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Rating: 
Summary: How Dare They!
Review: How dare these dimwits make Tolkien into a text-book! The Lord of the Rings was created to be read with joy and wonder, not studied in a class-room by bored students who will thereafter associate it with drudgery and compulsion! Making Tolkien a text is a crime against literature, romance and everything he and we love!
Rating: 
Summary: Finally, Good Literature is Reintroduced to the Classroom!
Review: I am happy to see that teachers are finally adding the Tolkien books to the curriculum. J.R.R. Tolkien is arguably the best author of the 20th century, and his novels are rich in underlying themes that can potentially open children's mind to further learning. I have to disagree with another reviewer that said that adding Tolkien to the curriculum would make the novels tedious. Some of the most influential books in my life were read in school. By reading Tolkien in the classroom the teacher has an opportunity to guide children through this wonderful books, which can be a little overwhelming for some children. There is more to Tolkien's work than the plot of his novels. The author himself said there were important underlying themes in his work, and they are worth exploring. From my own experience I can say that although I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when I was 9 years old, I did not pick up on most of the underlying themes until I re-read years later. I wish there would have been someone to help me with my questions during that first reading too. Finally,introducing great literature in the classroom makes sense. Too many children grow up without being exposed to good literature. In fact, the only thing many of them read is what they read for school. Tolkien's work, if taught correctly, can go a long way in helping children develop a lifetime love of reading that is so rare these days. Teacher's should take advantage of all the excitement brought about by the recent film versions of the books to get children interested in the story. Tolkien should not be treated as a regular text book, but as an exciting addition to the curriculum. This Literature Guide can help teachers break down all the complex information found in Tolkien's books into manageable concepts for schoolagers. I do suggest that the teachers educate themselves on the subject first by reading some of the books written by scholars on the subject so they can accurately explain concepts to students. Tolkien's work is complex. Children (especially the older ones) are bound to ask questions that about the book that are not answered in the Guide, and teachers should be prepared for them. After all, you can't teach something you don't know much about!
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