Challenged and banned books Due June 13th
Take a moment to do a web search on banned and challenged books. Based on your search post a response on your findings and your opinion on three books that were banned or challenged. How will you respond to challenged books in your library?
Excellent work all of you!!! We are going to have an interesting conversation on Monday.
posted by Sophie @ 12:54 PM
20 Comments:
I didn't feel so strongly as to include banned books in the school library as I do now, after reading parts of the ALA site. It makes sense to me that all should have the freedom to read material even if people interpret it different ways. As many authors/intellectuals have stated," What is freedom without the freedom to choose material to read?" How can ideas be negotiated,furthered, synthesized, and and even argued against if they are placed as "less desirables"? If there was a not a free exchange of ideas in this society, we would not come close to the democratic nation many leaders have purported us to be. I do not believe for a second we are a democratic nation, but if we strive for that classification, then we need to at least uphold this intellectual freedom.
Here is my short (but changeable) opinion on 3 books which were challenged:
And Tango Makes Three- As this was challenged partly because of homosexual content and sexism I find it ridiculous. Someone being sexist would not allow different sex roles to be displayed and having the very act of two men acting as fathers goes against stereotypical sex roles. I would not take the book off the shelves according to this challenge (and my not having read the book). I would read the book though, to see exactly what was meant by these accusations.
The Chocolate War- One of the reasons this book was challenged was because it contained offensive language. For this reason alone, I would allow it on the shelves. Words are just words, especially if they are in a certain context. To whom are they offensive? I'd have to read to find out. The words come in a context. Without people reading this material and thinking and discussing, again, how is any progress to be made in society if everything is pushed away from the masses. If we have the freedom of speech, shouldn't we have the freedom to read?
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- I have heard time and time again that this book was controversial. Shouldn't our young people know of the hatred involved in the past so as not to repeat it in the present. Can't a teacher have book discussions so as to make sense of why people shunned others who they deemed different than them? I would not take this book off the shelves either.
I have such mixed reactions about banned and challenged books. I understand that libraries are to be places of gaining information no matter what form it takes or what the subject matter is. I have no problem with a public library following Intellectual Freedom ("Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas.")Intellectual Freedom Manual by the ALA. But I do realize that a school library has some obligations to parents and to the students to provide appropriate material while under the state mandated school day.
As a teacher and a parent, I do believe that not all material is appropriate for all ages. I tried to chose three books to discuss that I have already read so that I could comment on the reasons why it was challenged. I have read Go Ask Alice by Anonymous. I read it as a teenager. It is still the dirtiest book I have ever read. I don't know if I would find it appropriate even at the high school level. I LOVED the book. I've read it at least 100 times at this point in my life. But it is so explicit with sexual acts and drug use that I could argue on the side of banning it from a school library. I do believe that it should be available in a public library, however. I just don't think that a school should provide this type of literature. (Please don't kill me if you have an opposing view!!!)
Beloved by Toni Morrison was also on the challenged book list due to offensive language, sexual content, and unsuited to age group. Again, I kind of agree with this. Having read the book, I feel that it is an adult book with an adult theme and should of course be offered in a public library, but not offered by a school.
Finally Madeleine L’Engle's A Wrinkle in Time was also a challenged book due to references to liberal Christianity and religion. When I read it at the age of 13 for the first time, I don't remember the religion references being off-putting. However, ultra-conservative groups can take offense (and obviously have) with this book. THIS time, I think the book should stay on a school library shelf. The book is not promoting a hatred of a religion or a group of people--with PROMOTING being the key word.
According to the ALA website, this past year's banned book week motto was "Free People Read Freely." I am happy to learn that most challenges are unsuccessful.
I am not a parent, the group most likely to challenge, but I can understand parent's desire to protect their children, but get real. If a kid is in high school and has access to technology, the top three reasons to challenge a book: sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group are out the door.
I say, read the book with your child and discuss the parts that you find offensive. It might be a time to open or re-establish a dialogue with a teen under tremendous peer pressure. For example, it is impossible to protect from offensive language. Profanity has become such an integral part of a teen's lexicon, that unless the parent isolates the child, the child will be exposed to it.
If you plan to read The Chocolate War, skip this paragraph. I always wanted the coyote to get the road runner, and when Archie totally destroys Jerry at the end, I was initially left feeling lousy. Even in the sequel Archie wins. Parents may not want their kids to know that sometimes bad things happen to good people, but they do. This is a great book to talk about reality instead of building self-esteem in kids that may need more work to truly be successful. Skip the Hollywood happy ending movie and read the book.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is another great novel to keep on the shelf. Ever heard of vernacular? Use the novel to show how the people on shore treat Jim in contrast to Huck in isolation on the raft. After the snake bites Jim, Huck begins to grow and eventually saves him. Let kids know history and learn from it. Banning it doesn't make it go away.
