Since I've long been promising myself that I'd make a valiant effort to read more literature geared towards younger teens, I decided to end this session on a bang via a little "Maze of Bones," which totally appealed the mystery lover / inner archaeologist in me. I had no qualms about it being good, it was, after all, written by Rick Riordan, a teen literature titan, and it proved true to form-fun, funky, and fresh, with finely drawn and delightful characters (being a big sis myself, I especialy enjoyed the realistical sibling relationships) that nearly force the reader to be immediately drawn in.
In other words, it's an easy sell. As a teacher and/or librarian, anything by Rick Riordan, especially something as short and sweet as "Maze of Bones" is a rock solid recommendation for even the most reluctant of readers. This one in particular is far from complicated -- it requires neither an intense time commitment nor analytical thinking, which brings me to the subject of literary merit, a subject that's been broached a few times in the course, and, I admit, been plaguing me ever since. So...
I'd like to play devil's advocate here (while stressing that I'm not opposed to the notion of 'literary merit' per say) and pose a few questions. What exactly is literary merit and who decides? I'd argue that it's completely subjective, and perhaps even a moot point (at least in some situations) and that anything that encourages kids to READ, to explore literature, and don their creative thinking cap (while improving their literacy skills) has literary merit, at least to some degree. Thus, even books like ttyl & co. have a certain inherent value if for no other reason than they can serve as a gateway to future readership.
Thoughts? Opinions? Inquiring minds want to know...
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