No classics, thanks

Several secondary schools in England have turned down the offer of free classics for their libraries, according to this story:

“The harsh reality of our secondary schools is that children just don’t have the skills to tackle such complex ideas in the written format.”

Much handwringing ensues, but spare a thought for the librarian who argued that kids today are much more likely to read if they’re offered Eragon, Harry Potter, or Charlie Higson’s Young Bond series.