Sometimes being a muggle stinks. I wish I had Harry's wand or the Weasley's flying car but then it's just fantasy isn't it? By the time kids can read the Harry Potter series, I think they're grasp the basic ideas of physics from skinned knees.
Pulling a book from a shelf doesn't really protect anyone. Kids talk. The information will get around. Teach kids to be information literate, and then sit back and watch kids grow.
I never really thought about banned books, but they really are a major issue for libraries. After looking over banned book lists, I cannot believe some of the books that have been banned! What is offensive to one person may not be to another, which makes the issue very difficult. As educators we need to try to make everyone feel welcome in the library. That does not mean if someone finds a book offensive we will immediately pull it, but we will give each situation or issue our full and equal attention.
One particular website with the acronym PABBIS, parents against bad books in schools, describes that some people might find offense in things while others will not, but this site just explains why some books are considered 'bad.'
Two of my favorite books happen to be on the list of being formerly banned, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye.
To Kill a Mocking bird was banned for racial slurs. I read this book in high school and really did not understand it until I reread the book as an adult. However, neither time do I remember the racial slurs being used without merit. The slurs were used in context of the time of the book and the situation.
The Catcher in the Rye was banned for profanity and prostitution issues in the book. This book was about a young man experimenting and embarking on a journey, but again I was not offended by this and I feel that high school students could really relate.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou is on ALA's 2007 list of most challenged books, for being sexually explicit. This book is graphic, as far as rape, homosexuality (Maya thinks at one point that she may be a lesbian), and racism, but we must remember that it is an autobiography and graphic or not, this is what can happen in life! I am not saying that we should read this to elementary or maybe even junior high students, but it is a story about overcoming obstacles and growing into adulthood.
Within reason of a book’s content, I think we need to teach children how to handle reading a book with explicit content rather than sheltering them so much that they do not know how to deal with anything less than perfect.
This whole idea of banned and challenged books seemed to be in another world for me until I became a reading teacher. And even though the reality is a little close to home, I still don't get what the big deal is.If you don't like the content of a book either for yourself or for your child DON'T READ IT!!
I like the thought that parents are aware and concerned about what their children are reading, but make that choice for you and your child, not everyone. My daughter and I both read Go Ask Alice at the same age and had totally different reactions to it. I thought it was cool and I was grown up. She didn't understand most of it and thought it was stupid.
The 3 books I chose to comment are are 3 that I have read in class with my students: The Giver, The Great Gilly Hopkins, and The Face on the Milk Carton.
The Giver has been challenged several times for several reasons: murder, suicide, degredation of motherhood, euthenasia, and the list goes on. The only comment my students have ever made during the reading was a couple of giggles when the book mentions "stirrings". They enjoy the book and the discussions that the book brings about Jonah's life.
I was surprised to find the Great Gilly Hopkins had ever been challenged, but it has due to language and conduct of the main character. Once again, my students enjoyed this book and language and conduct was never and issue.
Finally, The face on the Milk Carton was callenged because of its sexual references. For example, Scenic Overlook is referred to as "Sexual Overlook" by the characters in the book. I don't even remember my students paying attention to this "change".
As a teacher it is my responsibilty to know the books I have selected so I am prepared to answer and questions both studnets and parents may have....but ban a book...never.
I remember hearing about “book burnings” long before I was born, but really didn’t give much thought to the reality of it, and that so many still fight for books to be banned. I have never been at a school that has had a book from its library challenged by anyone. Therefore, the topic was “new” to me. I was amazed at some of the books that were on the 100 Most Frequently Challenged List from the past decade.
The three books that I chose from that list were In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak, Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam, and The Stupids Take Off, by Harry Allard and James Marshall. The first book, In The Night Kitchen, was challenged for nudity. The book was originally published in 1970 and then subsequently in 1988. The little boy, approximately five years old, is lying in his bed in the beginning of the book. He then begins to dream about cake and is floats out of his bed, disrobes, and falls into a huge bowl of cake batter. This picture book shows full frontal nude drawings of the boy during the beginning, and again at the end when he slides back into bed. The author mentioned no ill-will, but that he simply didn’t want the boy’s clothes getting messy. After showing this book to a group of fourth graders, I know the book will cause the giggles. Simply explaining the rationale resolved the issue, and the kids stopped laughing long enough to enjoy the book.
