Robin, you sound like just the sort of teacher I would like my children to have! Although I've never taught, both of my parents were teachers, so I witnessed a lot of the behind-the-scenes work and challenges. Thanks for all of your work, wherever it is that you teach!

Laurachris2, that's a really good point—one I hadn't even thought of. Somehow, throughout my education, I missed out on a really solid study of Greek mythology. I've felt insecure about it ever since. I realize that's not a life-or-death matter, but feeling sure of ourselves is important. Intellectual self-assurance requires a certain set of building blocks as a foundation, and an understanding of how to make connections and build from there. That's definitely something I want for my kids.

Meredith, I hope you always feel free to play devil's advocate here. :) I wonder if the kids who say they won't read if they don't like the book have ever had a teacher dress the book up with some Hollandaise? I guess what I'm saying is that I think all kids have the capacity to get excited about a book that has been admired over the years for a reason. (See bookhouseboy's example, below.) I love your Percy Jackson/Greek mythology combo idea, though. All three of our kids are crazy about the Percy Jackson series, and have sought out the mythology section of the library all on their own. It's a perfect example of a happy middle ground.

karendaisy17, that's exactly what got me most worked up about the article—the idea that the books chosen by kids would completely take the place of all teacher-assigned literature. I'm pretty sure that all of the greatest books I read growing up—the ones that shaped me, and that I still remember—were handed to me by a teacher or my parents. Kids need to have some ownership, but the fact of the matter is, they're kids! Even if they're super smart, they lack wisdom and perspective, and for the most part they crave some structure and boundaries. 

bookhouseboy, I'm sort of glad you got riled up last night, which in turn got me a bit riled up and inspired this post. :) I'm also glad the post helped take the edge off. This is brilliant: "...reluctant readers need the fun stuff if they are ever going to become independent, life-long readers. But they also need some solid, explicit modeling of how good readers think, process, and analyze. Reading a novel as a whole class, talking about it, digging into it, gives everyone practice at doing that." I completely agree with your fourth point, too. And your teaching of Romeo and Juliet? I love it. How can I sign my kids up?