abaya

I am not really sure if we disagree... in the sentences of mine that you quoted, I said that Toni Morrison was "kick-ass" and that she takes a lot of work to read (compared to Jon Krakauer, which is more of a free-time read than something academic). Perhaps you misunderstood me.

The more contemporary, *well-written and challenging* books are excellent for students to read, mixed in with what has been traditionally taught. But I dislike the attitude that students have towards "hard" literature, where they whine and cry about not knowing what the big words mean, etc. to the point where a teacher starts teaching The Lion King (to use your example).

If the novel is a brain-crusher and it really teaches the student how to think, read, and write at a higher level... then I don't care when it was written, or by whom... as long as the student gets due exposure to the canon, too. But my experience has been that many modern novels are just too soft for the classroom (the kind that come a dime a dozen, especially the ones students want to read for their "independent reading" work).

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran