Remember getting a love note? How many times did you read it? How many times did you try to determine the sincerity behind it?

Love notes are why students need to have access to love stories and books about relationships at the intermediate level. I know some teachers think the topic is taboo and should be avoided so as not to encourage such feelings at school. That is like trying to stop a runaway train in a snowstorm.

Often we ask the legendary question to students, “What are you interested in?” There is a variation in answers and many boys and girls are too embarrassed to say, “love” even though that is what consumes their thoughts from fifth grade until prom. Boys are not about to willingly go to their teacher and say, “Hey teach, I am interested in a love story” or “Mr. Stygles, I need a book on relationships.” The student most certainly expects a raised eyebrow or a barrage of questions about why. Instead, boys will say they are interested in motorcycles, football, or baseball to avoid shame.

This is a tragedy. Last week, I embarrassed myself by admitting such an opinion in a conversation amongst consummate book lovers. I recall when I finally started admitting that I liked love stories, it all began with the Scarlet Pimpernel in 10th grade. I became a bit of a romantic afterwards, but who wants to be caught dead with books like that. I mean, my literary hero is Mr. Darcy, for heaven's sake. But how do we get kiddos to feel this comfortable with books of this content? The market is swamped with books like this and most are written off as girl books.

This year, we started our class by reading Firegirl by Tony Abbott, the tragic story of girl burned head to toe. She was bullied, teased, and missed tons of school for appointments. But one boy—one overweight, shy boy had the courage to talk to Firegirl. He established a relationship with her, in light of social consequences and that symbolized the courage we all wish to have. While they never dated, which is what the kids immediately want to happen, we, as a class, certainly felt he fell in love with her. Even if they were “just friends,” they came to care for each other. If you haven't read the book, I'll save the ending. It’s a killer—that eternal feeling of wanting that one moment to last forever.

The next class read-aloud was Joan Bauer's Hope Was Here, the tale of a young waitress somewhat irritated with the world. In a mix of politics, thugs, and cancer, there is love. Bauer expertly crafted the developing relationship between Braverman and Hope. Students waited and waited, chapter after chapter, for Braverman or Hope to finally announce their feelings. Hope had a rule though, never date the cook. Every single student anxiously waited for Hope to break the rule. Then it happened. The dinner “date” between the two at the restaurant was not quite Jasmine and Aladdin flying around the world on a carpet, but it's that moment where time stops and the world is owned by two people. The kids roared in applause and celebration when the date finally happened.

Look at Smile. Though not about love per se, the whole premise was about a girl crazy about a boy. What is at the heart of Tale of Desperaux and the Tiger Rising? These are captivating books. Kids want to read them. Kids love the books when they read them. If books are students connections to the world or a lens in which to see the world, why do we shut them down when it comes to talking about how people interact? Is that not character analysis? Theme? Author's craft? (Do you know how hard it is to wrap that one moment in time up into the perfect narrative?)

A rich literature (circle) conversation would be so much deeper and profound if students felt as ease to discuss relationship between characters, as opposed to retelling events and stating opinions about main events. What really was the most important part of Hope Was Here? Was it really G.T. winning the election? Or was it Hope and Braverman finally working up the nerve to do what every reader waited to read?

Let’s face it, even Ariel gave up her family and kingdom in the sea for a prince in The Little Mermaid. We teach this to our toddlers and preschoolers. Love is a part of our culture. I encourage students to embrace books about love and relationships to let them escape into a world where love is eternal and rejection is a fantasy. Children have the right to be romantic dreamers and believe in a world of happiness, hope, and happily ever after. If books are based on author's experiences or we are supposed to learn from books, wouldn't we want kids to read books of such subject matter? Maybe these books will even teach or encourage students how to engage in appropriate relationships, preventing classroom complications.

Justin Stygles is a sixth grade language arts teacher and IRA Advisory Committee of Teachers (ACT) committee member based in Norway, Maine. He also serves as the state’s Maine Reading Association coordinator.