Reading and banning books

The NY Times had a story last week about the 'Workshop Method' of teaching reading which lets students create their own reading lists. I think the results speak for themselves. Here's an old reading list alongside a new one:

BOOKS ASSIGNED

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

"Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

"Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry

"Roll of Thunder, Hear My

Cry" by Mildred Taylor

STUDENTS' FAVORITES

"It's Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

"A Lesson Before Dying" by Ernest J. Gaines

"The Book Thief" by Marcus Zusak

"Life as We Knew It" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

"Maximum Ride" series, by James Patterson

James Patterson, the man behind the "Toys R Us Kid" ad campaign? Rumors of our culture's death have been greatly understated. (And since when have book titles been written in quotation marks rather than being italicized? Shame on you, Grey Lady.)

I suppose it could be worse -- we could ban books from school libraries (click for larger image):

Prownsville, Oregon tried to ban a book that has lain on the CAM coffee table for years. As for Mississippi, is the lack of book banning a sign of open minds and a commitment to the spirit of free inquiry, or do we just not read anything?