http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/2011/06/dear-wall-street-journal.html
This blog has an article about what kind of literature is appropriate and good for the YA world.
"They deserve to have books that reflect their reality. The good, the bad, the clean, the ugly and everything in between."
I think that statement has some truth, but also misses the mark in that Literature, movies, etc., should not only portray "their/our reality", but should also set a standard and teach principles and ideals toward which we all should strive.
If someone lives in the projects or a real life soap opera, will that person be better served by reading trash and smut, just because that's what surrounds them? or will that person be better served by reading and learning about what else is out there, what is better, and how to get to that better place?
True, nobody may be well served by reading fluff literature of rainbows and lollipops, but nobody who lives and reads the gutter will be well served by so-doing, even if the "grit" 'feels real' to them.
I think some people get caught up in the "people need to keep it real", and sometimes forget about the other side of it: "people need to know how they can (and why they should) change their world, rather than be changed by their world."
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