Classics: Why We Should Encourage Children to Read Them

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any classic books or any very old fiction books or series.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
Netvigator72
Posts: 263
Joined: 23 Feb 2020, 18:34
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 21
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-netvigator72.html
Latest Review: Kindred Journeys by Marjorie Tapley-Olson

Re: Classics: Why We Should Encourage Children to Read Them

Post by Netvigator72 »

SarahPapesh wrote: 04 Oct 2013, 14:34
LunaRowan wrote:Classics are classics for a reason. Most show the development of human society through the decades and they cast a whole different light on history than they'd learn in any social studies class. They also introduce young readers to different speech and ways of speaking that would otherwise be lost to the annuls of dead languages. I encourage classics be taught just as in-depth and often as contemporary literature and to pass on these "classics" to further generations.
Well said, LunaRowan! I think classics provide a glimpse into a literary past that is lost on current authors. I think they should be passed down for generations to come!
Very true indeed!
User avatar
Northernbird84
Posts: 121
Joined: 23 Jan 2018, 16:27
Currently Reading: The Crossing
Bookshelf Size: 31
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-northernbird84.html
Latest Review: Fulfillment by ICA

Post by Northernbird84 »

I feel that children would miss out if they didn't read the classics. I remember reading some through school and disliking them but I also remember reading some such as Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations that left me with a love for reading and getting lost in a story from a different time and palace. I would definitely encourage young people to read classic books.

When we visited the Bronte Parsonage last year I was pleased to see special children's versions of the Bronte sisters works. They've worked hard to make them accessible and I think that's great!
Latest Review: Fulfillment by ICA
User avatar
Lady-of-Literature
Posts: 284
Joined: 24 Dec 2018, 20:36
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 29
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lady-of-literature.html
Latest Review: Twisted Threads by Kaylin McFarren

Post by Lady-of-Literature »

I agree. Classics are the base for most literature and so much of our current stories are born form them. More importantly, I think we should encourage children to read classics form other cultures as well.
Earle Remington
Posts: 23
Joined: 02 May 2020, 15:37
Currently Reading: Apollo's Raven
Bookshelf Size: 7

Post by Earle Remington »

Classics can be an especially enlightening genre of book, because they allow to the reader to experience something written by someone from the past. This means the author has a very distinct identity from that of the reader. Empathy can blossom.
User avatar
TopaAzul062
Posts: 214
Joined: 11 Mar 2019, 22:06
Favorite Book: Cartouches, Field Guide and Identification Key
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 67
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-topaazul062.html
Latest Review: Basic Training for the Self-Publishing Battlefields by Lewis Kempfer

Post by TopaAzul062 »

That's all I remember reading in school. All the stories that we were introduced to were written in the past. The only non-classics I read came from the library.

There are some really good classics that were encountered over the years that I didn't realize were considered classics till years after the fact. I remember many months back, reading a comic book (an actual book) called Batwoman: Elegy were we're introduced to a character that had a unique way of speaking and Batwoman attributed it to Lewis Carroll's books. I think high school was the most interesting when it came to classics as there was a rivalry between two of my teachers when it came to film adaptions of classic novels.

One liked the modern-ish colored version while the other liked the classic black and white (it also adhered more closely to the book). Most of the young people I've encountered can't be bothered to read classic literature and while my nephew struggles with them, he can knock them out in one to two reading sessions. I'm sure when they learn that their favorite show or new book series is based on a classic, they'll jump at a chance read the classic version.
User avatar
Samwisekoop
Posts: 266
Joined: 16 Apr 2020, 15:24
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 41
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-samwisekoop.html
Latest Review: Perfection and Other Illusive Things by J Mercer

Post by Samwisekoop »

