A student recommended that I read the book Go Ask Alice, which was originally published in 1971 as the real diary of a middle-class teenage girl’s spiral into drug use. Therefore, it is shelved in nonfiction with the byline Anonymous. After finishing the book, I asked my sister, who read the book as a teenager, if she thought that it was propaganda against drug use, and not a real diary. I thought that the book was fiction for two reasons: 1) everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong, and 2) the diarist had such a mature vocabulary and defined writing style. So I did some research. The book’s author is actually Beatrice Sparks, who was listed as its editor upon publication. She has also “edited” several other similar works: Almost Lost: The True Story of an Anonymous Teenager's Life on the Streets, Annie's Baby: The Diary of Anonymous, a Pregnant Teenager and It Happened to Nancy: By an Anonymous Teenager. Publishers now consider the work fiction. The unnamed diarist begins as a self-conscious, almost bookish type of girl. She is excited when a popular girl invites her to a party, but this party begins her decline. She is given LSD-laced Coca-Cola, and although she does not know drugs are in the cola, she enjoys the experience, and this leads to a life of drug use. She begins working at a clothing store and becomes friends with an older girl. They begin dating two guys who are friends, and this leads to more drug use and destructive sexual activity. They eventually run away to San Francisco. The diarist and her friend work in a boutique and befriend the owner who invites them to a party. They use heroin and are raped by the woman and her boyfriend. They later open their own shop which becomes a hangout for hippies, but they become homesick and return home. Now, this is where it gets really unbelievable. Upon her return home, she is labeled as a police informant and targeted and harassed by her former “druggie” friends. She remains drug-free, but the “clean” kids do not want to be around her. While baby-sitting for a neighbor, she eats peanuts that have been drugged. This causes her to experience a “bad trip,” and she injures herself badly by clawing at her skin. She is institutionalized because she is injured but also because her former friends have told police she was selling and using drugs. Finally, one person tells police that she was no longer using drugs and she is able to go home. The diary ends with a note saying that the diarist was found dead three weeks after the last entry. The book is definitely more effective when the reader thinks that it is a true account of a teenage drug user, but it is also an entertaining and well-written fictional story that belongs on the shelves of public and high school libraries. I had trouble putting it down, and I hope that teenagers would enjoy it. The drug use and sexual content are the reasons for its banning, but they are not explicit descriptions.
Go Ask Alice was repeatedly checked out by my students. One student would read it, then recommend it to another. It would make its way through the class. They lived vicariously through the harsh reality in the book, and they appreciated its brutal honesty.
Harry Potter- crusader against the powers of the dark lord or symbol of witchcraft and the occult? Book Six of the series presents a darker and more serious Harry than in any of the previous novels. Harry’s growing connection with Headmaster Dumbledore at Hogwarts strengths through a series of private meetings and lessons in which Dumbledore seeks to help Harry understand the series of events that lead to the ascension of young Hogwarts’ student Tom Riddle to the throne of the dark lord Voldemort. Harry continues in other classes as well, especially excelling in Potions with the help of the textbook annotations of the Half-Blood Prince – eventually identified as Severus Snape. Snape himself encounters much excitement in this book as he makes the Unbreakable Vow to Draco Malfoy’s mother to help and protect Draco in a quest to fulfill an obligation to Voldemort – who has returned and started gathering loyal followers in order to wreck havoc on both the wizarding world and those unsuspecting Muggles. The untimely death of Dumbledore at the hands of Snape sends Harry precipitously close the edge and leaves the reader hanging on the precipice of anticipation. There seems to be two major contentions with the Potter-saga. First, there is the complaint that Potter-mania promotes witchcraft (Banning Harry Potter, 2000). Conservative Christians denounce Potter as a harbinger of evil-doing and devil-mongering Supporters of Harry as religious text vehemently oppose his presence in the school library. However, this argument is circumvented under the very auspices that seek to banish it. If Potter is removed because of distrust of any imagined religious affiliations, then any other text, such as The Bible, that includes any religious context must also be removed. A marvelous catch-22 to this religious conundrum! According to Demitchell and Carney ((2005), Harry Potter has also been accused of contributing to “disobedience and disrespectful” (p. 162) behavior in minors. Apparently, Potter’s ability to circumvent the rules in times of trouble is a cause for concern in adults who fear that Harry’s ingenuity may be construed as carte blanche to court trouble. Detractors feel that students might read Harry Potter and develop an utter disdain for rules and regulations when they fail to be convenient. If this line of reasoning is to prevail, then should we also assume that students have only the capacity to learn in detrimental ways from the texts they read, instead of learning to understand the wavering dynamics of right and wrong? I hope to give our young people credit for having good sense and inherent goodness, instead of fearing that every temptation will lead them down the path to ruin.
Like Leigh, I read Go Ask Alice (Anonymous) for this assignment. I chose this book because it had a significant impact on me when I was growing up. I was relatively young (maybe in the 6th grade) when I first read it, and it stayed with me for years after the fact. Since then, I have read it at least three more times. With each experience, I think I take something else away from it. When reading it for this class, I found that I read it as a parent, and it has made me reflect on it in a way that I never have until now. I think I appreciate it even more in this new role. To summarize briefly, this book in the format of a diary is said to have been written by a 15-year-old girl in the 1970's. It is not clear if the girl writing the diary is the title character or if Alice refers to someone else altogether. This apparently typical and somewhat socially awkward girl becomes hooked on drugs after she is "slipped" LSD for the first time at a party. She quickly falls into the drug scene and all of the negative things that go along with the lifestyle. Through her own frank and vivid reflections, the reader sees how this girl’s life spins out of control on drugs; she runs away twice, lives on the streets, endures sexual abuse, and causes physical harm to herself while under the influence. On several occasions, she attempts to stop using drugs and regain control of her life. After several voluntary lapses, she is once again slipped drugs by former friends who have been pressuring and harassing her and who are seeking revenge. This trip lands her in a psychiatric facility where she decides that she wants to help others like herself once she gets out and regains control of her life. Unfortunately, we learn in the prologue of the book that three weeks after her final diary entry, she is found dead by her parents. The reader is left to wonder whether she voluntarily lapsed once again, accidentally overdosing, or if it was an intentional suicide. With the issues described above, it is not surprising that many feel this work should not be included in school libraries. In addition to the detailed drug use and typical teenage language, it also includes frank descriptions of sexual experiences, including homosexual encounters. Another issue of contention is the very rebellious and anti-establishment attitude of the teenagers described that was characteristic of the decade in which it was set. Beyond the questionable content, many debate whether the book was indeed an anonymous, true account of a teenager’s life. Many instead believe that the writing and reflection are much more likely that of the known editor of the work, Beatrice Sparks. Although this is not the issue at hand, this does make one consider the overall literary value of the work and its subsequent place in school libraries if it is a fictionalized account. I think this book must be included in high school libraries because of the impact it has on its intended audience. Although I think some of the specifics in the book are outdated in the eyes of today’s readers, the book certainly includes themes and issues that are important to teenagers of any generation. I think many find the perspective of the work interesting and most would appreciate the frankness with which these issues are addressed. It is not acceptable to remove this book because the content is offensive to some. Young readers need to see themselves in the characters they encounter in literature and although some may not like how this manifests itself in the written word, it is critical for the integrity of our collections to include both the good and the bad of the world in which we live.
I waited to read your post Leigh until I finished mine on the same book...
I was never able to find a credible source that said that it was definitely written by Sparks. Most speculated at this, but that was as far as they would go.
As for the believability of it, I really don't think kids read as much into it as adults do. I know I certainly didn't when I read it as a teenager. I think kids just enjoy reading about the stuff that many of them know about and live everyday, but can't openly discuss with the adults in their lives. In fact, I have come to the conclusion after my latest reading of it that this is one of the overlooked themes of the work. The kids we read about here are screaming out for someone to listen but the parents don't ever address the issues of drugs, sex, and hopelessness even when it directly affects their own families.
I would hate to think that kids could not have access to books like this because the themes are too uncomfortable for adults.
Melissa, you make a good point about the difference in the way an adult reads this book and the way teenagers read this book. If I had read it in the sixth grade as you did, it would have haunted me forever, in a good way though. I think the frank talk about sexuality and drug use is key to getting kids' attention about the issue. Remember when we were young and teachers would show us cheesy, canned anti-drug/alcohol videos, and we would just laugh at them? You can't laugh at this book.
I read something interesting on the ALA website in regard to violation of 1st amendment rights. The comment actually was stated in a review of the court case Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, 109 S.Ct. 2533, 105 L.Ed.2d 342 (1989). This case actually focused on flag burning but the quote appropriately relates to this topic: "A bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment is that Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable." This has really made me think about the censorship issues we deal with in libraries. My school recently removed a book from its shelves because ONE parent found it offensive. I thought the action was a little quick and made only to prevent making a parent unhappy.
I read Forever by Judy Blume. I love Judy Blume books because she writes about real life situations that everyone can relate to or have encountered at some point in time. Forever was banned because of its sexual content. It is realistic and every teenager can connect with many of the issues in this book.
Brief summary: The setting is New England in the 1970s. The main characters are two high school seniors, Katherine and Michael, who fall in love at a New Year’s Eve party. As their relationship grows, they decide to take the next step (sexually). After three failed attempts for various reasons, Katherine loses her virginity on the fourth attempt. At the end of their senior year, Katherine takes a summer job away from home and their relationship is tested.
I decided to Google Forever to see what would come up and one of the results was from Playboy where it had rated this book as #23 in their list titled “The 25 sexiest novels ever written”. (www.playboy.com/sex/features/25novels/23.html)
In an interview, Judy Blume discusses her reasons for writing and publishing this book. “Judy says: This book was first published in 1975. My daughter Randy asked for a story about two nice kids who have sex without either of them having to die. She had read several novels about teenagers in love. If they had sex the girl was always punished – an unplanned pregnancy, a hasty trip to a relative in another state, a grisly abortion (illegal in the U.S. until the 1970's), sometimes even death. Lies. Secrets. At least one life ruined. Girls in these books had no sexual feelings and boys had no feelings other than sexual. Neither took responsibility for their actions. I wanted to present another kind of story - one in which two seniors in high school fall in love, decide together to have sex, and act responsibly.”
I spent almost as much time reading the reviews on Amazon as I did reading the book. There are reviews written by people of all ages - pre-teens to adults. It is amazing to read how opinions about this book vary. One adult describes this book as “too graphic”, “a porn book”, and “a sex book that is completely pointless”. In another review, a fourteen year old girl states, “It's a very good example of first love - you think it will last forever, but it ends up that it isn't going to happen. I don't know if the sex scenes are realistic or not, but I know this much: they are NOT your typical perfect, amazing, swooning scenes of other books and movies. It's a very honest book. Yes, it is somewhat graphic at times, but for us girls who haven't had any sexual encounters yet, it shows us how it will very likely be for us at first. Katherine is nervous, and scared when she loses her virginity - Judy Blume shows the emotions and fear that comes with it.”
I am so glad someone did Forever by Judy Blume...I was torn between this book and Go Ask Alice because I love them both so much!!!
The first time I ever heard of anyone getting in trouble for reading a book (this concept still is pretty odd to me!) was when I was in fifth grade and a group of girls read and passed it around the grade level. Someone's mom found it and you know how the rest goes...I think it was several more years before I actually read it, but I remember how facinating the story was to me. As a parent myself, I know how hard it is to decide what and how much "stuff" we want our kids exposed to, but it just seems that these kinds of books are the ones that you treasure and remember for years to come. In any event, I agree that it must be included in the school library collection for the same reasons that Go Ask Alice should. Some parents are relieved that their children have access to quality materials like this to explain difficult subject matter in a way that also promotes a life-long love of reading. Others do not want their children to have access to this kind of material at all. The beauty is that it is for each family to decide, not the school.
