Guidelines for a Fresh-Eyed Reading of Kid/YA Classics

We've started our Cuci Mata ("washing of the eyes" in Indonesian) read of classic children's books. Once a month, we'll read a standalone novel written by a beloved author and tap into the power of communal vision. Let's ask ourselves:

• When it comes to race, ethnicity, gender, and class, what stands the test of time? 

I don't want this exercise to become a scathing critique of dead authors, so I'm going to focus on the positive and look for the universal, timeless aspects of a novel that qualify it as a classic. You, however, might also want to ask: "What might the author (if alive) wish to change for today's young readers?"

Post a link to your review below and I'll compile. Here's our discussion of EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY, for example.

Next up:

December 1-7 An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

January 3-7 The Well-Wishers by Edward Eager