The author is an enthusiastic supporter of using young adult literature in the classroom with gifted learners--so much, that he has been accused of being "against" the classics. Not so, but he does ask about and challenges teachers to tell him if their classroom use of the classics is appropriate. Do the classics provide the kind of interaction that evokes a positive response from high school readers? In his classroom experience, the author has not found this to always be the case. So, he turned to young adult literature. He believes that it is not only a great source for quality literature, but it is a rich resource for gifted students. Young adult literature speaks to their world, reflects their interests, and has the power "to evoke in students the kind of literary experience that will keep them reading and lead them to a deeper understanding of literature in general and the relationship between literature and life in particular" (Monseau, 1996). The author suggests that teachers' purpose for the study of literature in secondary schools is to create lifelong readers--those who eventually will build an appreciation for all literature. Unfortunately, whether teachers like it or not, the classics are not the literary resource that will help create many lifelong readers. Too often, students, especially gifted students, report that they are not only "turned off" by the classics, but enforced reading in that category turns them off to all reading (Carlsen & Sherrill, 1988). If the decision is made to use them, the teacher should be aware of the hurdles that must be faced in bringing the literature alive for students. The teacher's own personal love of a specific work is not enough. It must also relate to the world of students. (Contains 1 table.)