Yes, classics should never die just because some people may think they are invalid to this time and age. Even if they were written in a different era, the humanistic characteristics stay the same. The lessons that are learned in classics such as Little Women, Black Beauty, or Lord of the Rings are lessons that we can always apply to our lives. Classics not only are prime examples of ways people should and shouldn't act, but their grammar and way of writing are usually flawless. The English language has gone downhill in the past 100 years. Words meant to be used only in sincere circumstances are now used flippantly. Over half of Americans don't know how to properly use a semi-colon because some people deem it unimportant. Classics are written with such intelligence that it is hard to not learn something from them. Perhaps the generations forget the importance of classics because they don't understand them. The classics can sometimes be hard to read, but you will always walk away from them a little bit smarter. For instance, if you tackle a Shakespearean piece of literature, you are in for a ride. But what you will learn and understand once you've finished you'll probably remember for a long time. Classics are also, in a way, a glimpse into how the author from years ago perceived the world. It is educational to try and compare the differences between the author's world, and ours. Somethings will change, somethings won't. Classics are iconic pieces of literature that should be read by our generation and generations to come.
"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." - Galadriel
User avatar
gayscott
Posts: 160
Joined: 17 Dec 2018, 21:49
Favorite Book: The Legacy of Job's Wife
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 40
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gayscott.html
Latest Review: Devil Among Us by Jack Winnick

Post by gayscott »

:techie-studyinggray: Sometimes classics are written about a decade in which children can no longer experience unfortunately. I think it's good for them to realize lifestyles weren't always like they are now. It can be hard for them to visualize a time as Tom Sawyer without having this great book to read.
I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. :reading-6: :reading-6: :angelic-cyan:
User avatar
drwcroaker
Posts: 249
Joined: 18 Jun 2020, 12:59
Favorite Author: Stephen King
Currently Reading: Brothas from Anotha Motha
Bookshelf Size: 24
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-drwcroaker.html
Latest Review: Waterworks by Jack Winnick
Reading Device: B07XR7CPXG
fav_author_id: 2376

Post by drwcroaker »

Sometimes classics are written about a decade in which children can no longer experience unfortunately. I think it's good for them to realize lifestyles weren't always like they are now.
I agree gayscott. I feel the same way about The Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye. When those books are read today they are often disliked because they are from decades when the values and issues were very different. Even the language is different. It takes a lot of work to read books that are so far removed from the world you recognize.
We’re gonna need a bigger bookshelf.
User avatar
anaplasticCerebrum
Posts: 140
Joined: 18 May 2020, 12:17
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 24
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-anaplasticcerebrum.html
Latest Review: Milton at Monticello: Thomas Jefferson's Reading of John Milton by Kemmer Anderson

Post by anaplasticCerebrum »

Samwisekoop wrote: 15 Jun 2020, 12:27 Yes, classics should never die just because some people may think they are invalid to this time and age. Even if they were written in a different era, the humanistic characteristics stay the same. The lessons that are learned in classics such as Little Women, Black Beauty, or Lord of the Rings are lessons that we can always apply to our lives. Classics not only are prime examples of ways people should and shouldn't act, but their grammar and way of writing are usually flawless. The English language has gone downhill in the past 100 years. Words meant to be used only in sincere circumstances are now used flippantly. Over half of Americans don't know how to properly use a semi-colon because some people deem it unimportant. Classics are written with such intelligence that it is hard to not learn something from them. Perhaps the generations forget the importance of classics because they don't understand them. The classics can sometimes be hard to read, but you will always walk away from them a little bit smarter. For instance, if you tackle a Shakespearean piece of literature, you are in for a ride. But what you will learn and understand once you've finished you'll probably remember for a long time. Classics are also, in a way, a glimpse into how the author from years ago perceived the world. It is educational to try and compare the differences between the author's world, and ours. Somethings will change, somethings won't. Classics are iconic pieces of literature that should be read by our generation and generations to come.
You've made some great points. Classic books transcend modern situations, and allow readers to think beyond themselves. For those seriously interested in the language—which everyone should be!—classics do instruct in grammar and vocabulary. I find it so interesting the way exclamation point usage has changed over time, along with words like vacation.
User avatar
Samwisekoop
Posts: 266
Joined: 16 Apr 2020, 15:24
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 41
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-samwisekoop.html
Latest Review: Perfection and Other Illusive Things by J Mercer

