Why should children read classic literature?
A thought exercise for my dear paying subscribers.
Children should read classic literature. This is a claim that undergirds my subscription box business. “But, why?” you may ask. My response to this question usually goes something like this: Because they are good. They get at the heart of what it means to be human. They spark the imagination in ways that ensure the story sticks with you. They have timeless, universal appeal—because of the previous two statements. They showcase admirable characters, yet with flaws just like everyone else. They are good.
Have I sold you on my claim? If you agree with it—of course children should read classic literature!—without flinching, you’re probably already with me, and thus I need to say no more. Those who are going to ensure that their children have access to classic literature, even if they don’t sign up their child for my program, don’t need to be sold on the claim.
What about everyone else? What about caregivers who want the kids in their life to be avid readers, and to be good at it, but aren’t familiar with classic literature and its appeal? Or those who want their children to love reading but don’t know what sort of books help accomplish that goal? Or have bad memories of being forced to read books they found to be difficult or boring? Or those who, when the word classics is uttered, immediately think of the pointless process of memorizing Julius Caesar instead of conjuring memories of how much they loved reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
How do I reach these people? I doubt that my pitch as spelled out above for why children should read classic literature resonates with them.
This is where you, my dear readers, come in. I am writing this post to use you as a sounding board. I don’t expect any of you to respond to the above question or comment on this post. Rather, I’m writing this to simply work out how to better pitch my program to parents and other caregivers. So, here it goes…