I read Shooter by Walter Dean Myers for my banned book. This book is the typical piece of fiction that starts with bullying and ends in some type of tragedy. In this case, several friends are continuously bullied by the athletes. One of the friends, Len, acts on his hate for the athletes when he shows up at school with three weapons. Len kills a star football player, injures several others, and then commits suicide.
The book is written in a format that is easy for students to read because it is a series of interviews that take place after the homicide at the school. Len's two friends are interviewed by detectives, psychologists, news reporters, and school officials, and this is how Myers reveals the events leading up to the shooting. The characters are actually able to illustrate how the bullying was ignored at school, and that everything could have been avoided if the necessary attention was given to the students. This format also allows the reader to decide whose story to believe.
I concentrated on this book because it was challenged earlier this year at one of our high schools. The school resource officer wanted it removed from the shelves. The book was reviewed by the committee, and it has just been announced that the book will remain on the shelf. I believe, after talking to several people, that the committee realized the message of the novel was far too important to remove the book from the shelves.
1)I love the Harry Potter books and recommend them to my fifth graders all the time, even using examples from the book in discussion about elements found in fantasy. I see absolutely nothing wrong with the books. I am a Christian and I think it just shows good and evil. If people want to question books about "witches" and withcraft, then we need to take almost all fairy tales off the shelves (Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella,Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Sword and the Stone---just to name a few.) I bet they don't object to those!
2) Forever: as a fan of Judy Blume (I've already mentioned this)I think this is an extremely appropriate book for middle school or highschool readers. It touches on subjects that they may have questions about and be too afraid to ask. I like the fact that it does not make your first time sound like it is a wonderful experience. Many teen movies today portray it as such, and sex should not always be portrayed as a bad thing before marriage. Not saying I agree and would tell my children that it is okay, but I would let them read the book and trust them to make their own decision.
I also love Harry Potter books and cannot wait for the last one to come out this summer. I wish more people would see these books as "good overcoming evil" and the power of friendship.
For my banned book, I chose to read “The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier after visiting the public library and reading the back cover, which says “Refusing to sell chocolates in the annual Trinity School fundraiser may not seem like a radical thing to do. But when Jerry challenges …his defiant act turns into an all-out war.” This first caught my attention because I thought about how perturbed I feel sometimes when my children come home from school, yet again with something else to sell. I thought, “Well, here is a book written in 1974, (33 years ago) and they were having the same problem that I get aggravated with today. The Chocolate War was inspired by an event in Cormier's own life, when his son decided not to sell chocolates in his school's annual sale. My first impression of the book was that it told the story of how a teenager boycotted the sale to make a point or say to the school, “I don’t want to sell stuff anymore!” Boy was I wrong! The chocolate sale is only the impetus for the other issues revealed throughout the book at an all-boy Catholic school. When Jerry refuses to sell the chocolates, it begins as an assignment from a secret school society. However, after Jerry is told to stop the assignment and sell the chocolates, he continues to say no. Jerry refuses to conform and continually asks himself, “Do I dare disturb the universe?” Jerry does continue to stand by his choice, which, in essence is a slap in the face to the school, the students, and the teachers. The book vividly describes the repercussions of not going along with the crowd. This book is very depressing because there is no happy ending. The bad guys never get payback and the good guys never get rewarded. However, it is a very thought-provoking read. In the end after Jerry is beaten almost to death, he realizes that even though everyone tells you to do your own thing or stand up for what is right- they really mean that it is okay to stand up if it is their thing, too. “The Chocolate War” is on the list of most challenged books of 2006, according to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. The book drew complaints from parents and others concerned about the book's sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint, being unsuited to age group, and violence. One of the major themes of the book is bullying through manipulation and ultimately through physical abuse. In 1994, the book was returned to the Hephzibah High School tenth grade reading list in Augusta, Georgia after the complainant said, “I don’t see anything educational about this book. If they ever send a book like that home with one of my daughters again I will personally burn it and throw the ashes on the principal’s desk.” So if anyone thinks this does not happen close to home- they are wrong! “The Chocolate War” should absolutely remain in the school library for students to read. The book has received many awards such as the ALAN (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents) award in 1983, Best of the Best Books for Young Adults, 100 All-Star Choices for Teens in 2000 to name a few. A spectacular award-winning book like this one should not be kept from students who may want to read it. They should be allowed to make the decision for themselves if it is a book they would like to read or not- a parent or committee somewhere should not be able to make this decision for them.
After reading Regan's post about the parent near Augusta, I thought about one of the articles that I read that I assume Dr. Repman posted on the Intellectual Freedom blog page. In Miami, parents are checking out books that they find questionable/offensive and never returning them. They say this ensures that no child has access to the materials. I would recommend reading this if you haven't...it really makes you think about what you could do in a situation like this. The parents are fined for the books, but there are no consequences for paying for them immediately. Even if they do pay for the books, and they are replaced at the end of the year, they repeat the process the following year. Some people will apparently stop at nothing to get their way!
Gina Eason said ... The Giver by Lois Lowry Can you imagine living in a perfect world? Jonas lives in what seems to be the ideal community. Each family unit consists of a father, a mother, and two children, a boy and a girl. All the rudeness, crime, and disease have been removed from the lives of these citizens. Everyone is uniquely suited for their special jobs. When the time comes for the elderly to retire, they are well taken care of in a special place. A simple pill suppresses any emotions that might foster free will, diversity, and individualism. Anyone who does not abide by the rules is simply released from the community. When Jonas comes of age, he receives the most important job in the community, the Receiver of Memories. But as the Giver transfers the burden of keeping all the memories of the past to Jonas, he discovers the terrible sacrifices his community has made in order to avoid making decisions or changes. Some memories are wonderful like families, holidays, and love. However, others are painful like fear, war, and death. Jonas begins to realize the benefits and dangers of all these feelings! When Jonas views the release of a new born baby, he realizes he must escape this community. With the help of the Giver, Jonas escapes which releases all the memories back into the community. Jonas is free to live a normal life and the community is forces to deal with having feelings. The Giver provides a great introduction to social discipline. What is sacrificed when a society uses drugs to suppress behaviors, feelings, and pain in order to ensure everyone is the same? Is the removal of color from ones life the answer to racism? Can the discarding of human life be justified simply because someone is difference or so old they are not useful to the community? This book addresses the extreme degree of punishment necessary to develop such a highly disciplined society. Some controversial issues that might arise during the discussion of this book might be the need to euthanize a pet, racism, physically and mentally handicapped individuals, discrimination, assisted suicide, abortion, and government restrictions. Although, it is a somewhat depressing book with heart breaking descriptions, it truly makes the reader analyze the need for diversity within a society. Is a perfect world really all that perfect?
I chose A Hero Ain’t Nothing but a Sandwich by Alice Childress. This banned book has won numerous awards including the ALA Best Young Adult Book of 1975, Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and Jane Addams Award for a young adult novel. According to Fact Monster, A Hero Ain’t Nothing but a Sandwich was placed on the banned book list because it was said to be Anti-American and immoral. As I was reading the novel, I noted that others could have problems with the graphic language and drug use. As the novel opens, the reader sees Benjie’s life from his point of view; he is a 13 year old heroin user who lives with his “church fiend” grandma, his mom, and his semi-stepfather Butler. Butler, along with Benjie’s teacher Nigeria, are the only adult males in his life. Benjie understands the streets of his tough city neighborhood, the ever-prying social workers, and hustlers on the streets. Benjie’s life takes a turn when he is first introduced to marijuana. From here, he decides to try heroin so he does not appear to be a chicken in front of his friends. This one event leads into the downward spiral that becomes Benjie’s life. Although he is addicted to heroin, he claims he is not. He can stop anytime he wants to; he is in control of his life. As the story unfolds, each chapter is a different character’s view of Benjie. Benjie’s mother knows there is a problem, but looks past it until the school turns him in. Butler tries to act like his father, but is rejected too many times. Elisabeth, the grandmother, must lock down her belongings so Benjie does not steal them to sell for drug money. Benjie is slowly moving through life, hit by hit. He begins not only using drugs, but hustling them for the dealers for free hits. His drug spiral comes to an abrupt holt when his school teachers turn him in, and he must go to the hospital for detoxification. Benjie, at only 13 years old, is worn out on life. “I’m tired and sad, feelin sometime hot and sometime cold. I wish I had me one friend, one who dig me the most and don’t put anybody else ahead of me. Guess I’m in this sad world all by myself. Trouble is this, too many folks expeck other folks to be carin bout them when it ain’t no-way possible. So I’m layin here learnin how to expeck nothing” (73). After the hospital, Benjie is faced with more conflicts. Butler moves downstairs, away from Benjie. It is just another male that has run from his life. After seeing his mother and grandmother completely devastated, Benjie tries to turn his life around. He attends his counseling sessions, trying to work through the problems. He has to attend the funeral of his friend, the one who first got his hooked. Benjie hits his low, and tried to jump off the roof of his building. Butler is there for him, catching his arm and slowly pulling him back to life. Benjie seems like he is on the path to recovery. The book closes with Butler waiting for Benjie outside the rehab building. The reader is unsure if Benjie is just late or if he has given up hope on his life again. A Hero Ain’t Nothing but a Sandwich should be in high school libraries. The book can inform readers what happens when you lose control of your life. The book can apply to students from broken homes, from the inner city, and those lost. Students not in those situations can just learn from the novel, to see where others come from. The dialect of the characters made the book hard to read at first. Once the reader is hooked in Benjie’s world, they want to see him succeed. I was fighting for Benjie to make the right decision, and cringing when he did not. The gritty novel deserves a spot on book shelves.
Catcher in the Rye This had to be one of my favorite books that I read shortly after high school. I wish that I had been asked to read this in high school. I think that the worries of Holden Caulfield are common to almost all high school student. This novel is extremely hard to read. I would only suggest it for the above average reader in a high school setting.
The book is narrated by the main character Holden Caulfield. His point of view is somewhat skewed by his experiences and his borderline mental health issues. The book starts by telling the reader that Holden is in a mental hospital: "I'll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had to come out here and take it easy. ... D.B. [Holden's brother] comes over and visits ... practically every week end. He's going to drive me home when I go home next month maybe."
Holden runs away from school before they can kick him out for failing his classes. The rest of the book is spent with Holden meeting various and sundry people that continuously disappoint and depress Holden. This depression is what leaves Holden in such a mess that he is in an asylum telling his story. Holden is an interesting and heavily flawed character. It is his extreme flaws as a character that makes him so appealing to the high school reader.
I read this book just to see what all of the fuss was about. I must admit it that I did not truly understand it. When I re-read it for this assignment I realized just how phony Holden is. It is this phoniness that Holden rebels so strongly from. Holden routinely rants about how he “hates” another character because they exhibit some behavior, only to show the exact behavior within the next 5 pages of text.
It is this phoniness that speaks to the young man reading this book for the first time. As you learn more about Holden you begin to see the not so good things in your own life. You examine yourself to find your own hypocrisies. You come out of the reading wanting to be the person that Holden thinks that he is.
Now Salinger has a very unique and somewhat harsh way of showing you this tender message. I understand why some people have fought so vehemently against this title. However, those individuals that fight this title are not those that it was meant to reach. I see Holden reaching out to the troubled teen that does not understand his way in the world. The student without much support at home that is trying to become a man with little to no guidance.
