Why kids should read obituaries
about life, not death – death is merely the detail that gets these stories of life printed. And kids should read these life stories because they are:
- Informative: Obituaries are some of the most nutrient-dense texts a child can read. They’re biography, history, and often works of literature – major newspapers put some of their best writers on the obit beat.
- Interesting: Whether it’s the New York Timesor the Washington Post or the The Telegraph, the obituaries section is exclusive real estate. They don’t let boring people in.
- Inspirational: The curriculum features the obituaries of a flight attendant, a math professor, a farm hand, an inventor, a lieutenant colonel, and a lottery winner. The first five feature bravery, kindness, perseverance, ingenuity, and levelheadedness, all qualities we’d want children to acquire. (As for the sixth – “a cautionary fable worthy of Aesop” – it was a musical she inspired.)
