The opposing items on Harry Potter raise another question. What else do kids want to read?
Do kids really want to read the social issues books so beloved of their educators? Should we be pushing them to read confrontational material about AIDS, death, refugees, sex abuse etc etc in a fictional form? If kids only spend a limited amount of time reading should that time be put to 'good use' or should kids be allowed to read for the sheer pleasure of reading?
There's a small publishing company in Scotland called Fidra. Fidra is re-issuing books from the 50's and 60's - with a heavy emphasis on Scottish books but others are being included. Fidra seems to think there is a market. Hay-on-Wye (the secondhand book mecca in the UK)also seems to have more than one shop which specialises in children's material.
What did you read and enjoy? Has this sort of thing been denied the children of the 80's onwards and why? Is it the right thing to do - what is kid's literature for? Is it always to teach or sometimes for the sheer joy of losing oneself in "the willing suspension of disbelief" Potter style?

ccat, the world changes, and very fast, lately. young people have to make their way in today, not your day. give them all the help you can, then stand aside and let them get on with it.

i suspect my generation had a better world to work with, but we buggered it up, out of laziness, ignorance, and greed. sorry, young 'uns, not intentional on my part.

i am very sorry kids relate to fantasy and violence more easily than sailing(swallows and amazons) and detectives (nancy drew) but whose fault is that?

So you would deny them Swallows and Amazons even if they might enjoy it? (Had a kid tell me once just a few years back that it was a "great book"?
I was questioning whether kids get the opportunity to read these things or whether adults are demanding that they read to be informed about social issues - if the latter, is this right? Or, do kids have the right to read just for pleasure?

don't see a problem- they'll read what they want for fun, what they are assigned, as a task. some of the tasks will turn out to be fun, or at least interesting. but society is determined to continue itself, and reading lists are part of that.

i copped some terrible turgid 'improving literature' as a kid- but i had nerve enough to say so, and was pleasantly surprised when teacher explained that 'interesting' books were too controversial for parents in 1950's florida, so we got the 'safe' stuff. still had to read it, but it was easier.

no prizes for guessing what my children read and read!

Demos, what if it is not there on the shelves because the adults have decided that the kids can only read the social issues type confrontational literature?
That's the problem...the other literature has been abandoned in favour of 'you need to know about this issue so we will dress it up in a nice big chocolatey vitamin pill and you will drink it Freddy, drink it!'