MoCo Middle School assigned books are so depressing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am personally VERY affected by depressing literature.
I think they pick these books in part because they think the teens will like them—especially all the apocolyptic stuff. But I do worry about how they affect kids who are already prone to depression. I have been trying to find less depressing stuff for my kid as a counter-balance. Suggestions are welcome! So far we have tried jane Austen, Shakespeare, and Agatha Christie.

Less depressing stuff, like King Lear?

I was thinking more Romeo and Juliet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree, OP. I am sick of the dystopian literature trend for young adults and super depressing books.

But young adults aren't sick of the trend.

The 7th grader in 16:17 would beg to differ, as would all of my kids.

Sure. Not everybody likes the same thing. But a trendy thing is a trendy thing because lots of people do like it.

True.

[Anonymous]

Omg wait until they get to high school... those are important books that address distressing social issues.... still total downer though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am personally VERY affected by depressing literature.
I think they pick these books in part because they think the teens will like them—especially all the apocolyptic stuff. But I do worry about how they affect kids who are already prone to depression. I have been trying to find less depressing stuff for my kid as a counter-balance. Suggestions are welcome! So far we have tried jane Austen, Shakespeare, and Agatha Christie.

Less depressing stuff, like King Lear?

I was thinking more Romeo and Juliet.

oh yes, two teens commit suicide. so cheery

[Anonymous]

It is impossible to find a book that all 500 7th graders are going to like. Teachers/departments do the best they can to meet their standards while catering to the masses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Pearl is a classic. It's sad you don't see that.

Lots of books are classics, but that doesn't mean everyone has to read them, let alone like them.

I can't stand Steinbeck, myself. Not as a teenager, and not as an adult.

Same here

My 6th grader is reading Holes. She read it in 4th grade in ES too. She is so bored.

[Anonymous]

My HS students complains they are all about race. She says she thinks it almost makes race a bigger issue than it would be otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is impossible to find a book that all 500 7th graders are going to like. Teachers/departments do the best they can to meet their standards while catering to the masses.

Except then you choose a variety...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My HS students complains they are all about race. She says she thinks it almost makes race a bigger issue than it would be otherwise.

Race actually is a big issue. And pretending it isn't, doesn't make it a smaller one, although a lot of people seem to wish that it did.

[Anonymous]

I don’t see why we make kids do this. I mean, okay, I majored in English and I loved it but there is no reason 14-year olds should have to study sad depressing literature all year long, particularly if teachers don’t know how to moderate class discussions. Literature should be uncomfortable and sad some of the time but not all of the time!

And yes sad things make me sad even if I really like them. I loved The Awakening and The Yellow Wallpaper and all that. They still made me sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HS students complains they are all about race. She says she thinks it almost makes race a bigger issue than it would be otherwise.

Race actually is a big issue. And pretending it isn't, doesn't make it a smaller one, although a lot of people seem to wish that it did.

Of course it is a big issue but that does not mean that every single book for 4 years has to focus in it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HS students complains they are all about race. She says she thinks it almost makes race a bigger issue than it would be otherwise.

Race actually is a big issue. And pretending it isn't, doesn't make it a smaller one, although a lot of people seem to wish that it did.

Of course it is a big issue but that does not mean that every single book for 4 years has to focus in it!

Every single book, for four years? Huh.

[Anonymous]

Man I hope 80% or more of what they have to read and write about in English lit class is classics.
I thought all the woke schools read all those new victim books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am personally VERY affected by depressing literature.
I think they pick these books in part because they think the teens will like them—especially all the apocolyptic stuff. But I do worry about how they affect kids who are already prone to depression. I have been trying to find less depressing stuff for my kid as a counter-balance. Suggestions are welcome! So far we have tried jane Austen, Shakespeare, and Agatha Christie.

Less depressing stuff, like King Lear?

I was thinking more Romeo and Juliet.

oh yes, two teens commit suicide. so cheery

I was that poster. For whatever reason, reading Shakespeare doesn't get me that upset. Maybe because Shakespeare doesn't really focus in on the emotional lives of the teenagers? It's more of an action story, really? Unlike something like Handmaid's Tale, that just wrecked me for months. Or Poisonwood Bible, that had me pretty crushed for a while. Or Kite Runner....anyway, I don't think that they assign any of those in MCPS MS, but they do seem to be reading a TON of post-apocolyptic stuff. And now with COVID, it's basically all my MS-er can think about.
Anyway, I'd love more suggestions for stuff that doesn't bring you down -- either for me or my teen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am personally VERY affected by depressing literature.
I think they pick these books in part because they think the teens will like them—especially all the apocolyptic stuff. But I do worry about how they affect kids who are already prone to depression. I have been trying to find less depressing stuff for my kid as a counter-balance. Suggestions are welcome! So far we have tried jane Austen, Shakespeare, and Agatha Christie.

Less depressing stuff, like King Lear?

I was thinking more Romeo and Juliet.

oh yes, two teens commit suicide. so cheery

I was that poster. For whatever reason, reading Shakespeare doesn't get me that upset. Maybe because Shakespeare doesn't really focus in on the emotional lives of the teenagers? It's more of an action story, really? Unlike something like Handmaid's Tale, that just wrecked me for months. Or Poisonwood Bible, that had me pretty crushed for a while. Or Kite Runner....anyway, I don't think that they assign any of those in MCPS MS, but they do seem to be reading a TON of post-apocolyptic stuff. And now with COVID, it's basically all my MS-er can think about.
Anyway, I'd love more suggestions for stuff that doesn't bring you down -- either for me or my teen.

Maybe re-read the play? Or go to see it?