What Should Children Read?

The New York Times article "What Should Children Read?", by Sara Mosle, in Wordle format.  Click on the picture to zoom in.

     Teacher, author, and New York Times contributor Sara Mosle presents an interesting and relevant controversy in her New York Times opinion piece as she questions what children should be reading.  To the chagrin of many people who see the value of fictional works and poetry, contemporary English curricula are shifting in focus towards nonfiction reading (much like our 11^th grade AP English curriculum) as part of the Common Core State Standards.  These national standards have been adopted by the majority of states.  Mosle uses the opinions of qualified educators to support both sides of the controversy (ethos), incorporating their opinions through quotes.  She also effectively uses anecdotes to support some of the arguments, illustrating why the change might be necessary.  All of the arguments then culminate in one conclusion that Mosle further supports: the idea that students need not more, but better nonfiction, which can be found in the form of “narrative nonfiction”.  By providing examples of sources that contain narrative nonfiction, and even providing direct links to some sources in her article, Mosle effectively reaches out to her audience.  The audience seems mostly to be American parents and/or educators who are interested in the evolution of English curricula.  I think the piece could be even more effective if the article was directed towards students, who will be directly impacted by this new curriculum.  Even so, I think the piece does fulfill its purpose of conveying some of the controversy surrounding the development of a core English curriculum.