The young man whose father helps with his homework and whose mother is involved enough to monitor the child’s reading is not the child that Holden and Salinger is speaking to. Catcher in the Rye is a title for the Thug inside all high schoolers, this book is for the students that see the world for most of what it is, a pretty pathetic place; and want to change it. The readers of Catcher in the Rye should come away trying to make the world better, they should want to be more real and involved in their community to make the world what it could be.
I had a dicussion with another teacher about banned books today. It really made me question myself. She has two sons who are teenagers. She said that she would not want them to be able to read books about sex and drugs. Her feelings were that many students have parents who could care less what they do and what they read. Therefore, it is up to the teachers to set the "standard" and not allow books like these to be placed on the shelves. I don't agree with her, but then again, I can see her side of view. What do you think?
I chose the book "Pop!" written by Aury Wallington. It caught my attention because Wallington was a writer for the the steamy and ever entertaining television series "Sex and the City". However, Wallington was surprised to find Borders refused to stock the novel in their stores. No true explanation was given, but Wallington and some of her supporters indicate it was due to the sexual nature of the book. This book is her first novel, and Wallington explained in an inteview by Jessa Crispin (who was questioning the reasoning behind Borders not shelving the book) at www.thebookstandard.com, "I wanted to write a book that would serve a new generation of girls the way Judy Blume's "Forever" served me-answering questions that I was too embarrassed to ask anyone, and showing the emotional issues of sex and virginity through a character I could identify with." Wallington found intellectual freedom can be inhibited by the topic, title, and even the cover of the book.
"Pop!" tells the fictional story of a young girl, Marit, who is a senior in high school. She is determined to find a boyfriend who will fulfill her wish to lose her virginity. She feels pressure to get it over with so she can go on with her life. After many failed relationships with random boys and at the suggestion of her best girlfriend, Caroline, Marit decides to have sex with her best guyfriend, Jamie. By the way, Jamie happens to be a virgin and wants to gain some experience for himself. This changes everything because they each promised it would be a "friends with benefits" relationship, but Jamie falls in love with Marit.
Marit does meet a boyfriend,Noah, and decides to end the relationship with Jamie. This creates a great shift between the three friends, and Marit is left out. She loses everyone, even the new boyfriend. Eventually they all come to an understanding and with Jamie's intervention, Marit is able to resume her relationship with Noah.
The book is not written in graphic terms, but it does approach the topics of virginitiy, being clear of sexual diseases, first time jitters and uncertainties, and other not so pleasant realities that happen when you are unexperienced. A valid point is made by showing all behaviors, even with the best and most innocent intentions, have consequences. The suggested reader grade level is grade 9 or above.
In additional comments made by Wallingon during the interview by Crispin, Wallington states "There are so many contemporary young-adult novels that trivialize teen sex, where the characters are so glib and sophisticated that sexual intimacy seems like no big deal, and sex has few or no physical or emotional consequences, as opposed to the awkward, confusing struggle that most real teenagers go through, which I tried to capture honestly in my book." Wallington also refers to the reaction she received from Planned Parenthood. The organization reinforces what we all gain through Intellutual Freedom. They state the book is an "honest, nonjudgmental look at sex in high school - a remarkable feat, considering the recent trend toward abstinence-only policies in public schools." Wallington adds to this viewpoint by describing her book as a way to know what the characters involved are feeling whereas nonfiction is necessary to inform readers the facts about sex.
Response to mthomas on the book Shooter by Walter Dean Myers I read your review after listening to the news about the killings at Virginia Tech today. I wondered how I would feel about my child reading a book like this after going through the real experiences. Would it help them? This is an issue that many students will be discussing and struggling to understand in today’s schools. I checked out some of the reviews at Amazon, and the School Library Journal said it was an “excellent text.” Most of the reviews described having mixed feelings, but that the book was good. One warned that it was harsh and that parents should exercise caution when allowing a teenager to read the book. I hope to get a chance to read this book soon for myself.
Banned books in general... I attended a media committee meeting today where the some of the staff members and administration review controversial books to decide if they can be placed on the regular shelf or on the parental permission shelf (in other words, our school is banning books). This policy is mandated by our board in our system after a parent complaint about a book their child brought home. Questions came up in the meeting about what we thought the students should be able to handle, such as historical issues like racism, sexual content, and profanity. We are an elementary school, and I feel we are going to extreme measures to be sure nothing leaves our school that is objectional. We are practicing censorship at the highest level. At the same time, some of the books we reviewed contained explicit wording that third through fifth graders do not need to have accessible. Again the question arises, "Is it ever o.k. to remove a book from a school library shelf, yet it not be deemed censorship?" If it is not censorship, what is it? Any thoughts on this?
When I read your post, I wanted to start talking to the computer screen. :) I think it is teachers and others with these opinions that are the problem with censorship. Who appointed her the expert on book selection for ALL students? The point of intellectual freedom is access to a variety of points of view on topics, not one preferred point of view as this teacher suggests. I am sure she would object to removing all references to a certain sport from the library because the librarian preferred another better. As silly as this sounds, IT IS THE SAME THING ... there should be room for both in the school library because the needs and interests of students is just as diverse.
Also, I think the kids she refers to with parents that do not care are the ones who are best served by access to a variety of QUALITY reading materials about subjects that they may never discuss with a caring adult.
This topic makes me sound so preachy...but it is just crazy that some think it is ok to do whatever it takes to keep BOOKS out of the hands of kids!
After reading Margaret's post, I also wanted to read this book. I had never heard of it before, and I was interested to see it for myself. Ironically, I went to check it out from the public library yesterday before hearing the VT news. I guess someone else got there first. Maybe I will get the chance to read it in the next few weeks.
I guess that I am coming from a little different veiw point than some of you. I can not see any of these books coming off the shelves. We are in the Middle and HIgh school level books. If you can not expect these students to make their own decisions about the things that they are reading, then what kind of message are sending them about later in life. When you start to think that a book should be taken off of the shelf READ THE GIVER, Someone just reviewed it. Look at what they lost in the community. READ fahrenheight 451, Ray Bradburry is one of the best story tellers ever Hands down. Be afraid of your own fear about what these students might learn, but be even more afraid of what they will discover on their own if we keep them sheltered from everything. I know that many of you are elementary teachers, I have not ever taught elementary school, I have no children of my own, but I am truly afraid of a library were decisions are made by adults. Children should read these books and then ask adults for guidance through them. Maybe we should flag questionable materials and have a contact with the child that is reading about the subject matter.
How many parents would have kept the Beetles out of their households. Elvis would never have changed music. Aparththeid (sp) would never have been shown for the evil that it was. No one would no of the challenges of the WWII jews. All of this would have been censored out of our knowledge base.
Sorry I didnt know I felt so strongly about this! I teach in a very small town (mentality) school system. It is apparently getting to me a little bit.
I like what Carla said about the Harry Potter books! I feel that Harry is a good role model... we see him growing up, alone, and basically always trying to do what's right. About the witch craft, it's just fantasy, like Cinderella... so parents... get over this one! The kids love it... and so do the teachers!
In response to Carla Mitchell's comment about a parent not wanting her teens to read about sex and drugs, I think the parent may also need to cancel cable, disconnect the phone and monitor every second of a teenagers life. Maybe then the teen will not come in contact with such.
The first "nudie" magazine I ever saw was in the sixth grade on the school bus. A guy, not much older than me, was showing off the pictures to those around him. I am not saying that we should plop teenagers down in front of a porno flick, but we have to realistic. We cannot always prevent kids from hearing curse words, (seeing nude photos on the bus) or being exposed to drug use. It is our job as parents to instill moral values in our kids so that when they do face things that may scare us, they can make wise choices. We have a responsibility to teach our children right from wrong, not to send them into the world with rose colored glasses. A friend of mine sent her children to a Christian school as a way to "shelter" them from bad things. Her oldest learned all about what sex is from a classmate...at the christian school...in the 2nd grade.
The same idea applies to reading books. If we are going to remove every book from library shelves that has curse words, references to sex, violence, or drug use we might as well just put a chain and pad lock across the doors because the Bible would even be thrown out.
I have to agree with the comment regarding good and evil concerning Harry Potter. I think for children it is important for their heroes to be associated with correct thought and action. It is also important for the hero to triumph as it helps them to see themselves as good because they identify with the heroes to the point of seeing themselves in their lace.
The book I read was The Witches by Roald Dahl. I have read most everything he has written (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James & the Giant Peach etc.), and when I found out it was banned, I couldn't resist.
The story centers on an orphan who lives with his grandmother. She has been very careful to pass on to him all the knowledge that she has of witches. For example; they always wear gloves to cover their claw shaped hands and they hate children because they smell like dog droppings. They are also very good at passing as regular people.
When they go on vacation on the coast of England, they find themselves at the same hotel as the annual convention of witches who are passing themselves off as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Their real mission is to rid the world of all children.
The boy and his grandmother discover their plan and try to stop them, but the boy is turned into a mouse. Dahl does not resolve the plot by changing him back to a boy, but instead makes the character happy with his new self because he can still think and speak, but doesn’t have to go to school.
The primary challenges to this book have centered on the element of witchcraft and the lack of a ‘happy ending’. Personally, I think you have to be familiar with Roald Dahl to understand that he is just that kind of author. His works are very whimsical and unorthodox. If you’re looking for conventionality, there is very little to be had here and I think some people find that downright uncomfortable.
In response to the Witches: When I was in about sixth grade maybe younger, the movie the Witches came out and was very popular. Therefore, I think this book could be used and have a movie to go with it....I'm really big on visuals and comparing the book to the movie to show that books are usually better!
I also have the books on my shelves in my classroom and read it aloud to my students during homeroom DEAR time when students don't have their own books to read.
I really don't see anything wrong with the book. Yeah, it is about witches, but that just makes it a fantasy. People now seem to forget about imagination! Every fantasy should not be censored. It is for pleasure and enjoyment. Adults read too much into books because of experience. Children do not see the books in the same way adults do. They are innocent to the assumptions that adults make about the books. They think it is just a make-believe, fairy tale.
Concerning Harry Potter Books, I think that if parents are responsible parents, they should know what their child is reading. I might not recommend Harry Potter for a 4th - 5th grader, but for a 6-8th grader, I think it is perfectly fine. Just the thickness of the book might be too intimidating for the younger reader. But the 6th grader strives on completing the "series" before their friends. As far as it being banned, it must be made perfectly clear that it is fiction- not true. It is fantasy- it is not trying to replace the Bible. This is why I say to keep it at the 6-8th grade level. The younger reader may not be mature enough to be able to distinguish between God and a Sorcerer. Nor may they be able to distinguish between Satan and Lord Voldemort. What HP is implying is that there are good witches and good sorcerers. Some would not agree with that implication. It is showing that every human has good and bad within them. As Harry grows and learns, he must figure out which side he wishes to choose. He is torn between venting the hatred he has for those who have killed his parents and saving and protecting those whom he has grown to love and cherish. It's the good vs. evil story with a twist of fantasy. I can't wait until the next book is released!
Forever, by Judy Blume is an awesome book for those girls who are becoming young women and have tons of questions! With today's society, there sometimes 1 parent households or even 2 parents working full-time. Many of those "talks" that we had with our parents are not happening with today's families. Judy Blume answers alot of questions that parents either don't share with their kids, or the kids might be too embarassed to ask. I praise Judy Blume and her writings! She is an awesome writer.
I think I have to disagree about Harry Potter books for only 6th grade and up. I think it depends on the child. I also think when you say a child compares Lord Voldermort with Satan, that you are doing what I said in some other posts: You are assuming they do that. I really don't think younger kids do that (I teach 5th grade and have taught 4th grade). They just call him who he is, Lord Voldermort. Same with calling a sorcerer God. I have never heard them say this in any discussions I have with them. They just see good and evil and they know that it is not real so they don't generally associate it with anything in the bible. However, this is just my opinion based on the experiences I have had with my students.
