This line of thought that people should only read within their preset age limits is the absolute worst. Not only does it ignore and infantilize an entire range of books that can have thoughtful themes, complex plots, and layered characters, but it also puts stuff like the works of Dan Brown above them. I mean, seriously. I've read Dan Brown for the brain candy aspects, but he's really no better than the writers of The Boxcar Children books. In fact, I would say that the Boxcar writers are better for the fact that family (as in the value of it, etc) is a fairly consistent theme across the series while Brown has nothing like that going on. Unless you count Langdon's penis, which I don't.
I know I'm biased, since I do love YA literature, but I'd rather reread The Hunger Games (or the Gossip Girl books!) and have a serious discussion about it than even think about finishing the Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries.
I find it odd when people, especially people who claim to be cultured, make statements like the one in the article you linked. Personally, every single piece of fiction produced (whether it be books, movies, television etc.) has some literally merit, because it wouldn't exist otherwise. I doubt books like Twilight will ever be studied for their literary merit in the future, but they certainly will be studied for their profound impact on today's culture and media. So no, I don't think any type of fiction should be ignored because of its target audience or genre, because I think every piece of fiction has something to say and something important to teach us.
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