential themes associated with african american literature.

All three of these books that we have ready were important to discuss in a class about adolescent literature. They all are novels that have the potential to benefit young adolescent readers. Personally I see Copper Sun as a more educational novel, but I do believe that the other two are vitally important due to their power to inspire children's imagination and get them excited about reading.