At February’s Teen Advisory Board meeting last Monday, it was mostly business as usual. Lots of snacks, a library craft project, and a lively discussion about our summer programming for teens. There was an excellent turnout, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group to bounce around ideas with.
Occasionally…well, actually, more often than not, we flail off-topic into a book-related tangent. This one began with our TAB President crying out “Why do all the books that we have to read for school have to be so depressing? I’m so tired of reading sad stories! Why can’t we read something with a happy ending?” Many of the TABbies nodded their heads in agreement.
I stopped and considered her question. As a teacher, I understand that some of the best stories have many layers of sad, happy, angry, calm, and any number of other emotions. These layers, in turn, make the reader sad, happy, angry, calm, and most importantly, thoughtful. Teachers are drawn to classic novels like Lord of the Flies or Of Mice and Men (or even The Hunger Games!) because they provoke in-depth discussions about these emotions, while pulling students outside of their own experience and comfort zone.
As a reader, I understand the TAB’s frustration. How can they possibly enjoy reading when it seems like there is death and destruction lurking around every fictional corner? My final response was this, “Well, I think every good story must have at least a little bit of dark, so we can appreciate the light.” I don’t think this was the answer the TAB was looking for, judging by the exasperated faces in the room. But, you can’t say I didn’t try.
Below is a list of stories with a lot of natural light and a minimum of dark spots, even though you might still need a flashlight at times.
~ Rachel Labriola-Cuzzo, Youth Services Assistant