Post by Samwisekoop »

anaplasticCerebrum wrote: 07 Jul 2020, 11:06
Samwisekoop wrote: 15 Jun 2020, 12:27 Yes, classics should never die just because some people may think they are invalid to this time and age. Even if they were written in a different era, the humanistic characteristics stay the same. The lessons that are learned in classics such as Little Women, Black Beauty, or Lord of the Rings are lessons that we can always apply to our lives. Classics not only are prime examples of ways people should and shouldn't act, but their grammar and way of writing are usually flawless. The English language has gone downhill in the past 100 years. Words meant to be used only in sincere circumstances are now used flippantly. Over half of Americans don't know how to properly use a semi-colon because some people deem it unimportant. Classics are written with such intelligence that it is hard to not learn something from them. Perhaps the generations forget the importance of classics because they don't understand them. The classics can sometimes be hard to read, but you will always walk away from them a little bit smarter. For instance, if you tackle a Shakespearean piece of literature, you are in for a ride. But what you will learn and understand once you've finished you'll probably remember for a long time. Classics are also, in a way, a glimpse into how the author from years ago perceived the world. It is educational to try and compare the differences between the author's world, and ours. Somethings will change, somethings won't. Classics are iconic pieces of literature that should be read by our generation and generations to come.
You've made some great points. Classic books transcend modern situations, and allow readers to think beyond themselves. For those seriously interested in the language—which everyone should be!—classics do instruct in grammar and vocabulary. I find it so interesting the way exclamation point usage has changed over time, along with words like vacation.
Thanks! Lots of words have definitely altered meanings nowadays, but I am greatly amused by the ways we spell things now. I mean, in Pride and Prejudice I found it so amusing (I'm not sure why) that they spelled ankle with a 'c'. I often wonder why these kinds if things changed... :D
"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." - Galadriel
User avatar
HanElizabeth397
Posts: 285
Joined: 27 Mar 2020, 13:51
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 23
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-hanelizabeth397.html
Latest Review: The Mindset by Ace Bowers

Post by HanElizabeth397 »

I think that encouraging needs to be the key word here. At school sometimes I felt like we were forced to read a lot of classic books and this made reading more of a chore for some of my class mates
Sithmi
Posts: 92
Joined: 02 Mar 2019, 07:46
Currently Reading: Honest Endings
Bookshelf Size: 32
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sithmi.html
Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas

Post by Sithmi »

Children will gain knowledge about the society, history. More than that reading will improve their creative skills.
MarcellaM
Posts: 245
Joined: 05 Mar 2021, 09:08
Currently Reading: Grey heart
Bookshelf Size: 62
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-shillah-a.html
Latest Review: The Fox by M. N. J. Butler

Post by MarcellaM »

Reading classics should definitely be the foundation of every child. Not only do they entertain, but they also create a reading habit and teach of recent pasts. They encourage children through each and every aspect of their lives.
User avatar
mmccarty74
Posts: 9
Joined: 13 Mar 2018, 13:43
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mmccarty74.html
Latest Review: The Right to Nominate by Thomas E Peterson

Post by mmccarty74 »

As a public school teacher, I would like to see a great books curriculum added to our current course of study. I think that kids need to be aware of the ideas, thoughts, and philosophies presented in classic literature. I believe that kids would be able to better express themselves if they read the classics and can understand plot, story structure, characters, and other aspects of great works of literature.
Mountainbreeze23
Posts: 44
Joined: 14 Nov 2020, 22:36
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 11
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mountainbreeze23.html
Latest Review: Zara Hanson & The Mystery of the Painted Symbol by J.L. Haynes

Post by Mountainbreeze23 »

One should not go by labels, but each book needs to be examined on its individual merits. However, as has been said classics are classics for a reason as they have stood the test of time. Most classics are universal; as human nature is the same regardless of time and place, good books talk of universal values. 1984 is as relevant now (maybe more so) than when it was written. Orwell talks of 'Big Brother' and in his book he is talking of a totalitarian state but we can apply the same concept of no privacy to the internet today.
Kids should be a given a mix of both classics and contemporary books to read. Forcing them to read the classics would be counter-productive; one has to awaken an interest in them.
Post Reply

Return to “Classic Books”