[bookshare-discuss] Re: Banned Books Week
- From: Grandma Cindy <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:56:03 -0700 (PDT)
You make some good points, but don't you think it's up
to the librarian to decide if the books are
age-appropriate for that school library? If children
take books home from the library parents can look at
the book and if they don't want the child to read it
they can explain why, rather than having it banned
from the library so that no one can read it.
There are some books that I did not want my children
to read in elementary school, e.g., Clockwork Orange
and Flowers in the Attic. I found, however, that
children get books they're not supposed to read from
other children who sneak them in to school. I remember
that my parents didn't want me to read Nancy Drew
books, though I don't know why. I read them at
friends' houses anyway. Never could figure out what
was wrong with them. I don't think my mom ever read
them. She was probably afraid they'd scare me, not
knowing anything about them except that they were
mysteries.
Cindy
--- Monica Willyard <rhyami@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I think I'm in the minority on this one. I'll speak
> up anyhow. I think
> some of these books should be reserved for adult
> library collections and
> that it is appropriate to remove them from school
> libraries. Many of
> them discuss topics that are not meant for children.
> While I agree that
> adults should have access to the books they want to
> read, it seems to me
> that some restraint is necessary with children in a
> school library.
> Several of you have said that it's the parent's job
> to screen books and
> discuss them. I agree with that sentiment. Have you
> stopped to consider
> the practical implications of this in regard to a
> school library? A
> parent cannot physically accompany a child to their
> school library since
> that is done during school hours. Our school's
> library closes 10 minutes
> after the final class lets out. Furthermore, many
> public schools require
> parents to get a special pass to gain access to the
> school. This makes a
> parent's job more difficult since it would be seen
> as disruptive for a
> parent to spend each day at school with her child in
> order to make sure
> she picks age-appropriate books from the library. It
> would also prevent
> that parent from earning a living while the child is
> in school. Because
> of the limited access parents have, I believe the
> schools do bear some
> of the burden of putting age-appropriate books on
> their shelves and
> clearly marking or separating books that are for
> mature audiences only.
> I don't want an 8-year-old to have access to a book
> about the joy of
> sex, gay or straight. Nor do I think a 10-year-old
> is ready to handle
> The Handmaid's Tale. I would feel the same way
> about a child reading
> Tim LaHaye's The Act Of Marriage which is a
> Christian book about marital
> sex. All of these books deal with topics that are
> best handled by adults
> who have the ability to understand and respond to
> their content in a
> mature way. I do think book banning in a public
> library is a problem
> since parents can access that collection with their
> children. When it
> comes to schools though, I think banning books on
> adult topics makes
> sense since children don't have their parents' input
> and can check out
> whatever they find on the shelves.
>
> Monica Willyard
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