Growing up I read only the books that were assigned for school during middle school and high school. There was a lot to read during those years, and I had other things to do besides read when I was finished with my assignments. I never read any of the dark young adult books described by Megan Cox Gurdon in her article Darkness Too Visible. Even if I had wanted to read more as a teenager I would not have chosen dark books.
I do not disagree with Megan Cox Gurdon or Sherman Alexie. I think they both make valid points. In his article, Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood, Mr. Alexie wrote, “These students had read my young adult novel ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,’ and had been inspired by my autobiographical story of a poor reservation Indian boy and his desperate and humorous attempts to find a better life.” I think that is the difference between his book and some of the dark fiction that is written for young adults. His is a true story, and it provides hope for kids who are struggling. One of my favorite books as a teenager was The Pact. It is the true story of three African American males who grew up in a rough neighborhood and who made an agreement to get each other away from drugs and violence and through school. Two of the boys became doctors and one became a dentist. It is an amazing story.
I also think that good literature is something that can be made into a movie that parents would want their children to see. I cannot imagine some of these dark books making good movies, and that parents would want their kids to see them. I agree with Megan Cox Gurdon that just because a story is in a book does not make it good literature.
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