I do hope that they serve a purpose (kind of like the Harry Potter books, but without the redeeming features of the texts themselves) in getting lots kids enthusiastic about reading when they hadn't previously been into it. Then they can hopefully go on to read other things by non-hack writers.

But since the author herself is not a 12-year-old girl with no firsthand experience of dating or romantic relationships, I feel no constraints about the level of cruelty that goes into my mockery of her and her work.

Look, I read VC Andrews, but I knew what the books were when I read them! It's like when you read Judy Blume's Forever. You know what it is.

I read Sweet Valley High when I was a teenager too, but I put that in appropriate context with Edgar Allen Poe, Twain, and Ellison.

I read Sweet Valley High when I was a teenager too, but I put that in appropriate context with Edgar Allen Poe, Twain, and Ellison.

And what are the Twilight fans reading? Do you know?

Let's ask a librarian - Kate! Beth!

Though I recognized VC Andrews as light reading, I thought they were super romantic when I was reading them. Possibly because I am an only child...

I think a lot of kids reading Twilight know it isn't great world literature or anything. And probably most of the ones who are obsessed with it will grow out of it, and possibly be a little embarrassed by their fervor when they look back five or ten years later. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing for them to be reading books that they can totally fall in love with now, even if those books are, well, not very good and laden with all kinds of problematic messages.

And what are the Twilight fans reading? Do you know?

In my experience, mostly they're reading books for school, and Twilight and other stuff along those lines (like manga, which was big in my library) is their respite from that. (The big readers, obviously, are reading whatever they want.)

Sophia, I have no siblings and I did not think the books were romantic at all!

I had nightmares about them.

I think a lot of kids reading Twilight know it isn't great world literature or anything. And probably most of the ones who are obsessed with it will grow out of it, and possibly be a little embarrassed by their fervor when they look back five or ten years later.

My BFF's daughter was TOTALLY OBSESSED with Twilight when she was 12. She talked about it constantly and made references to it as if it were real. Now? Less than two years later, she shrieks with indignation at the notion that she ever liked those silly books. But she still reads YA horror and vampire fiction voraciously, reads many books on an adult level (vetted by her mom first), and her prize possession is her laptop - with no internet connection - that's solely for her to write her own horror/romance stories on. So overall, I think Twilight had a real positive effect on the kid.

OTOH, the fact that my BFF likes the books makes me think I need to go rescue her from whoever is brainwashing her, because there's clearly some Stockholm thing going on there.

I think you need to let kids make their choices and not get all judgey on them. My daughter likes Justin Bieber. So what? She's at the age, you know?

I think you need to let kids make their choices and not get all judgey on them

I think some choices kids make are important. I don't see any real ramifications about liking Justin Bieber, but if someone you're responsible for thinks the Edward/Bella relationship is a template for normal or optimal behaviour, I think having an in depth discussion with them about it isn't out of line.

But there might be something I don't know about Justin Bieber.

Eh, when I was 12 I thought Time Enough For Love was a template for optimal behavior. I grew out of it.