Carla, I agree that younger children can enjoy the Harry Potter books. My son started reading these in 2nd or 3rd grade. He's an advanced reader and more mature than a lot of boys his age (on some days anyway). We've read these books and watched the movies together. I've never heard him compare Lord Voldemort to the devil; he's just referred to him as the bad guy in the story.
The Giver by Lois Lowry was one of my favorite books growing up (along with Number the Stars). I absolutely love her books. Someone told me a few years back that her books titled Gathering Blue and Messenger were supposed to be sequels to The Giver. Has anyone else read them and is this true?
I remember reading Forever when I was pretty young, maybe late middle school. I didn't think it was at all sexual or shocking. Frankly, there was nothing in that book that I wasn't already familiar with, thanks to my mother. She never treated any subject as taboo and instead had honest conversations with my brother and me about everything. For that reason, she never had to worry about what I was reading. My feeling is, it would be great if more parents took the lead on teaching their children about hot topics so that they wouldn't have to worry so much about the kid reading something "inappropriate."
It is so true that many challenged books upset adult sensibilities, but aren't really a big deal to kids. In fact when you ask kids about a book that's controversial, they almost always say "That is so stupid, it's just a book." They are also very quick to point out that it's not real.
The book I chose to read for our Informational Freedom Blog was S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders. This book is listed as number 43 on ALA's Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 (http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm). This is a brief summary. The setting of this story was Oklahoma. The story centered around two rival gangs. One gang was known as the Greasers. They were a group of greasy, longhaired lower class boys. The other gang was known as the Soc, short for Socials, who were the Greasers upper class rivals. The main characters of the story were Ponyboy, his brother Sodapop (a high school drop-out), and their oldest brother Darry. Their parents died in an automobile wreck and Darry was their guardian. The remaining Greasers were Johnny, Dally, Steve, and Two-Bit. All boys came from broken homes. The main conflict arises when Ponyboy, Johnny and Two-Bit were walking with two Soc girls after a movie. The girls' drunken boyfriends, Bob and Randy, spotted them as they walked. Later that night after Ponyboy got into an argument with his oldest brother Darry, Ponyboy and Johnny ran into Bob and Randy again at a park. It was at the park where the boys fought and Johnny killed Bob in self-defense. With Dally's help the boys ran off and hid in a neighboring town within an old abandoned church. While they were gone tensions between the two gangs escalated and they scheduled a "rumble". Dally went to the church to check on the boys. Johnny wanted to leave and turn himself in to the police. As they were leaving the church they noticed that it was on fire. They also noticed some young children playing in the church. The boys rushed in the church and saved the children. Everyone but Johnny got out before the roof fell in. This broke Johnny's back. The newspapers called the boys heroes but also said that Johnny and Ponyboy had to face the judge for the death of Bob. Later that night at the "rumble", the Greasers beat the Socs. Dally and Ponyboy rushed back to the hospital to tell Johnny all about what happened. Johnny died while they were there. Dally broke down and robbed a grocery store. The police had Dally trapped and he waved his gun. The police then shot and killed Dally. Ponyboy had a concussion from the rumble and was all upset about Johnny and Dally's deaths. He went to court and the judge did not find him guilty for Bob's death. The judge also allowed Ponyboy to continue to live with Darry. Darry and Ponyboy made up. The reader then finds that Ponyboy has told the story of Johnny and Dally through the writing of their story in his English class.
This novel would be an excellent novel to educate students about the some of the social ills in our society today. To often people are stereotyped based on their looks, socio-economic-status, or even the way they talk. This novel could provide an insightful look into what stereotyping is, its effects on the lives of people, and the impact it has on society. Furthermore, the novel could be used to incorporate the various meanings and values of family. People view family in many different ways. These views of family could provide valuable insight to the increasing societal problem of gangs and gang violence. Finally, the novel could impact students' perceptions about what adolescences are capable of accomplishing regardless of their background or perceived "place" in society.
In the past people have taken offense at certain aspect of this novel. Some have criticized this novel in the past due to the violence, drug and alcohol abuse contained within. After all, there are many fights, a murder, a big gang "rumble", a burning building falling on a young boy, drunken teenagers, and references to marijuana use. To these critics I say look in today's newspapers or watch the news. These topics, unfortunately, are commonplace real life issues in our society today. However, unlike our daily news media, The Outsiders provides readers with a context for the discord and provides readers with healthy ways (such as honesty, helping others, doing well in school, taking responsibility for your actions) to overcome this strife. Another reason that this novel has found objection in the past is because the characters were all from broken homes. According to US Census information form the 2000 census, the divorce rate in the state of Georgia alone is 10.3% and the percentage of grandparents who are caregivers to their grandchildren in the state of Georgia is a staggering 47.6%. Unfortunately, broken homes are also very commonplace in today's society.
The Outsiders has won much critical acclaim in the past. This is evident from the following awards that the book has won: New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List, 1967 Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book, 1967 Media and Methods Maxi Award, 1975 ALA Best Young Adult Books, 1975 Selections chosen for this award have "proven or potential appeal to the personal reading tastes of the young adult" and "incorporate acceptable literary quality and effectiveness of presentation" as well as "incorporate acceptable literary quality and effectiveness of presentation" (American Library Association, 2006). Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, 1979 Books awarded this honor have proven to have "literary quality, variety of genres, representation of diverse cultural groups, and reader appeal" (Salem State College, 2006). ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award, 1988 This award was given "in honor of 'an author whose book or books, over a period of time, have been accepted by young adults as an authentic voice that continues to illuminate their experiences and emotions, giving insight into their lives'" (as quoted in The Outsiders, 1997).
The following works are all related works that can be used along with or instead of The Outsiders: Westside Story by Irving Shulman Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Prep by Jake Coburn Rite of Passage by Richard Wright Breaking Point by Kristen D. Randle
Society today is very two-faced. On the one hand many parents do not raise their children. They do not talk to their children about moral behavior or demonstrate this behavior themselves. In my community, many "parents" send their children to be raised by the grandparents. Many "parents" purchase anything for their children just to shut them up. Things like violent, sexist video games. These are the same "parents" who will try to sue the school at the drop of a hat because their child read a book in school with a "bad" word or a reference to sex. Then there are the "parents" who are over protective of everything their children read, watch, play with, etc. These "parents" think that building a cocoon around their children will "protect" them for whatever evil they imagine. Both groups should realize that it is not the job of the teacher, school, BOE, or government to raise their child. It is the responsibility of the teacher, school, BOE, and government to instruct students on how to become productive members of our society. Part of that instruction means introducing students to many news ideas and ways of thinking that might be different from what they are used to. In today's global community, it is of extreme importance to expose our students to various ideas and customs from around the world. I know, I'm rambling...
During my senior year of high school--mid 80's--this was our school end of the year drama production. I remember thinking what an amazing job the student who played Alice portrayed. After reading your post, there were definite scenes that were left out of the play.
KUDOS to our drama teacher for picking a controversial book!!! She used this forum to educate and inform her teenage audience about the affects of drugs. “HATS OFF” to the administrators and parents for their support.
Growing up, I was a big Judy Blume fan--read all her books that were available to me on the shelves of our library, including Forever.
As an adult, I appreciate even more how insightful and understanding she was as she portrayed her characters and the real life issues they faced.
Judy Blume is one to be admire for her quest to tackle issues that parents prefer not to hear about or ignore--hoping it's just a phase and will pass quickly--even though they too could relate to many of the different characters in her books.
Several people commented on the book, Shooter, and the recent VA Tech incident. It does make it difficult to argue for a book's place on the shelf in the midst of such a situation. But just like the novel, the murderer had serious psychological issues that might have been ignored. He had a history of harassing others and was even referred to a counselor. Sometimes students just need someone to acknowledge them and their needs. Besides, students who commit crimes like school murders have not been found to read novels like Shooter to get their ideas! The book is more for making people aware of what others are going through and to be sensitive to others' needs.
My gifted kids would kill me if I did not post this...about half of my 2nd graders come to my resource class each week with one of the Harry Potter titles, and I would take an educated guess that 90% of my gifted 3rd graders are reading or have read at least one of them. They are very appropriate for advanced and/or mature readers.
I agree that the Harry Potter books are great for advanced readers. What I truly love about them is that they encourage kids who don't read to do so. Not only do the advanced readers pick them up, but the struggling and reluctant ones do too.
I remember reading The Outsiders way back in the day when I was in high school-I loved that book and cried my eyes out! It didn't make me want to drink, smoke, join a gang, or get in a fight, but it sure made me think about how I treated people who were different from me. And that's the whole point of reading books. I think we are all saying the same thing in different ways-that books are written about life-aspects that are wonderful,not so great, and downright awful. And reading books is one way we learn about life. To deprive someone the opportunity to read a book is not my call to make-or anyone else's. The books mentioned so far are thought-provoking, well written, and contain unforgettable characters-and that's why they touched us.
So many great books and comments! In relation to the post about going to the meeting and the question of censorship had come up. I would think that sometimes censorship does take place in the library not because a parent has objected to a book, but because I a parent might object. Why do something if you know it will cause trouble? That is human nature. But, should that stop a media spec. from ordering certain books and putting them on the shelves? My administration right now always thinks about how the parent will percieve things- not if it is the right thing to do. Is this right? I don't feel it is, but it causes less trouble.
I was reading Forever when my stepdaughter (15 yrs old) was in for the weekend and of course as soon as she found out it was banned....she wanted to read it. She does not like to read at all. I have tried over the years and always failed. No matter what books I bought, she would always start them but never get through the second chapter. She read this book in four hours (camping trip) and said she did not see what the big deal was. She stated that she sees and hears a lot worse in movies and on satellite.
I picked the high school standard- Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I read this book in the 10th or 11th grade. I loved it!! I remember the teacher having a long talk with us before we read it. "If your parents object, I can assign another book." "Let me know if any of this is disturbing." That made it even more interesting! THe book is about a group of boarding school boys who are involved in a plane crash. They end up on a remote island without adult supervison. A high schooler's dream!! The boys begin to try and have order, but choas reigns. Groups form and there is a fight for control. At the end of the book, the boys are rescued by the military. There is so much symbolisim in this book. I have read it four times and each time get something else out of it! The reason why this book is sometimes banned is because there is death in the book. Boys kills the other boys in acts of savagness. There is an idea of anarchy and children's rights in the book. I don't find anything wrong with the book. It is very thought provoking and makes you think about what you would do in the situation.
A couple of years ago the administration wanted the team to read a book to the students through out a nine weeks. So, I would read to my classes 15min out of a book, the next day another team teacher would read the same book for another 15 min and so on. The book we chose was The Giver. I had never heard of it before. The reading teacher picked it because I think it was a recommended read for the 8th grade but she didn't have time to do it in class. I loved the book!!! The ending was great. But, we did have some parents who objected to the book being read. Some of them were the standard, "This is history class, why are you reading to them?" Others who seemed to have real objections we invited to sit down and talk about the book. When asked directly what was wrong with the book the parents would respond with "I heard that this book...." The parents had never actually read the book or done any research on it. We did tell the parents how they could challenge a book in relation to school district policy. We encouraged the parents to read the book and the get back to use with any concerns. Only one did- the parent apoligized for jumping on the banwagon and not reading the book for himself. Sometimes the censorship talk is just talk.
Ok, so I have been thinking all night about this question... A parent has a complaint about a resource used either in class or the media center. The parent goes through the district policy steps and makes some valid points. The parent isn't irrational or out of control, but rather has some concerns. The administration and school board understands the reasons why the resource is questionable to the parent. Does the resource get pulled from the shelves and not used? Or should permission slips be used? Of course, if the resource is a requirment for a class for that student a replacement should be found. But what about the other students? Because one parent makes a valid claim for his/her child, do the other students not get to use the ressource? I just can't come up with an easy answer for this.
