"'Books,' I said firmly, not caring if he thought it odd."

I just had an altercation with the ladies in my knitting group. Balls of yarn flew through the air, and double-pointed needles were used as rapiers, point protectors removed.

Just kidding. We were talking about books, and “Twilight” came up.

Now, I just finished reading this abomination, so I felt qualified to immediately begin expounding on its merits, and announced eloquently that this book “sucks.” No one in the group disagreed with me outright, but the general opinion seemed to be that it isn’t really all that bad. One woman even had the gall to claim that as far as children’s books go, it is “up there.” Even those who agreed with me that they were bad didn’t seem to think that it mattered all that much, because they are just kids books.

This just made me flat mad. Kids have brains, and deserve to be respected as readers. Of course I don’t expect every kid to be enjoying Jane Austin and Tolkien at the age of eleven, but even children who are not advanced readers deserve to have something to read that is interesting, has real, engaging characters, a meaningful plot, and quality writing, something that will make them love to read so that they can become better readers and begin to enjoy more complex, wonderful books. I know that these types of young adult books exist, because I have read them, but I don’t think that there are nearly enough of them.

I believe that authors, especially YA authors, have a responsibility to the people they are writing for. Stephanie Meyer, author of the aforementioned abomination, has pushed women’s rights back several decades with just a few books, has filled girls’ heads with impossible, creepy, romantic ideals, and on top of this has written a work of absolute shit. There is nothing inspiring, liberating, or uplifting about this book. Some may think that it is only a book, how important can it be? But this book is frighteningly popular; seemingly every girl in this country has read it. It would be foolish to assume that so widespread a doctrine would have no effect on the people reading it. Kids learn from what they read. What are they learning from “Twilight”?

My mother commented on my prior post about books that it may indeed be good for kids to read whatever they are ready to read, and eventually they will work their way past all the crap and find the good stuff. My problem, then, is not with the kids who read and love these kinds of books; it is with the authors who pen them, the editors and publishers who let them loose on the world. I do not believe that every book meant for kids ought to have a moral; I do believe that every book meant for kids ought to be good.

Every book ought to have a spark of a unique idea, something that makes you think while you read it, and keep thinking long after you finish it. Every book needs to have characters that you can fall in love with, not romantically, but by coming to know them deeply, caring about who they are and what happens to them. Every book should have a few phrases, a few interesting groupings of words, that make you laugh, cry, gasp, or sit back and say “huh.” Every book needs to have a section where you cannot put it down, reading under the covers by the light of your watch, sneaking in a few pages every chance you get.

These are my standards for a good book, for any age group, and I think that it is a travesty that so many people ignore these standards when it is “just a kids book.”

*****

I am passionate about literature. When I get started talking about books, there is nothing I would rather be doing. I can get really worked up about books, books I hate and books I love. I like to read, talk about reading, write about reading, read about reading. Nearly every phone conversation I have with my mom lately turns into a fervent discussion of what we are reading. I owe my love of reading to my mom, who is the fastest and broadest reader I know, and who made sure to pass her love on to me. In turn, I love to talk to young people about books, loan them books, and find out what they like to read.

So my question is, what can I do with this love? How can I spread my love of reading without waiting until I have my own kids? Also, considering my passionate opinions about good young adult literature, what can I do to bring more of it into the world? I would love to be a writer, but I’m not confident in my talent for fiction writing. Sometimes (every time I enter a library, really) I want to be a librarian, but I don’t want to go through that much school, and, well, I want to be a farmer.

I’m going through a bit of a crisis here, rethinking the next few years of my life, because I do love the farming lifestyle and work, but I have this whole other interest that I am fast realizing is not just a hobby or a pastime but a passionate love. I think that I didn’t realize how much I love literature until I came to Wellspring where I am surrounded by people who do not. At Goshen, most of my friends liked books, and I was not anything out of the ordinary. But now, as the only person working on my farm who reads fiction, (including my manager, who studied literature,) I am finding that I have moved beyond a passive interest in reading.

Any ideas for me? Preferably something that doesn’t take too much school and could combine with farming. I thought about teaching at a Waldorf school, but, you know, that whole disliking kids thing kind of gets in the way. How does one become an editor? I’m also going to take some classes in writing this winter and explore the possibility of being a writer myself.

Listening to myself, my mind and body, what I love, what I can do and talk about for hours and not get tired, I think I need to do something with literature.