The second book was Halloween ABC. This is a picture poetry book revolving around different Halloween creatures organized in alphabetical order. This book was challenged due to its mention of demons, witches, and various other evil beings. I believe this book is fine for children. For those families who do not want to be exposed to those creatures, chances are they don’t celebrate Halloween either, and therefore wouldn’t even pick up the book.
The final book was The Stupids Take Off, and personally, I don’t want my child reading it. We have always taught our girls that “stupid” is a bad word. I believe that calling this family the “Stupids” is contradictory to what I believe. However, as a parent or as a librarian, would I challenge or ban the books in this series? No. Although I don’t like the books, I have them in my library, and the students have the freedom to choose to check them out.
I truly believe that children should not always be left to just "fend for themselves." We must be aware of what they are reading, and be willing to help them if necessary.
I never really thought about banned or challenged books because I've never had to. As I research challenged books and read about why they were challenged, I realized the most recent book I taught could very easily be on one of those lists. My 7th graders and I read The Revealers by Doug Wilhelm in the 4th quarter. I thought it was completely appropriate, but I'm sure someone out there would consider it "bad" because of the language. I didn't see it on any of the challenged book lists though. I didn't have any parents complain, but I can't help but wonder if I had a different population would I have had complaints?
I find it interesting that the Scary Stories series is challenged regularly considering we, at my middle school, can't keep them on the shelf. We have a high number of LDS and Catholics at my school yet not once have one of those books been challenged due to occult/Satanism. It's also challenged because of violence, unsuited to age group and insensitivity. First, what other group is as into violence than middle school boys? Second, I don't understand 'insensitivity.' Insensitive to whom? Kids? The human race?
There were several books dealing with homosexuality on the lists I read. And Tango Makes Three, Daddy's Roommate and Heather Has Two Mommies are all on there. I understand some people's religions are against homosexuality, but the fact is it's a reality and what better way to make kids more tolerant and understanding than to expose them to literature on the topic? It's interesting that these books are accused of being anti-family when the books are actually promoting the importance of love in families.
Mark Twain's The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is an often targeted book. I see it as a piece of history. It's challenged because of racism, but the reality is racism and slavery were real. We all know slavery was abolished, but we still have something to learn about racism. Why not use this book to celebrate how far we've come as a country and as a springboard for discussions about what still needs to be done?
I can't imagine telling a student that he/she can't read a book because of the content or their AR level. For me, the joy of reading comes from my CHOOSING what interests me...not what someone tells me is 'appropriate' for me.
Book list from:
http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=bbwlinks&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=136590
I think in many ways “political correctness” is way out of control and many are being censored and harassed or careers destroyed because of their thoughts, viewpoints, & words not falling in line with others.
It’s amazing that award winning books are pulled off the shelves to protect children but parents don’t think twice about taking away the ipod, cell phone, securing their internet or unplugging MTV and VHI1 to protect them from all the smut and garbage they are immersed in on a daily basis. I’m not going to put books on my book shelves that will get me fired but really, parents need to step up and take some action in their children’s lives. If they don’t agree with something the child is reading they need to talk to them about it. I can’t take a book away from other kids just because maybe one family doesn’t agree with the content.
On to the books:
Amazingly, these were all part of my high school English curriculum. I read them and I turned out ok!!
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: This book was challenged/banned due to language, sexuality, and racism. I found this book boring at times but a gritty look at what the Great Depression was like. People lost everything, life sucked. People swore. They still do. Kids swear…all the time! What about racism? This book is set in a totally different time than we live in today. In a historical context it hits the nail on the head about life during the Depression. The Civil Rights movement was decades away and many of the areas talked about in the book are still a little behind the times when it comes to race relations. I believe Steinbeck was telling it like it was and there are few if any other books out there about the Depression that can give students an eye opening look into that period in history.
The Lord of the Flies, William Golding: Violence, racism, language, sexual language are all reasons this book was challenged/banned. This book is an excellent example of how primal humans really can be when left to their own devices. It would be an excellent resource and discussion book for a psychology class. I remember it to be a great adventure story that left me shocked and saying “whoa!” sometimes but I’ve seen students with no desire to read get excited and interested in this book. Students need to be taught that there is a ton of interviews, stories and other materials out there where racial slurs are used. Many times these are awesome resources to talk about the past. Is it right to use this type of language today? No, and in a middle or high school setting they need to learn respect others and not disrespect other races.
