Comment: While I think it’s laudable that teachers are trying to include material that will resonate with students, abandoning the classics is shortsighted. We still hear frequent references to Shakespeare, The Lord of the Flies, and 1984 to name just a few; without knowledge of these works, folks are at a loss to put those references in perspective.

And allowing people to skip TKAM because it might make them “uncomfortable”? Hogwash. If literature doesn’t make you somewhat uncomfortable, you have either chosen the wrong book or you aren’t paying attention. It’s supposed to make you think, and, with any luck, challenge some of your beliefs.