I'm not saying and have never said that kids shouldn't read these books; I tend to think that (almost) anything kids want to read is good at least on some level, because it will hopefully get them in habit of reading and enjoying reading. But I do not understand the appeal of these particular books, and while it doesn't, like, disgust me that kids are reading them (certainly not to the degree that I shudder when I see young girls glomping on to the Twilight books), I do hope those same kids will then read something with rather more substance to it. I'm fine with these books being a stepping stone if they really do work that way, but I still don't think they're very good; further, I think there are far better things out there. Contemporary stuff, too, not just my favorites from when I was a kid: the last two Newbery winners, When You Reach Me and The Graveyard Book; Brian Selznick, Gennifer Choldenko, Adam Rex, Mark Haddon, Suzanne Collins, Kazu Kibuishi...I could go on.