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair: This is another awesome historical novel that shows what life was like for an immigrant family in America and the horrible conditions that workers of all ages had to endure. It was banned because of its political standpoint and people worrying about communistic ideals but here in America it showed the need for unionization of workers and worker rights as well as monitoring agencies to check the quality of food that we eat.
It surprises me that people are still challenging books. I would like to think that as a society we don’t have to make decisions about what other people read, but unfortunately there are people who feel it’s their right to control the lives of others. If a book doesn’t meet your standards or appeal to you, then the obvious thing is to not read it. If you don’t want your children reading it, don’t let them, but let other parents make the same choices for their own children. As librarians, I think it’s important to let students exercise their choice freely. Reading should be an open activity, not something students learn is restrictive and they should never be told reading is not for them.
I read The Witches by Roald Dahl when I was in sixth grade. In addition to it being about witches, which seems enough for some people to challenge it, the witches in the book aren’t the least bit like fairy tale witches and it doesn’t have a happy ending—the boy in the story is changed into a mouse and there’s no way to change him back. I could see parents objecting to this unhappy ending. However, not everything in life has a happy ending, and the book’s theme of determination in the face of adversity is well worth kids reading. The boy/mouse still wants to save the children the witches haven’t yet gotten rid of and deals with his dilemma in a positive way.
I haven’t read any of the books in the Goosebumps series, but I have seen kids reading and loving them. Yes, they’re scary and weird and strange things happen, but that’s something that most kids like. They like to be scared, and if a book can scare them, that’s an excellent thing. Kids are so used to having entertainment fed to them that it might take a less literary book to get them interested in reading. If they like it, they’ll move on. Again, if a parent isn’t interested in their child reading a scary book, then it’s the parent’s job, not the library’s, to shield their child.
To Kill a Mockingbird has been challenged mainly for its truthful depiction of life and racism in a small Southern town. This saddens me, as I feel that any attempt to sanitize history or pretend it didn’t happen does quite a bit of damage. If we don’t understand how things were, then how are we ever to improve on them? Sadly, many students today don’t have the necessary background to read such a book, but that doesn’t mean it should be challenged. Instead, it’s important to help students with the background knowledge and freely discuss the book—not pretend it doesn’t exist.
I believe books or question, challenge should be looked at individually and very completely. "Girl Interrupted" was one of my favorite books/movies. The book was unsuccessfully challenged in upstate Maine. That pleases me;I feel an appropriate age group is okay for this book, (highschool).
"To Kill a Mockingbird" one of my favorite books in highschool, this book I feel just needs to be talked through, as with alot of challenged or banned materials. Once again, I feel it is only appropriate for high school age students. We as adults often forget our roles as teachers and as parents, that children need guidance and supervision, especially when dealing with exposure to unclear areas of life.
The third book I looked at "The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round things"( Teen's Top 10 Awards), Is also a good book, with age appropriate boundries.
I feel very strongly that a child's age and a child's maturity level are critcal when faced with taking a personal stand on the challenged/banned book brigade.
Censorship! It has it's place in the world and I find myself censoring much of what my children see and do. I want them to grow up as strong, intelligent, loving human beings that contribute to society in a healthy manner. I want them to be self sufficient and creative in their thoughts. Can banning books from libraries help me raise that type of child? No, I truly believe it will NOT! I found the quote in the article, "The Freedom to Read" hit home for me. It said, "Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it less able to deal with controversy and differences.
To continue...as I ran out of space! As a librarian to be, a teacher and mother, I know that I would not want my first grader coming home with books containing explicit adult material so knowing the book and the target group of readers would be important. I would use that to guide me. I never would have imagined the books I have at home or in my classroom are actually on the challenged book list. The first, James and the Giant Peach by Dahl is being challenged due to language and that it promotes drinking and smoking. I think you could turn this into a health lesson rather than avoid such an issue. The second book, Little Red Riding Hood. That book was challenged due to the illustration of a wine bottle in the basket. I'm not sure but my little ones would not have even picked up on that. It could be sparkling grape juice, right! The third book was How to Eat Fried Worms. That one is being challenged due to language and again, alcohol consumption. All three books I would allow in my library. They are great stories! Some of the reasons to challenge a book just don't fly. Sometimes you need them to stir up healthy dialogues. We can use them to teach morals in an open and free format.
I guess I am rather naive, and live in a world where books are free to end up in hands that want to have them there. Last semester I had a parent "complain" about the book we were reading in class, and she wanted me to have her child read something "tamer" (i'm quoting the parent here). The book was the Hobbit, by Tolkein, and the parent stated it was against her religious beliefs to read it.