FINALLY!!!!! I chose to read Orwell's 1984 for my banned book. I never really understood why it was a banned book until rereading it. As a high school Junior, I remember reading 1984 and it not having a great effect on me. However, having to reread this books later in life, I can see why people may want it banned. To summarize, Winston a very free thinking person is in a society where going against the norm and free thinking and free speech are not permitted. Everything is monitored and the whole socitey is functioning like one big episode of "Big Brother" which is also the name of the main law giver and controller in the Oceania society. Big Brother's presence is everywhere and speaking or thinking out against him is completely forbidden and punishable by law. As the story continued, Winston falls in love with Julia and begins to "THINK" about what type of life he and Julia could have together. Facing persecution for thinking freely, Winston eventually gives up all hope of having a life with Julia and accepts the fact that he must love "Big Brother".
Go Ack Alice...sounds like a typical day in the life of today's teenagers. I think the real reason as to why it is "banned" is because people are afraid to face the fact that their precious children could (and probably are) involved in the same types of risky behaviors. I cannot walk down the halls of my school without seeing two kids involved in some type of PDA. The sheer fact that parents are oblivious either by choice or ignorance seems to pervade today's society. Maybe Go Ask Alice was a way to "shock" parents into the realm of reality.
As far a Harry Potter contributing to the delinquency of minors...possibly. However, children will be children. I know there were times in every child's life when defying authority is the "in thing to do". If Harry Potter is to be banned strickly on this provision, then TV shows that convey the same message should be banned. More children are sitting in front of the square babysitter and the content being fed into their minds is not being monitored. Also the video games these children buy and the games their parents buy and play in front of the children (or let the children play themeselves) would also have to be banned. Choices are the driving force behind our Deomcratic society. Just because something is available does not mean you have to partake.
Shooter...I can't say that I would read it however, it could be beneficial for students to read, especially those that like to pick on others. With all the incidents that have happened in today's schools and universities I have a feeling this book will never make it off the banned book list. It seems to have a great moral... There are consequences for all your actions.
The Chocolate War...I too get aggrivated by the continual appeals to a society already tapped by things other than education, espcially when the sweet little faces are the ones selling. I think this book would serve a greater purpose if read while studying cause and effect. Should one stand up for what's right (or what they believe) or should someone cower to the claws of the "accepted way". There are many other books that convey this same message and are still on the shelves. This is a message that needs to be taught. Responsibility for your actions is critical to success in life.
The book that I chose to read for this assignment was The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. This book was very interesting I actually had the hardest time putting it down. The story takes form of a series of letters that were written to an anonymous friend by a teenager named Charlie. The letters are written during Charlie’s 1991-1992 school years while he is a freshman. Charlie struggles to find himself in this new world of high school, he is referred to by many as the wallflower because he is someone who just sits and “watches”. Charlie meets a guy named Patrick, who Charlie finds out is gay, and his step-sister Sam. Charlie is very much in love with Sam but Sam make is known that she wants Charlie to find someone else. Charlie’s life is going very well; he is meeting new people as he spends time with Patrick and Sam. He is also exploring smoking, drinking and drug use as he visits parties with them. Charlie is such a great friend to all of the people that he meets. He finds out secrets about them that he never tells. He always supports and never judges anyone. Charlie is very shy and unpopular so he finds himself doing all that the other friends are doing just to fit in. Charlie visits a counselor to work through his problems. The problem is Charlie has no idea what type of problem he has. He makes reference many times throughout the letters of his Aunt Helen. He says that she made him feel very special and always bought him presents. Charlie also notes in the letters to “friend” that his Aunt Helen was sexually abused by a family friend when she was very young and developed into an adult that was shunned by the family. As the plot develops and Charlie learns that he was sexually abused as a young child by his Aunt Helen. Charlie is admitted into a hospital to help him deal with his problems after his senior friends have gone off to college. This whole book focuses on Charlie’s desire to fit into this world that he considers to be perfect.
I read The Color Purple by Alice Walker. It was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1983. The novel is set in the early 1900's in the rural south. It is a heartwrenching tale of oppression and emotional abuse. Celie and Nettie are sisters and they face daily abuse by their father. Celie is told that she is the ugly sister and Nettie is the beautiful sister. Celie is raped and bears two childen that are sold for money by her father. He attempts to rape Nettie, but does not succeed. Nettie is sent away as punishment for Celie. Her father allows a stranger (Mr.) to take Celie to his home to become his wife and the mother of his children. Celie is mistreated by Mr. and his children. They do not respect her and take her for granted. She is forced to perform wifely duties even if she does not want to. She is degraded in front of Mr.'s family and treated like a slave. Celie knows her place and only speaks when she is addressed. Shug Avery, a former lover of Mr., returns to town to visit. Celie confides in Shug and helps her find letters from Nettie that were sent and hidden. There are stacks of letters that date back from previous years. Celie is outraged and is determined to finally stand up to Mr. at any cost. She leaves him and moves to Tennessee with Shug's help. It is peaceful living alone without daily torment from her husband. Celie must return unexpectedly to Georgia due to the death of her father. The land is left to Celie and Nettie. Mr. changes his evil ways and pays for Celie's children to return to her. All are reunited and Celie finds independence despite years of humiliation and torment.
This novel has controversial themes of sexism, transformation, and culture. The women in the novel are dominated by men and are expected to know their place. Because of the time period (early 1900's), these actions were considered normal. Celie was a passive young girl who transforms into and independent woman. Cultural differences are evident because of the social classes that exist in the novel. Walker uses black folk vernacular in Celie's letters to portray the characters as poor rural African Americans.
This novel should be in media centers because young adults (especially girls) need to be exposed to these themes. Celie is searching for trust and freedom. She only exists to herself and is overlooked by everyone. Her faith is highlighted in the novel and she will not let her husband kill her spirit. Tennage girls need to be exposed to Celie's way of life. Gender issues are important and allow for good discussions among young people. Religion, faith, and friendship allow Celie to get through these rough times.
In response to The Outsiders, I too read this book in high school and did not want to participate in some of the activities such as drinking and smoking. I read many books like these and they opened my eyes to social issues that were prevalent for that time. I was not easily influenced into doing anything because of my upbringing and I was afraid of the consequences. I just knew that my parents would find out about it and be disappointed in me. I think this book should be available to all students becuase one day they will encounter these issues and will have to know how to deal with them.
The book The Witches is also a wonderful book that teaches children to use their imagination. They have difficulty with this in reading and writing. Roald Dahl is my favorite author and my students love his illustrations. Children love to have someone read to them. He creates eccentric characters that are larger than life. We have read several of his books this year (The Twits, The Magic Finger, The BFG, George's Marvelous Medicine, and the list goes on..). When we finish one they ask me, "Which one are we reading next?" These books take the place of watching a movie with all the special effects. His details are vivid are students are transformed into the world of fantasy.
I also think that the Harry Potter books are appropriate for younger readers. Advanced readers need to have books that spark the imagination. My students that are hooked on these books do not talk about the witchcraft or the bad guys in the novel. They like reading books that challenge them and make them think outside the box. Four years ago, I had a student who wrote the most creative stories that were similar to the plots of the Harry Potter series. He was very advanced and continued to write because he was making a series out of his story. These books are motivatational and keep the interest of advanced readers. Other novels such as Eragon and Eldest are excellent also.
I agree that children see and hear a lot worse on televison. Forever by Judy Blume is enduring. "First Love", everyone can relate to this at some time in their lives.
64 comments:
A student recommended that I read the book Go Ask Alice, which was originally published in 1971 as the real diary of a middle-class teenage girl’s spiral into drug use. Therefore, it is shelved in nonfiction with the byline Anonymous. After finishing the book, I asked my sister, who read the book as a teenager, if she thought that it was propaganda against drug use, and not a real diary. I thought that the book was fiction for two reasons: 1) everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong, and 2) the diarist had such a mature vocabulary and defined writing style. So I did some research.
The book’s author is actually Beatrice Sparks, who was listed as its editor upon publication. She has also “edited” several other similar works: Almost Lost: The True Story of an Anonymous Teenager's Life on the Streets, Annie's Baby: The Diary of Anonymous, a Pregnant Teenager and It Happened to Nancy: By an Anonymous Teenager. Publishers now consider the work fiction.
The unnamed diarist begins as a self-conscious, almost bookish type of girl. She is excited when a popular girl invites her to a party, but this party begins her decline. She is given LSD-laced Coca-Cola, and although she does not know drugs are in the cola, she enjoys the experience, and this leads to a life of drug use. She begins working at a clothing store and becomes friends with an older girl. They begin dating two guys who are friends, and this leads to more drug use and destructive sexual activity. They eventually run away to San Francisco. The diarist and her friend work in a boutique and befriend the owner who invites them to a party. They use heroin and are raped by the woman and her boyfriend. They later open their own shop which becomes a hangout for hippies, but they become homesick and return home.
Now, this is where it gets really unbelievable. Upon her return home, she is labeled as a police informant and targeted and harassed by her former “druggie” friends. She remains drug-free, but the “clean” kids do not want to be around her. While baby-sitting for a neighbor, she eats peanuts that have been drugged. This causes her to experience a “bad trip,” and she injures herself badly by clawing at her skin. She is institutionalized because she is injured but also because her former friends have told police she was selling and using drugs. Finally, one person tells police that she was no longer using drugs and she is able to go home. The diary ends with a note saying that the diarist was found dead three weeks after the last entry.
The book is definitely more effective when the reader thinks that it is a true account of a teenage drug user, but it is also an entertaining and well-written fictional story that belongs on the shelves of public and high school libraries. I had trouble putting it down, and I hope that teenagers would enjoy it. The drug use and sexual content are the reasons for its banning, but they are not explicit descriptions.
Go Ask Alice was repeatedly checked out by my students. One student would read it, then recommend it to another. It would make its way through the class. They lived vicariously through the harsh reality in the book, and they appreciated its brutal honesty.
Harry Potter- crusader against the powers of the dark lord or symbol of witchcraft and the occult?
Book Six of the series presents a darker and more serious Harry than in any of the previous novels. Harry’s growing connection with Headmaster Dumbledore at Hogwarts strengths through a series of private meetings and lessons in which Dumbledore seeks to help Harry understand the series of events that lead to the ascension of young Hogwarts’ student Tom Riddle to the throne of the dark lord Voldemort. Harry continues in other classes as well, especially excelling in Potions with the help of the textbook annotations of the Half-Blood Prince – eventually identified as Severus Snape. Snape himself encounters much excitement in this book as he makes the Unbreakable Vow to Draco Malfoy’s mother to help and protect Draco in a quest to fulfill an obligation to Voldemort – who has returned and started gathering loyal followers in order to wreck havoc on both the wizarding world and those unsuspecting Muggles. The untimely death of Dumbledore at the hands of Snape sends Harry precipitously close the edge and leaves the reader hanging on the precipice of anticipation. There seems to be two major contentions with the Potter-saga. First, there is the complaint that Potter-mania promotes witchcraft (Banning Harry Potter, 2000). Conservative Christians denounce Potter as a harbinger of evil-doing and devil-mongering Supporters of Harry as religious text vehemently oppose his presence in the school library. However, this argument is circumvented under the very auspices that seek to banish it. If Potter is removed because of distrust of any imagined religious affiliations, then any other text, such as The Bible, that includes any religious context must also be removed. A marvelous catch-22 to this religious conundrum!
