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I'm currently tutoring some elementary-aged kids who have been taught to choose books from a list, where each book is assigned a given number of points based on difficulty. The kids read the book, take a quiz on a computer (multiple choice plot questions, from what I understand) earn their points, and move on to the next one. There are pages and pages of lists, all classified by their exact grade equivalent. I found the whole thing very soulless. No wonder they don't like reading.
When it came time to choose books for me to read with them, I went with books that I simply thought were fun, interesting, and "cool." The younger student proclaimed one of the books we read together as "the best book [he] ever read," and was later inspired to write his own version of the story.
I think reading lists are helpful, but as with most tools, it depends on how they are used. Trying to chug through a list without regard for personal interest seems like a quick way to kill the joy of reading.
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