Now, I was floored and a little bit annoyed at the time, but as English teachers and future librarians, this is something we should be ready for and be able to handle.
So, here are 3 books that were mentioned on the ALA site:
1) "And Tango Makes Three" for homosexuality, anti-family and unsuited to age group
2) "The Earth, My Butt and Other Round Things" (GREAT title!) for sexual content, anti-family and profanity
3) "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" for homosexuality, sexually explicit and offensive language (it sounds like a scary book but it isn't!)
My opinion? Children are exposed to a heckuva lot worse on t.v. and the internet. Is it our responsibility to make sure our kids don't read things they shouldn't? Absolutely, especially when mom and dad aren't at home that much. However I feel if kids want to pick up a book such as the ones mentioned above, that should be considered a victory! They WANT to read!!
I plan on working someday in a high school library, and honestly, I don't feel the need to hide the banned books. Someone mentioned already that words are just words and I agree. Some books may have questionable topics but what are kids being exposed to when they turn on the t.v, or play their Xbox?? I think people need to just relax and enjoy the fact that their children are wanting to read a book instead of staring at a computer screen.
My first reaction when looking over the challenged and banned book lists was that of surprise. In fact, I couldn’t believe the number of great literary works that have been challenged or banned throughout the years. I think we all expect the common knowledge banned books- Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to be on the list. However, I was shocked at how many others were listed. I found this quote on Google books and thought it was interesting enough to share- “According to the American Library Association, 42 of 100 books recognized by the Radcliffe Publishing Course as the best novels of the 20th century have been challenged or banned.” That is almost 50%. This was an eye opener to me. What a shame it would be if these works were not allowed in libraries and book stores.
You can almost predict that a book that covers sensitive social issues, violence, sexuality, or offensive language will appear on one of these lists. While I am strongly against censorship, I do believe that some of this sensitive content is not appropriate for younger audiences. Therefore, our role as a librarian is to try and determine what is age appropriate for our audience. Even with this goal, it is inevitable that we will not be able to “please” every group. Somebody will always find something offensive or consider it inappropriate for the age group. Sometimes this is hard to believe considering most of the content in these challenged books is no more offensive than material you see on T.V. and video games. In addition, offensive language in a book is hardly worse than what one hears wandering down the hallways of any high school. In many cases, this language leads to authenticity of the characters in the book. The author uses the language for a reason- it makes the characters “real”. Also, just because there is offensive language in a book doesn’t mean that you as a reader condone it.
We as a society need to embrace books that challenge our thinking, that help us establish our belief systems. When we read about violence or sensitive social issues, it allows us as readers to engage in critical thinking and helps us decide where we stand on these issues. Many of these issues in banned books represent real life.
Unless you live in a bubble, I would expect it to be difficult to shield your children from all sources of objectionable content- and more importantly, why would you want to? As a parent, I would prefer that my child be exposed to all kinds of information and content- (age appropriate of course), and be given the opportunity to discuss and learn from these experiences.
As a librarian, I think our job is to avoid censorship and focus more on what is age appropriate. If it isn’t age appropriate, then perhaps it should be moved to a level where it is. How can we expect our children to be critical thinkers, tolerant and accepting of diversity, and know where they stand on issues, if we are censoring accessibility to books? I think accessibility is an important word. We are not forcing students to read these books, we are making sure they are accessible and enforcing intellectual freedom. We cannot remove age-appropriate books that might be offend a small minority of the population. The cost is too great.
The three books that I wanted to comment on are The Giver, The Bluest Eye, and Brave New World. I enjoyed these books and have read them all as an adult.
I can understand why some parents would be offended with some of the issues and content in The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison. It deals with sensitive issues- rape, molestation, and racism. It also has offensive language. However, I don’t believe that it should be removed. Whether a student should read this book, is in my opinion, a decision that the student and parent need to make together. I would encourage my child (when he gets that age) to read this book. My personal philosophy is that we should not shelter our children from books with sensitive content, but rather teach them how to approach these issues critically.
The second book, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is an outstanding book (Newberry Medal winner) that all young adult readers should read (in my opinion). At first, I was dumbfounded as to why this book was on the list. After researching, I discovered that many parents were upset with the issues of suicide, infanticide, and euthanasia. Yes, these are controversial topics, but this is a fiction book about a dystopian society- not real life! By reading about sensitive issues, such as euthanasia, we are helping our students make critical judgments about where they stand on these real-life societal issues.
