BELOW AVERAGE: The average reading level of the top 40 books among high schoolers is barely above fifth grade (5.3), according to a report from Renaissance Learning, "What Kids Are Reading: The Book Reading Habits of Students in American Schools." The report also invites experts to weigh in on what kids should be reading, in light of the nationwide push for Common Core standards. The Huffington Post looks at this problem in the context of stagnant reading test scores on the 2011 NAEP test and a "record low" on the last year's SAT's critical reading section. (Tony does admit though that he still reads Charlotte's Web about once a year for its wonderful lessons on humility.)