According to Demitchell and Carney ((2005), Harry Potter has also been accused of contributing to “disobedience and disrespectful” (p. 162) behavior in minors. Apparently, Potter’s ability to circumvent the rules in times of trouble is a cause for concern in adults who fear that Harry’s ingenuity may be construed as carte blanche to court trouble. Detractors feel that students might read Harry Potter and develop an utter disdain for rules and regulations when they fail to be convenient. If this line of reasoning is to prevail, then should we also assume that students have only the capacity to learn in detrimental ways from the texts they read, instead of learning to understand the wavering dynamics of right and wrong? I hope to give our young people credit for having good sense and inherent goodness, instead of fearing that every temptation will lead them down the path to ruin.
Like Leigh, I read Go Ask Alice (Anonymous) for this assignment. I chose this book because it had a significant impact on me when I was growing up. I was relatively young (maybe in the 6th grade) when I first read it, and it stayed with me for years after the fact. Since then, I have read it at least three more times. With each experience, I think I take something else away from it. When reading it for this class, I found that I read it as a parent, and it has made me reflect on it in a way that I never have until now. I think I appreciate it even more in this new role.
To summarize briefly, this book in the format of a diary is said to have been written by a 15-year-old girl in the 1970's. It is not clear if the girl writing the diary is the title character or if Alice refers to someone else altogether. This apparently typical and somewhat socially awkward girl becomes hooked on drugs after she is "slipped" LSD for the first time at a party. She quickly falls into the drug scene and all of the negative things that go along with the lifestyle. Through her own frank and vivid reflections, the reader sees how this girl’s life spins out of control on drugs; she runs away twice, lives on the streets, endures sexual abuse, and causes physical harm to herself while under the influence. On several occasions, she attempts to stop using drugs and regain control of her life. After several voluntary lapses, she is once again slipped drugs by former friends who have been pressuring and harassing her and who are seeking revenge. This trip lands her in a psychiatric facility where she decides that she wants to help others like herself once she gets out and regains control of her life. Unfortunately, we learn in the prologue of the book that three weeks after her final diary entry, she is found dead by her parents. The reader is left to wonder whether she voluntarily lapsed once again, accidentally overdosing, or if it was an intentional suicide.
With the issues described above, it is not surprising that many feel this work should not be included in school libraries. In addition to the detailed drug use and typical teenage language, it also includes frank descriptions of sexual experiences, including homosexual encounters. Another issue of contention is the very rebellious and anti-establishment attitude of the teenagers described that was characteristic of the decade in which it was set. Beyond the questionable content, many debate whether the book was indeed an anonymous, true account of a teenager’s life. Many instead believe that the writing and reflection are much more likely that of the known editor of the work, Beatrice Sparks. Although this is not the issue at hand, this does make one consider the overall literary value of the work and its subsequent place in school libraries if it is a fictionalized account.
I think this book must be included in high school libraries because of the impact it has on its intended audience. Although I think some of the specifics in the book are outdated in the eyes of today’s readers, the book certainly includes themes and issues that are important to teenagers of any generation. I think many find the perspective of the work interesting and most would appreciate the frankness with which these issues are addressed. It is not acceptable to remove this book because the content is offensive to some. Young readers need to see themselves in the characters they encounter in literature and although some may not like how this manifests itself in the written word, it is critical for the integrity of our collections to include both the good and the bad of the world in which we live.
I waited to read your post Leigh until I finished mine on the same book...
I was never able to find a credible source that said that it was definitely written by Sparks. Most speculated at this, but that was as far as they would go.
As for the believability of it, I really don't think kids read as much into it as adults do. I know I certainly didn't when I read it as a teenager. I think kids just enjoy reading about the stuff that many of them know about and live everyday, but can't openly discuss with the adults in their lives. In fact, I have come to the conclusion after my latest reading of it that this is one of the overlooked themes of the work. The kids we read about here are screaming out for someone to listen but the parents don't ever address the issues of drugs, sex, and hopelessness even when it directly affects their own families.
I would hate to think that kids could not have access to books like this because the themes are too uncomfortable for adults.
Melissa, you make a good point about the difference in the way an adult reads this book and the way teenagers read this book. If I had read it in the sixth grade as you did, it would have haunted me forever, in a good way though. I think the frank talk about sexuality and drug use is key to getting kids' attention about the issue. Remember when we were young and teachers would show us cheesy, canned anti-drug/alcohol videos, and we would just laugh at them? You can't laugh at this book.
I read something interesting on the ALA website in regard to violation of 1st amendment rights. The comment actually was stated in a review of the court case Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, 109 S.Ct. 2533, 105 L.Ed.2d 342 (1989). This case actually focused on flag burning but the quote appropriately relates to this topic:
"A bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment is that Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable."
This has really made me think about the censorship issues we deal with in libraries. My school recently removed a book from its shelves because ONE parent found it offensive. I thought the action was a little quick and made only to prevent making a parent unhappy.
I read Forever by Judy Blume. I love Judy Blume books because she writes about real life situations that everyone can relate to or have encountered at some point in time. Forever was banned because of its sexual content. It is realistic and every teenager can connect with many of the issues in this book.
Brief summary:
The setting is New England in the 1970s. The main characters are two high school seniors, Katherine and Michael, who fall in love at a New Year’s Eve party. As their relationship grows, they decide to take the next step (sexually). After three failed attempts for various reasons, Katherine loses her virginity on the fourth attempt. At the end of their senior year, Katherine takes a summer job away from home and their relationship is tested.
I decided to Google Forever to see what would come up and one of the results was from Playboy where it had rated this book as #23 in their list titled “The 25 sexiest novels ever written”. (www.playboy.com/sex/features/25novels/23.html)
In an interview, Judy Blume discusses her reasons for writing and publishing this book.
“Judy says: This book was first published in 1975. My daughter Randy asked for a story about two nice kids who have sex without either of them having to die. She had read several novels about teenagers in love. If they had sex the girl was always punished – an unplanned pregnancy, a hasty trip to a relative in another state, a grisly abortion (illegal in the U.S. until the 1970's), sometimes even death. Lies. Secrets. At least one life ruined. Girls in these books had no sexual feelings and boys had no feelings other than sexual. Neither took responsibility for their actions. I wanted to present another kind of story - one in which two seniors in high school fall in love, decide together to have sex, and act responsibly.”
I spent almost as much time reading the reviews on Amazon as I did reading the book. There are reviews written by people of all ages - pre-teens to adults. It is amazing to read how opinions about this book vary. One adult describes this book as “too graphic”, “a porn book”, and “a sex book that is completely pointless”. In another review, a fourteen year old girl states, “It's a very good example of first love - you think it will last forever, but it ends up that it isn't going to happen. I don't know if the sex scenes are realistic or not, but I know this much: they are NOT your typical perfect, amazing, swooning scenes of other books and movies. It's a very honest book. Yes, it is somewhat graphic at times, but for us girls who haven't had any sexual encounters yet, it shows us how it will very likely be for us at first. Katherine is nervous, and scared when she loses her virginity - Judy Blume shows the emotions and fear that comes with it.”
I am so glad someone did Forever by Judy Blume...I was torn between this book and Go Ask Alice because I love them both so much!!!
The first time I ever heard of anyone getting in trouble for reading a book (this concept still is pretty odd to me!) was when I was in fifth grade and a group of girls read and passed it around the grade level. Someone's mom found it and you know how the rest goes...I think it was several more years before I actually read it, but I remember how facinating the story was to me. As a parent myself, I know how hard it is to decide what and how much "stuff" we want our kids exposed to, but it just seems that these kinds of books are the ones that you treasure and remember for years to come. In any event, I agree that it must be included in the school library collection for the same reasons that Go Ask Alice should. Some parents are relieved that their children have access to quality materials like this to explain difficult subject matter in a way that also promotes a life-long love of reading. Others do not want their children to have access to this kind of material at all. The beauty is that it is for each family to decide, not the school.
I read Shooter by Walter Dean Myers for my banned book. This book is the typical piece of fiction that starts with bullying and ends in some type of tragedy. In this case, several friends are continuously bullied by the athletes. One of the friends, Len, acts on his hate for the athletes when he shows up at school with three weapons. Len kills a star football player, injures several others, and then commits suicide.
The book is written in a format that is easy for students to read because it is a series of interviews that take place after the homicide at the school. Len's two friends are interviewed by detectives, psychologists, news reporters, and school officials, and this is how Myers reveals the events leading up to the shooting. The characters are actually able to illustrate how the bullying was ignored at school, and that everything could have been avoided if the necessary attention was given to the students. This format also allows the reader to decide whose story to believe.
I concentrated on this book because it was challenged earlier this year at one of our high schools. The school resource officer wanted it removed from the shelves. The book was reviewed by the committee, and it has just been announced that the book will remain on the shelf. I believe, after talking to several people, that the committee realized the message of the novel was far too important to remove the book from the shelves.
This post is a comment to two different posts:
1)I love the Harry Potter books and recommend them to my fifth graders all the time, even using examples from the book in discussion about elements found in fantasy. I see absolutely nothing wrong with the books. I am a Christian and I think it just shows good and evil. If people want to question books about "witches" and withcraft, then we need to take almost all fairy tales off the shelves (Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella,Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Sword and the Stone---just to name a few.) I bet they don't object to those!
2) Forever: as a fan of Judy Blume (I've already mentioned this)I think this is an extremely appropriate book for middle school or highschool readers. It touches on subjects that they may have questions about and be too afraid to ask. I like the fact that it does not make your first time sound like it is a wonderful experience. Many teen movies today portray it as such, and sex should not always be portrayed as a bad thing before marriage. Not saying I agree and would tell my children that it is okay, but I would let them read the book and trust them to make their own decision.
I also love Harry Potter books and cannot wait for the last one to come out this summer. I wish more people would see these books as "good overcoming evil" and the power of friendship.
For my banned book, I chose to read “The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier after visiting the public library and reading the back cover, which says “Refusing to sell chocolates in the annual Trinity School fundraiser may not seem like a radical thing to do. But when Jerry challenges …his defiant act turns into an all-out war.” This first caught my attention because I thought about how perturbed I feel sometimes when my children come home from school, yet again with something else to sell. I thought, “Well, here is a book written in 1974, (33 years ago) and they were having the same problem that I get aggravated with today. The Chocolate War was inspired by an event in Cormier's own life, when his son decided not to sell chocolates in his school's annual sale. My first impression of the book was that it told the story of how a teenager boycotted the sale to make a point or say to the school, “I don’t want to sell stuff anymore!” Boy was I wrong! The chocolate sale is only the impetus for the other issues revealed throughout the book at an all-boy Catholic school.
When Jerry refuses to sell the chocolates, it begins as an assignment from a secret school society. However, after Jerry is told to stop the assignment and sell the chocolates, he continues to say no. Jerry refuses to conform and continually asks himself, “Do I dare disturb the universe?” Jerry does continue to stand by his choice, which, in essence is a slap in the face to the school, the students, and the teachers. The book vividly describes the repercussions of not going along with the crowd.
This book is very depressing because there is no happy ending. The bad guys never get payback and the good guys never get rewarded. However, it is a very thought-provoking read. In the end after Jerry is beaten almost to death, he realizes that even though everyone tells you to do your own thing or stand up for what is right- they really mean that it is okay to stand up if it is their thing, too.
“The Chocolate War” is on the list of most challenged books of 2006, according to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. The book drew complaints from parents and others concerned about the book's sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint, being unsuited to age group, and violence. One of the major themes of the book is bullying through manipulation and ultimately through physical abuse. In 1994, the book was returned to the Hephzibah High School tenth grade reading list in Augusta, Georgia after the complainant said, “I don’t see anything educational about this book. If they ever send a book like that home with one of my daughters again I will personally burn it and throw the ashes on the principal’s desk.” So if anyone thinks this does not happen close to home- they are wrong!