Finally, Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. I loved this book, even though I cannot remember any controversial details having read it so long ago. It is actually required reading at my high school. Unable to remember details as to why it would be challenged, I asked my sister, who is a high school literature teacher, why it would be on such a challenge list. She said that it does mention orgies, has some offensive language, drug use, and sexuality. She noted that they don’t sit around and discuss these parts of the book in detail- yes, they are in the book, but it isn’t the focus of the book or the instruction that surrounds it.
After researching banned and challenged books, it makes me realize how important a collection selection policy is. Also how crucial and invaluable support from a selection committee would prove to be in situations where a book is challenged.
When looking at the challenged books and the reasons they were challenged I noticed that the reasons tend to be basically the same. Religious conflicts were very common. Things such as abortion, paganism, the occult, homosexuality, etc. There was also profanity, disrespect of adults, violence, sexuality. . . All things our society is in constant debate about.
As I was looking through the list of challenged books I noticed that the list contains very popular books. It made me realize that the main reason people challenge certain books might be because of the age group the book targets.
One of my favorite books is Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. I saw this book in a 5th grade classroom when I first came to Vegas and I was shocked. The content of this book is more on the adult side and takes a certain level a maturity to fully appreciate and understand. It's on the challenged list and I'm guessing it may be because of the target audience. In an upper middle school or high school this book is fine but not suitable content for elementary school.
Another of my favorites is on the list and it's called The Giver by Lois Lowery. I love this book and had my 7th graders read it this year. I was surprised at the true lack of comprehension that the students had for the content. The overlying message was completely lost on most of them and they didn't see or understand the nuances throughout the story. Again, I think challengers may have been worried about the target audience for this one too but the challengers thought this one condoned infanticide, endored abortion, and promoted new age policies. It's an excellent book for the right age group.
The series of books titled Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz is popular with certain students. It was challenged because it "dabbles in the occult" and the stories are "overtly violent and frightening." I find this challenge hypocritical because our society condones, promotes, and exposes our children to these type of things daily, hourly, minute by minute. I wondered if the challenger of this book had a closet full of violent video games at home.
As a librarian I'd first take into consideration the age group and the content of the book. I'd read the book and try to determine what the problem areas are in the book for the challenger. If I find the content age appropriate then I'd fight to keep the book in my library. Libraries are where people CHOOSE their own books, they're not forced to read them as they are in a classroom. Removing or "banning" a book infringes on the rights of other students to read that material. I'd fight for every book I could but I'd also try to see the book from the point of view of the challenger.
I was somewhat surprised that book banning was still happening today. I was suprised at some of the books that were challenged as well. I grew up in a community where many of my friends had strict parents when it came to books, movies, TV, and such. My parents were a bit more lenient and trusted my judgement. There are so many benefits of reading most any book that should outweigh the negative parts.
I was surprised at Huckleberry Finn. It was challenged because of racism. I think that they language in the book and the topic would help because learning about times in our history will help so that it is not to be repeated. This is a great piece of literature that I would hate to see people miss out on this.
The Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz was another one that I do not really agree with. Yes, these stories are frightening and deal with some unwanted things and they are not for everyone. I think that this series is one of those that students would really like and maybe it is the only thing that is getting them into reading.
I was saddened by the challenged books that were challenged because of homosexuality such as "And Tango Makes Three" and "Daddy's Roommate" and "Heather Has Two Mommies". I think that this is leading to more closed-minded people and more hatred to those that are different. We have students at our school with two moms or two dads and I feel that they may be able to relate and feel more at ease with these books.
As a librarian, I plan to take all challenges into consideration, but I think that it is not fair to deny all children access to books that can be beneficial in many ways. Therefore, if a parent has a problem, I would review the book and determine if maybe it would be a better fit for middle school or just watch what their child gets. I think that it is more of a parental duty to make those decisions rather than me as a librarian.
I have pretty strong feelings about banning books. When I look at those times in history when books have been banned or burned because they didn't suit someone's metaphysics, political philosophy or social norms I react defensively. I am thinking here of the numerous Aztec codices burned by the Catholic Church in the 17th and 18th centuries in the New World and of the Nazis burning those books their Ministry of Propaganda and Education found objectionable. How, I ask myself, can any person with a conscience support banning books?
Additionally, as a librarian with 25 years of work experience, I have been rather throughly inculcated with the standards of the American Library Association's stance toward Intellectual Freedom. I realize that I will have to be able to listen to the voice of parents and other concerned members of the community when working as a school librarian and make some modifications to my otherwise rather absolute stance toward the freedoms of both expression and curiosity.
