Check out these articles.
When my dad sent me an article that stated that The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird (my favorite book of all time) were being cut from school curriculums in favor of more nonfiction informational texts, I actually started to tear up and followed it up with a series of angry tweets (obviously it didn't solve anything). What I can't get a handle on is what's actually going on. Yes, there's a push for more informational nonfiction texts, founded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Reports are saying English teachers are "overreacting." Judging by my response maybe we are. ...Are we? Teaching nonfiction texts should be spread across all subject areas. Why is fiction getting the axe? As a creative writer and avid (avid, avid, avid) reader, I feel crushed a bit, though I recognize that some do prefer nonfiction to fiction. What I wonder is why the analytical skills we hone through reading and analyzing fiction are any less relevant than those gained from nonfiction texts.
I don't really know exactly what's going on or what to believe, but here are just two of the many articles I found floating around out there...
Washington Post Article
Telegraph Article
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