“The Chocolate War” should absolutely remain in the school library for students to read. The book has received many awards such as the ALAN (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents) award in 1983, Best of the Best Books for Young Adults, 100 All-Star Choices for Teens in 2000 to name a few. A spectacular award-winning book like this one should not be kept from students who may want to read it. They should be allowed to make the decision for themselves if it is a book they would like to read or not- a parent or committee somewhere should not be able to make this decision for them.
After reading Regan's post about the parent near Augusta, I thought about one of the articles that I read that I assume Dr. Repman posted on the Intellectual Freedom blog page. In Miami, parents are checking out books that they find questionable/offensive and never returning them. They say this ensures that no child has access to the materials. I would recommend reading this if you haven't...it really makes you think about what you could do in a situation like this. The parents are fined for the books, but there are no consequences for paying for them immediately. Even if they do pay for the books, and they are replaced at the end of the year, they repeat the process the following year. Some people will apparently stop at nothing to get their way!
Gina Eason said ...
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Can you imagine living in a perfect world? Jonas lives in what seems to be the ideal community. Each family unit consists of a father, a mother, and two children, a boy and a girl. All the rudeness, crime, and disease have been removed from the lives of these citizens. Everyone is uniquely suited for their special jobs. When the time comes for the elderly to retire, they are well taken care of in a special place. A simple pill suppresses any emotions that might foster free will, diversity, and individualism. Anyone who does not abide by the rules is simply released from the community.
When Jonas comes of age, he receives the most important job in the community, the Receiver of Memories. But as the Giver transfers the burden of keeping all the memories of the past to Jonas, he discovers the terrible sacrifices his community has made in order to avoid making decisions or changes. Some memories are wonderful like families, holidays, and love. However, others are painful like fear, war, and death. Jonas begins to realize the benefits and dangers of all these feelings! When Jonas views the release of a new born baby, he realizes he must escape this community. With the help of the Giver, Jonas escapes which releases all the memories back into the community. Jonas is free to live a normal life and the community is forces to deal with having feelings.
The Giver provides a great introduction to social discipline. What is sacrificed when a society uses drugs to suppress behaviors, feelings, and pain in order to ensure everyone is the same? Is the removal of color from ones life the answer to racism? Can the discarding of human life be justified simply because someone is difference or so old they are not useful to the community? This book addresses the extreme degree of punishment necessary to develop such a highly disciplined society. Some controversial issues that might arise during the discussion of this book might be the need to euthanize a pet, racism, physically and mentally handicapped individuals, discrimination, assisted suicide, abortion, and government restrictions. Although, it is a somewhat depressing book with heart breaking descriptions, it truly makes the reader analyze the need for diversity within a society. Is a perfect world really all that perfect?
I chose A Hero Ain’t Nothing but a Sandwich by Alice Childress. This banned book has won numerous awards including the ALA Best Young Adult Book of 1975, Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and Jane Addams Award for a young adult novel. According to Fact Monster, A Hero Ain’t Nothing but a Sandwich was placed on the banned book list because it was said to be Anti-American and immoral. As I was reading the novel, I noted that others could have problems with the graphic language and drug use.
As the novel opens, the reader sees Benjie’s life from his point of view; he is a 13 year old heroin user who lives with his “church fiend” grandma, his mom, and his semi-stepfather Butler. Butler, along with Benjie’s teacher Nigeria, are the only adult males in his life. Benjie understands the streets of his tough city neighborhood, the ever-prying social workers, and hustlers on the streets. Benjie’s life takes a turn when he is first introduced to marijuana. From here, he decides to try heroin so he does not appear to be a chicken in front of his friends. This one event leads into the downward spiral that becomes Benjie’s life. Although he is addicted to heroin, he claims he is not. He can stop anytime he wants to; he is in control of his life.
As the story unfolds, each chapter is a different character’s view of Benjie. Benjie’s mother knows there is a problem, but looks past it until the school turns him in. Butler tries to act like his father, but is rejected too many times. Elisabeth, the grandmother, must lock down her belongings so Benjie does not steal them to sell for drug money. Benjie is slowly moving through life, hit by hit. He begins not only using drugs, but hustling them for the dealers for free hits. His drug spiral comes to an abrupt holt when his school teachers turn him in, and he must go to the hospital for detoxification. Benjie, at only 13 years old, is worn out on life. “I’m tired and sad, feelin sometime hot and sometime cold. I wish I had me one friend, one who dig me the most and don’t put anybody else ahead of me. Guess I’m in this sad world all by myself. Trouble is this, too many folks expeck other folks to be carin bout them when it ain’t no-way possible. So I’m layin here learnin how to expeck nothing” (73). After the hospital, Benjie is faced with more conflicts. Butler moves downstairs, away from Benjie. It is just another male that has run from his life. After seeing his mother and grandmother completely devastated, Benjie tries to turn his life around. He attends his counseling sessions, trying to work through the problems. He has to attend the funeral of his friend, the one who first got his hooked. Benjie hits his low, and tried to jump off the roof of his building. Butler is there for him, catching his arm and slowly pulling him back to life. Benjie seems like he is on the path to recovery. The book closes with Butler waiting for Benjie outside the rehab building. The reader is unsure if Benjie is just late or if he has given up hope on his life again.
A Hero Ain’t Nothing but a Sandwich should be in high school libraries. The book can inform readers what happens when you lose control of your life. The book can apply to students from broken homes, from the inner city, and those lost. Students not in those situations can just learn from the novel, to see where others come from. The dialect of the characters made the book hard to read at first. Once the reader is hooked in Benjie’s world, they want to see him succeed. I was fighting for Benjie to make the right decision, and cringing when he did not. The gritty novel deserves a spot on book shelves.
Fact Monster:
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/banned-kids-books.html
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Childress
Catcher in the Rye
This had to be one of my favorite books that I read shortly after high school. I wish that I had been asked to read this in high school. I think that the worries of Holden Caulfield are common to almost all high school student. This novel is extremely hard to read. I would only suggest it for the above average reader in a high school setting.
The book is narrated by the main character Holden Caulfield. His point of view is somewhat skewed by his experiences and his borderline mental health issues. The book starts by telling the reader that Holden is in a mental hospital:
"I'll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had to come out here and take it easy. ... D.B. [Holden's brother] comes over and visits ... practically every week end. He's going to drive me home when I go home next month maybe."
Holden runs away from school before they can kick him out for failing his classes. The rest of the book is spent with Holden meeting various and sundry people that continuously disappoint and depress Holden. This depression is what leaves Holden in such a mess that he is in an asylum telling his story.
Holden is an interesting and heavily flawed character. It is his extreme flaws as a character that makes him so appealing to the high school reader.
I read this book just to see what all of the fuss was about. I must admit it that I did not truly understand it. When I re-read it for this assignment I realized just how phony Holden is. It is this phoniness that Holden rebels so strongly from. Holden routinely rants about how he “hates” another character because they exhibit some behavior, only to show the exact behavior within the next 5 pages of text.
It is this phoniness that speaks to the young man reading this book for the first time. As you learn more about Holden you begin to see the not so good things in your own life. You examine yourself to find your own hypocrisies. You come out of the reading wanting to be the person that Holden thinks that he is.
Now Salinger has a very unique and somewhat harsh way of showing you this tender message. I understand why some people have fought so vehemently against this title. However, those individuals that fight this title are not those that it was meant to reach. I see Holden reaching out to the troubled teen that does not understand his way in the world. The student without much support at home that is trying to become a man with little to no guidance.
The young man whose father helps with his homework and whose mother is involved enough to monitor the child’s reading is not the child that Holden and Salinger is speaking to. Catcher in the Rye is a title for the Thug inside all high schoolers, this book is for the students that see the world for most of what it is, a pretty pathetic place; and want to change it. The readers of Catcher in the Rye should come away trying to make the world better, they should want to be more real and involved in their community to make the world what it could be.
I had a dicussion with another teacher about banned books today. It really made me question myself. She has two sons who are teenagers. She said that she would not want them to be able to read books about sex and drugs. Her feelings were that many students have parents who could care less what they do and what they read. Therefore, it is up to the teachers to set the "standard" and not allow books like these to be placed on the shelves. I don't agree with her, but then again, I can see her side of view. What do you think?
I chose the book "Pop!" written by Aury Wallington. It caught my attention because Wallington was a writer for the the steamy and ever entertaining television series "Sex and the City". However, Wallington was surprised to find Borders refused to stock the novel in their stores. No true explanation was given, but Wallington and some of her supporters indicate it was due to the sexual nature of the book.
This book is her first novel, and Wallington explained in an inteview by Jessa Crispin (who was questioning the reasoning behind Borders not shelving the book) at www.thebookstandard.com, "I wanted to write a book that would serve a new generation of girls the way Judy Blume's "Forever" served me-answering questions that I was too embarrassed to ask anyone, and showing the emotional issues of sex and virginity through a character I could identify with." Wallington found intellectual freedom can be inhibited by the topic, title, and even the cover of the book.
"Pop!" tells the fictional story of a young girl, Marit, who is a senior in high school. She is determined to find a boyfriend who will fulfill her wish to lose her virginity. She feels pressure to get it over with so she can go on with her life. After many failed relationships with random boys and at the suggestion of her best girlfriend, Caroline, Marit decides to have sex with her best guyfriend, Jamie. By the way, Jamie happens to be a virgin and wants to gain some experience for himself. This changes everything because they each promised it would be a "friends with benefits" relationship, but Jamie falls in love with Marit.
Marit does meet a boyfriend,Noah, and decides to end the relationship with Jamie. This creates a great shift between the three friends, and Marit is left out. She loses everyone, even the new boyfriend. Eventually they all come to an understanding and with Jamie's intervention, Marit is able to resume her relationship with Noah.
The book is not written in graphic terms, but it does approach the topics of virginitiy, being clear of sexual diseases, first time jitters and uncertainties, and other not so pleasant realities that happen when you are unexperienced. A valid point is made by showing all behaviors, even with the best and most innocent intentions, have consequences. The suggested reader grade level is grade 9 or above.
In additional comments made by Wallingon during the interview by Crispin, Wallington states "There are so many contemporary young-adult novels that trivialize teen sex, where the characters are so glib and sophisticated that sexual intimacy seems like no big deal, and sex has few or no physical or emotional consequences, as opposed to the awkward, confusing struggle that most real teenagers go through, which I tried to capture honestly in my book." Wallington also refers to the reaction she received from Planned Parenthood. The organization reinforces what we all gain through Intellutual Freedom. They state the book is an "honest, nonjudgmental look at sex in high school - a remarkable feat, considering the recent trend toward abstinence-only policies in public schools." Wallington adds to this viewpoint by describing her book as a way to know what the characters involved are feeling whereas nonfiction is necessary to inform readers the facts about sex.
Response to mthomas on the book Shooter by Walter Dean Myers
I read your review after listening to the news about the killings at Virginia Tech today. I wondered how I would feel about my child reading a book like this after going through the real experiences. Would it help them? This is an issue that many students will be discussing and struggling to understand in today’s schools. I checked out some of the reviews at Amazon, and the School Library Journal said it was an “excellent text.” Most of the reviews described having mixed feelings, but that the book was good. One warned that it was harsh and that parents should exercise caution when allowing a teenager to read the book. I hope to get a chance to read this book soon for myself.
Banned books in general...