I guess I would consider removing a book from the school library shelves under certain circumstances and conditions. Perhaps there is a district-wide policy about how School Media Specialists must proceed with a book that is being challenged by someone in their school and if I were to accept a position within a school district as a school librarian I would feel bound by their policy, at least to some degree. Discuss, negotiate, but above all LISTEN would be the bywords of a book challenge event for me.
For this assignment I reviewed three challenged books from the 1990's to the present. 1.)Shade's Children by Garth Nix reads a bit like a more sensational version of The Giver. Children in this story are sent "away" from their homes and kept in dormitories until their 14th birthdays when they are sent to the Meat Factory where their dismembered bodies are rendered into frightening creatures of social control by the Evil Overlords. Parents complained to the Williamsville, NY school board that this book contained graphic violence, sexual innuendo and extensive use of profanity. The Board voted 7-0 to retain the book, perhaps because they realized that their Middle Schoolers were subject to this and much more in a typical Hollywood action/adventure movie rated PG13.
2.) The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney, written well before 9-11 tells the story of a young American boy recently moved to London who naively accepts a package from a stranger as he is boarding the subway. The package explodes just as Billy is remembering cautionary tales told him at his London school about accepting things from strangers and Billy is instantly killed. His sister goes on to reveal a group of Arab Muslims as Billy's killers. This book was challenged by a Muslim girl in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2000 for its portrayal of Muslims as terrorists. The book was retained. It was challenged again by a Muslim girl in Rockville, Maryland in 2000 as being offensively stereotyping of Muslims. Again, the book was retained.
3.) Speak by Laurie Anderson is a novel about a high school-aged girl who has lost her ability to speak after being raped at a party by a boy at her high school. Her best friend has a falling out with her and decides to accept an invitation to the Prom from this same boy, even though she is warned by the former "best friend" about him. He makes the same unwelcome sexual advances toward the friend and even corners her in a janitor's closet at school later where she successfully fends this repeat rapist off. Her best friend then regains her voice. This book was banned from an 8th grade classroom in Arizona for profanity, sexual content and a rape theme. How this helps 8th graders in Arizona understand issues such as date rape we can only guess.
My inclination is not to remove challenged books from the library shelves until a formal review process has been completed and vetted. I have no problem with a parent sending me a note stating that their child is not permitted to check out certain books and I would obviously honor such a request without hesitation. If required to do so, I would also remove a book that, after undergoing the formal challenge process, was deemed unsuitable. Unlike those who might challenge a book, I do not find it desirable to inflict my beliefs and standards upon others, but I sure do have my private and professional opinions in this matter!
It’s funny, but banned books have never been a reality for me until now. When I was growing up, banned books were things that happened in the past or somewhere else. That may be in part because I grew up in a moderate to liberal town in
California, a socially liberal state. Many of the books that I read in junior high and high school make the top 100 banned books list. We read Huck Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, Native Son, and Of Mice and Men. Many of the other books on the list were on the shelves in my house and were free for me to read.
The only book that was ever kept from me was Forever, by Judy Blume. I had read most of her books for children and young adults by the time I was in sixth grade. When Forever was published, my Mom actually read it before she gave it to me (that was unusual for her!) She didn’t let me read it until the summer between my eighth and ninth grade years. After I read the book, I was glad that she had me wait. In the book, the main character is considering giving up her virginity. Her mother cautions her that she “can never go back” to just holding hands, and I think that comment is viable for reading a book whose subject matter is not appropriate for a certain age group. I don’t think that the dilemma in the book was one I needed to be pondering when I was eleven! So, while I do not agree with banning books, I fully support keeping them age appropriate (and that “age” could vary from child to child) and also feel that a parent should certainly have the right to not have his/her child read a particular book. I personally like to have the choice to read a book or not; having a book removed from circulation removes my choice. I think that this book is appropriate in a high school library.
Another book on the list that I read and that moved me was The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. She does a great job of getting the reader to experience and feel a very different culture from ours. This book was challenged due to its religious attitudes and some sexual content. Again, I feel that this book would be entirely appropriate in my high school library. We should be discussing subjects like religious attitudes with our children and our students. I won’t condemn a religion, but I’d like to be able to discuss attitudes about religions and effects of various religions. Novels like this provide a great source for those discussions and terrific food for thought.
The third novel I looked at is The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood. This book has been challenged for its sexual content. I personally do not care for gratuitous sex in a novel, but in this case, the scenes in question are not particularly graphic, but they do show the subjugation of the handmaids. Again, it is thought provoking and integral to the story.
