Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 20:21     Subject: Re:To Kill a Mockingbird
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My two kids have not read it in any class.


It has fallen out of favor because of the white savior narrative.


Yeah, I think the curriculum in many places—not just MCPS—has shifted toward reading about racism and/or oppression from the perspective of the people it’s inflicted upon.

Although I graduated from HS in 1900, took advanced/AP classes all through middle and high school, did an English minor in college, and I’ve never read TKAM. Sometimes I feel like I have, because it used to be so ubiquitous; and people seem to love the movie as well. I guess that’s why I’ve never felt the need to read it (or watch the movie).


Well there's your problem right there, the book came out when you were 78.


LOL LOL LOL
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 18:12     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why do you ask, OP?

In my opinion, it's a good book, but it's not the only good book in the world. If the curriculum doesn't include To Kill a Mockingbird, that's ok too. And as the PP says, it's definitely a book about white people, written for white people (specifically, middle-class white people).


The bolded is the thing that always gets me about these discussions. It's a good book to read; I'd have no objection to including it on a curriculum, but there's more books worth reading in middle and high school and there is time to read them. Things fall out of the canon of high school readings all the time and are replaced by different books.

Here's some data on assigned readings in 1963: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED015175.pdf and 1988: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED309453.pdf (this also includes some information from 1900.

In 1900 kids were commonly assigned Ivanhoe, in 1963, Silas Marner and Our Town were part of the high school canon; neither were on the list in 1988. In 1963, The Great Gatsby hadn't made it to the canon yet, but it would. Between 1963 and 1988, Romeo and Juliet took off like a rocket. There's a ton of great books out there and more being written all the time, what you read in high school is going to change, like it always has.


+1. That said to address OPs question, it’s a book that can be read starting in middle school (or earlier depending on kid sensitivity and comprehension level). The level of discussion and analysis is what will differ.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 17:44     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Pretty sure my first (6 years ago) read it 10th grade, which seems age appropriate to me. I think it is sometimes taught in 9th. My kid go through 9th without having it assigned, so I assigned it the next summer and then I found out it was on the curriculum that next fall.

However, my next two didn't have it assigned (at school)...
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 13:52     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Assigned for DCPS 8th grader.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 13:37     Subject: Re:To Kill a Mockingbird
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My two kids have not read it in any class.


It has fallen out of favor because of the white savior narrative.


Yeah, I think the curriculum in many places—not just MCPS—has shifted toward reading about racism and/or oppression from the perspective of the people it’s inflicted upon.

Although I graduated from HS in 1900, took advanced/AP classes all through middle and high school, did an English minor in college, and I’ve never read TKAM. Sometimes I feel like I have, because it used to be so ubiquitous; and people seem to love the movie as well. I guess that’s why I’ve never felt the need to read it (or watch the movie).


Well there's your problem right there, the book came out when you were 78.


Ha! That should have said 1990, but honestly, this week the typo kinda feels more accurate.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 13:08     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
It’s currently assigned for my 9th grader in honors English.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 12:52     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I thought this book got banned?

All the more reason to read it.


Fair enough, but it wasn’t banned. It was taken off required reading lists because of the white savior narrative. It’s widely available if anyone wants to read it, and it can engender great discussions about race and perspective.


Well he failed to save him! So it was a failed white savior narrative


This is KEY and sadly overlooked.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 12:49     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
My recent grad, 10th grader, and 8th grader have not read it. I'm in my 50s and never read it -- it was never assigned and even though I was a voracious reader, just never happened upon this one.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 12:10     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Anonymous wrote:Why do you ask, OP?

In my opinion, it's a good book, but it's not the only good book in the world. If the curriculum doesn't include To Kill a Mockingbird, that's ok too. And as the PP says, it's definitely a book about white people, written for white people (specifically, middle-class white people).


The bolded is the thing that always gets me about these discussions. It's a good book to read; I'd have no objection to including it on a curriculum, but there's more books worth reading in middle and high school and there is time to read them. Things fall out of the canon of high school readings all the time and are replaced by different books.

Here's some data on assigned readings in 1963: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED015175.pdf and 1988: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED309453.pdf (this also includes some information from 1900.

In 1900 kids were commonly assigned Ivanhoe, in 1963, Silas Marner and Our Town were part of the high school canon; neither were on the list in 1988. In 1963, The Great Gatsby hadn't made it to the canon yet, but it would. Between 1963 and 1988, Romeo and Juliet took off like a rocket. There's a ton of great books out there and more being written all the time, what you read in high school is going to change, like it always has.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 11:58     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Anonymous wrote:I thought this book got banned?


Mine read it in 8th, in Catholic school
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 11:51     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I thought this book got banned?

All the more reason to read it.


Fair enough, but it wasn’t banned. It was taken off required reading lists because of the white savior narrative. It’s widely available if anyone wants to read it, and it can engender great discussions about race and perspective.


Race, class, and perspective.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 11:50     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Why do you ask, OP?

In my opinion, it's a good book, but it's not the only good book in the world. If the curriculum doesn't include To Kill a Mockingbird, that's ok too. And as the PP says, it's definitely a book about white people, written for white people (specifically, middle-class white people).
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 11:46     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I thought this book got banned?

All the more reason to read it.


Fair enough, but it wasn’t banned. It was taken off required reading lists because of the white savior narrative. It’s widely available if anyone wants to read it, and it can engender great discussions about race and perspective.


Well he failed to save him! So it was a failed white savior narrative
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 11:45     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Anonymous wrote:I thought this book got banned?


Where are you living where this book would be banned? And also, the libraries wouldn't ban them!
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2024 11:44     Subject: To Kill a Mockingbird
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I thought this book got banned?

All the more reason to read it.


Fair enough, but it wasn’t banned. It was taken off required reading lists because of the white savior narrative. It’s widely available if anyone wants to read it, and it can engender great discussions about race and perspective.