Are They Worth Teaching?

Where to start? Copper Sun is certainly worth teaching to adolescents. It provides an insightful look into slavery without being too harsh for young readers and it is easily related to hardships that modern teens may have to go through and overcome. Although I found the characters to be distant and hard to relate to, the friendship that develops between characters of differing races encourages adolescents to look beyond skin tone and into what a person is really about. So although I really disliked the book, the benefits of Copper Sun (its portrayal of slavery, message of hope, and idea of tolerance) outweigh its negatives.
On to Twilight. I do not feel that Twilight should ever be taught in a classroom to children of any age. Was it an easy read? Yes. Is the plot entertaining? Yes. I will admit that I enjoyed the book. And I will admit that the main characters being shown as outcasts is also a good aspect of the book in relation to adolescents. However, I did not feel the characters, aside from Bella, were given any real depth. Edward appears to be some knight in shining armour who comes to rescue when needed and he is also shown as the tortured artist, even the villian. But even Edward is never given any real connection with the reader. We don't know what he is thinking, what he wants. He is invincible and that is not something that is easy to relate to. Without Edward, the story could continue with Bella being depressed and uncomfortable and it would still function. My strongest objection to Twilight is not the character development, however, but the plot itself. Do we really want our children growing up to think that 'love' occurs in the first glance? From the moment she spots Edward, Bella is obsessed in the most unhealthy sense of the word. She nearly ceases to function when he is not present. Why would we encourage our teenagers to think that 1) love is instant and can occur simply at a glance and 2) that it is okay to put someone you have known for hardly any time at all over your own life? I mean the whole plot is based on Bella wanting to be with some guy who admits that he wants to eat her, and she has known him for maximum of three months!
You may be happy to note that I have less complaints about Harry Potter. I think this novel preaches the importance of friendship and still keeps the characters as kind of outcasts (a feature I liked in Twilight). There is still the concept of hope and resilience despite all odds that occurs in Copper Sun. As to whether it is teachable I am uncertain. It is difficult for me to consider this Harry Potter a valid assignment in a classroom because it is so pop culture at the moment, but I do think that it presents many aspects that are useful for adolescents and probably one day it will be very acceptable in a classroom setting.