Overall, I would include these books in a high school library. There are definitely some books on that list that are not age appropriate, but otherwise, bring them on. I think I’d have to worry more about low circulation rates than challenges at my high school, but as long as I had my policies and procedures in place, I sure wouldn’t back down from a challenge! Let them read and make them think!
I was surprised by the titles I saw on the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Book List generated by the American Library Association, as well as those listed on Wikipedia and other sites. Books that I had read, or had shared in my class, were scattered throughout. Then I wondered how it was I had not noticed the reasons behind the proposed bans. Am I misunderstanding the author’s purpose? Or do I just suspend my disbelief so easily that I become completely blind to the “Big Picture?” I am the kind of person who sees books for the ideas that they can open my eyes up to. I guess my reason is the exact opposite to what other people believe. I am a person who wonders why and asks questions about the way things are. The very idea that there are individuals who feel they have to control the voices of writers is somewhat ludicrous. Don’t get me wrong. I am more selective of the books I read aloud to my third graders than I was my sixth graders. But I only choose books to share with my class that I know my students need to hear and can learn something from.
I recall reading Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret by Judy Blume when I was in the fifth grade. It poses the struggles of religious family values and puberty. It was sort of a rite of passage amongst the girls in my elementary school to read it. It was also a necessary thing for me because of the impersonal relationship I shared with my mother. This was not a part of the school curriculum. But the book was available in both the classroom and school libraries, and to this day, remains one of my favorite books. James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl is also on the ALA’s Challenged Book List. I recently finished reading this book aloud to my third grade students. In the story, insects and a peach grow exponentially due to the accidental ingestion of some seemingly magical stuff James gained from a strange fellow he meets. There is also smoking and drinking that the characters do. This story is meant to be an imaginary tale. Often your imagination takes you to faraway places where you meet strange characters who act in ways you wouldn’t normally. That is what makes it imaginary. After reading this story, not one of my students commented on this scenario, because they do not have the same viewpoint as some overly concerned adults. Another book I have read was The Bad Beginning, by Lemony Snicket. In this book, three orphans go to live with their bizarre uncle after the deaths of their parents. The children are heirs to a large fortune the uncle wants. So he tries to secretly marry the eldest child. It is due to this reference to incest that this book has been banned or challenged. The Series of Unfortunate Events are popular books that appear in my classroom and school library. My students are incredulous to the idea that the uncle would try to marry the eldest daughter, and realize that, “That is so gross!” But still, all these books have so much to offer students that it is a shame that so many of them are challenged and/or banned from school bookshelves.
Article 3 of the Library Bill of Rights states that, “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment” (ALA). I concur wholeheartedly.
I've taught for 5 years now and have actually had a parent who was upset with a book in my classroom library. I found it interesting because it was a book I had never thought of being controversial. I reread the book and still thought it was fine. To please the parent I told her I would keep the book from her child, but I did not take it out of my library. As a librarian though, I feel a little different. I have to think of the library as a whole. Books are banned for many different reasons. I have noticed through my readings some people challenge the books before ever reading them. I find this sad, becuase literally they are judging a book by it's cover. The ALA defines censorship- which is what banning is as suppression of information and ideas. How sad that we are limiting people from making thier own thoughts and ideas with books. I'm happy that our district (and the others I've worked in) have a committee to look into challenged books. Nowdays, people are so worried about being "politically correct" that we lose sight of what is really important. I'm glad that as a soon to be libraian I will have a whole committee to help in making banning decisions. I feel that this is something one person can't decide, it takes many people to truly make a decision to remove a book based on the challenges.
One of my favorite book series is Harry Potter. On educationalworld.com they discuss Harry Potter being one of the most challenged and banned books. I find it interesting because even with that label it is still one of the most popular series. The biggest reason it was challened...people were worried about kids thinking witch craft was real.
Another banned book that I found very interesting was the Lorax by Dr. Seuss. It was banned for it's political undertones. I find that interesting, since most of Dr. Seusses main audience is children that don't really understand the political undertones in the story. I read the book and yes they are there, but it is not to a point in my opinion where it would affect children.
The last one I focused on is another very popular series- A Series of Unfortunate Events. It is banned in Georgia, because it hints at incest. I'm sorry but the students I teach would have no clue what that was!
I feel that we need to let families decide what thier children read, but not decide for others. I understand the importance of keeping our children safe, but we need to let each family decide for their own- not the whole.
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