I attended a media committee meeting today where the some of the staff members and administration review controversial books to decide if they can be placed on the regular shelf or on the parental permission shelf (in other words, our school is banning books). This policy is mandated by our board in our system after a parent complaint about a book their child brought home. Questions came up in the meeting about what we thought the students should be able to handle, such as historical issues like racism, sexual content, and profanity. We are an elementary school, and I feel we are going to extreme measures to be sure nothing leaves our school that is objectional. We are practicing censorship at the highest level. At the same time, some of the books we reviewed contained explicit wording that third through fifth graders do not need to have accessible. Again the question arises, "Is it ever o.k. to remove a book from a school library shelf, yet it not be deemed censorship?" If it is not censorship, what is it? Any thoughts on this?
In response to Carla's post...
When I read your post, I wanted to start talking to the computer screen. :) I think it is teachers and others with these opinions that are the problem with censorship. Who appointed her the expert on book selection for ALL students? The point of intellectual freedom is access to a variety of points of view on topics, not one preferred point of view as this teacher suggests. I am sure she would object to removing all references to a certain sport from the library because the librarian preferred another better. As silly as this sounds, IT IS THE SAME THING ... there should be room for both in the school library because the needs and interests of students is just as diverse.
Also, I think the kids she refers to with parents that do not care are the ones who are best served by access to a variety of QUALITY reading materials about subjects that they may never discuss with a caring adult.
This topic makes me sound so preachy...but it is just crazy that some think it is ok to do whatever it takes to keep BOOKS out of the hands of kids!
After reading Margaret's post, I also wanted to read this book. I had never heard of it before, and I was interested to see it for myself. Ironically, I went to check it out from the public library yesterday before hearing the VT news. I guess someone else got there first. Maybe I will get the chance to read it in the next few weeks.
To Mellissa McCallar
AMEN! :)
I'm really beginning to like blogging.
I guess that I am coming from a little different veiw point than some of you. I can not see any of these books coming off the shelves. We are in the Middle and HIgh school level books. If you can not expect these students to make their own decisions about the things that they are reading, then what kind of message are sending them about later in life.
When you start to think that a book should be taken off of the shelf READ THE GIVER, Someone just reviewed it. Look at what they lost in the community. READ fahrenheight 451, Ray Bradburry is one of the best story tellers ever Hands down. Be afraid of your own fear about what these students might learn, but be even more afraid of what they will discover on their own if we keep them sheltered from everything. I know that many of you are elementary teachers, I have not ever taught elementary school, I have no children of my own, but I am truly afraid of a library were decisions are made by adults. Children should read these books and then ask adults for guidance through them. Maybe we should flag questionable materials and have a contact with the child that is reading about the subject matter.
How many parents would have kept the Beetles out of their households. Elvis would never have changed music. Aparththeid (sp) would never have been shown for the evil that it was. No one would no of the challenges of the WWII jews. All of this would have been censored out of our knowledge base.
Sorry I didnt know I felt so strongly about this! I teach in a very small town (mentality) school system. It is apparently getting to me a little bit.
Dr. Repman thanks for the chance to vent.
I like what Carla said about the Harry Potter books! I feel that Harry is a good role model... we see him growing up, alone, and basically always trying to do what's right. About the witch craft, it's just fantasy, like Cinderella... so parents... get over this one! The kids love it... and so do the teachers!
In response to Carla Mitchell's comment about a parent not wanting her teens to read about sex and drugs, I think the parent may also need to cancel cable, disconnect the phone and monitor every second of a teenagers life. Maybe then the teen will not come in contact with such.
The first "nudie" magazine I ever saw was in the sixth grade on the school bus. A guy, not much older than me, was showing off the pictures to those around him. I am not saying that we should plop teenagers down in front of a porno flick, but we have to realistic. We cannot always prevent kids from hearing curse words, (seeing nude photos on the bus) or being exposed to drug use. It is our job as parents to instill moral values in our kids so that when they do face things that may scare us, they can make wise choices. We have a responsibility to teach our children right from wrong, not to send them into the world with rose colored glasses. A friend of mine sent her children to a Christian school as a way to "shelter" them from bad things. Her oldest learned all about what sex is from a classmate...at the christian school...in the 2nd grade.
The same idea applies to reading books. If we are going to remove every book from library shelves that has curse words, references to sex, violence, or drug use we might as well just put a chain and pad lock across the doors because the Bible would even be thrown out.
I have to agree with the comment regarding good and evil concerning Harry Potter. I think for children it is important for their heroes to be associated with correct thought and action. It is also important for the hero to triumph as it helps them to see themselves as good because they identify with the heroes to the point of seeing themselves in their lace.
The book I read was The Witches by Roald Dahl. I have read most everything he has written (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James & the Giant Peach etc.), and when I found out it was banned, I couldn't resist.
The story centers on an orphan who lives with his grandmother. She has been very careful to pass on to him all the knowledge that she has of witches. For example; they always wear gloves to cover their claw shaped hands and they hate children because they smell like dog droppings. They are also very good at passing as regular people.
When they go on vacation on the coast of England, they find themselves at the same hotel as the annual convention of witches who are passing themselves off as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Their real mission is to rid the world of all children.
The boy and his grandmother discover their plan and try to stop them, but the boy is turned into a mouse. Dahl does not resolve the plot by changing him back to a boy, but instead makes the character happy with his new self because he can still think and speak, but doesn’t have to go to school.
The primary challenges to this book have centered on the element of witchcraft and the lack of a ‘happy ending’. Personally, I think you have to be familiar with Roald Dahl to understand that he is just that kind of author. His works are very whimsical and unorthodox. If you’re looking for conventionality, there is very little to be had here and I think some people find that downright uncomfortable.
In response to the Witches: When I was in about sixth grade maybe younger, the movie the Witches came out and was very popular. Therefore, I think this book could be used and have a movie to go with it....I'm really big on visuals and comparing the book to the movie to show that books are usually better!
I also have the books on my shelves in my classroom and read it aloud to my students during homeroom DEAR time when students don't have their own books to read.
I really don't see anything wrong with the book. Yeah, it is about witches, but that just makes it a fantasy. People now seem to forget about imagination! Every fantasy should not be censored. It is for pleasure and enjoyment. Adults read too much into books because of experience. Children do not see the books in the same way adults do. They are innocent to the assumptions that adults make about the books. They think it is just a make-believe, fairy tale.
Concerning Harry Potter Books, I think that if parents are responsible parents, they should know what their child is reading. I might not recommend Harry Potter for a 4th - 5th grader, but for a 6-8th grader, I think it is perfectly fine. Just the thickness of the book might be too intimidating for the younger reader. But the 6th grader strives on completing the "series" before their friends. As far as it being banned, it must be made perfectly clear that it is fiction- not true. It is fantasy- it is not trying to replace the Bible. This is why I say to keep it at the 6-8th grade level. The younger reader may not be mature enough to be able to distinguish between God and a Sorcerer. Nor may they be able to distinguish between Satan and Lord Voldemort. What HP is implying is that there are good witches and good sorcerers. Some would not agree with that implication. It is showing that every human has good and bad within them. As Harry grows and learns, he must figure out which side he wishes to choose. He is torn between venting the hatred he has for those who have killed his parents and saving and protecting those whom he has grown to love and cherish. It's the good vs. evil story with a twist of fantasy. I can't wait until the next book is released!
Forever, by Judy Blume is an awesome book for those girls who are becoming young women and have tons of questions! With today's society, there sometimes 1 parent households or even 2 parents working full-time. Many of those "talks" that we had with our parents are not happening with today's families. Judy Blume answers alot of questions that parents either don't share with their kids, or the kids might be too embarassed to ask. I praise Judy Blume and her writings! She is an awesome writer.
I think I have to disagree about Harry Potter books for only 6th grade and up. I think it depends on the child. I also think when you say a child compares Lord Voldermort with Satan, that you are doing what I said in some other posts: You are assuming they do that. I really don't think younger kids do that (I teach 5th grade and have taught 4th grade). They just call him who he is, Lord Voldermort. Same with calling a sorcerer God. I have never heard them say this in any discussions I have with them. They just see good and evil and they know that it is not real so they don't generally associate it with anything in the bible. However, this is just my opinion based on the experiences I have had with my students.
Carla, I agree that younger children can enjoy the Harry Potter books. My son started reading these in 2nd or 3rd grade. He's an advanced reader and more mature than a lot of boys his age (on some days anyway). We've read these books and watched the movies together. I've never heard him compare Lord Voldemort to the devil; he's just referred to him as the bad guy in the story.
The Giver by Lois Lowry was one of my favorite books growing up (along with Number the Stars). I absolutely love her books. Someone told me a few years back that her books titled Gathering Blue and Messenger were supposed to be sequels to The Giver. Has anyone else read them and is this true?
I remember reading Forever when I was pretty young, maybe late middle school. I didn't think it was at all sexual or shocking. Frankly, there was nothing in that book that I wasn't already familiar with, thanks to my mother. She never treated any subject as taboo and instead had honest conversations with my brother and me about everything. For that reason, she never had to worry about what I was reading. My feeling is, it would be great if more parents took the lead on teaching their children about hot topics so that they wouldn't have to worry so much about the kid reading something "inappropriate."
It is so true that many challenged books upset adult sensibilities, but aren't really a big deal to kids. In fact when you ask kids about a book that's controversial, they almost always say "That is so stupid, it's just a book." They are also very quick to point out that it's not real.
The book I chose to read for our Informational Freedom Blog was S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders. This book is listed as number 43 on ALA's Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 (http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm).
This is a brief summary.
The setting of this story was Oklahoma. The story centered around two rival gangs. One gang was known as the Greasers. They were a group of greasy, longhaired lower class boys. The other gang was known as the Soc, short for Socials, who were the Greasers upper class rivals. The main characters of the story were Ponyboy, his brother Sodapop (a high school drop-out), and their oldest brother Darry. Their parents died in an automobile wreck and Darry was their guardian. The remaining Greasers were Johnny, Dally, Steve, and Two-Bit. All boys came from broken homes.
The main conflict arises when Ponyboy, Johnny and Two-Bit were walking with two Soc girls after a movie. The girls' drunken boyfriends, Bob and Randy, spotted them as they walked. Later that night after Ponyboy got into an argument with his oldest brother Darry, Ponyboy and Johnny ran into Bob and Randy again at a park. It was at the park where the boys fought and Johnny killed Bob in self-defense. With Dally's help the boys ran off and hid in a neighboring town within an old abandoned church. While they were gone tensions between the two gangs escalated and they scheduled a "rumble". Dally went to the church to check on the boys. Johnny wanted to leave and turn himself in to the police. As they were leaving the church they noticed that it was on fire. They also noticed some young children playing in the church. The boys rushed in the church and saved the children. Everyone but Johnny got out before the roof fell in. This broke Johnny's back. The newspapers called the boys heroes but also said that Johnny and Ponyboy had to face the judge for the death of Bob. Later that night at the "rumble", the Greasers beat the Socs. Dally and Ponyboy rushed back to the hospital to tell Johnny all about what happened. Johnny died while they were there. Dally broke down and robbed a grocery store. The police had Dally trapped and he waved his gun. The police then shot and killed Dally.
Ponyboy had a concussion from the rumble and was all upset about Johnny and Dally's deaths. He went to court and the judge did not find him guilty for Bob's death. The judge also allowed Ponyboy to continue to live with Darry. Darry and Ponyboy made up. The reader then finds that Ponyboy has told the story of Johnny and Dally through the writing of their story in his English class.
This novel would be an excellent novel to educate students about the some of the social ills in our society today. To often people are stereotyped based on their looks, socio-economic-status, or even the way they talk. This novel could provide an insightful look into what stereotyping is, its effects on the lives of people, and the impact it has on society. Furthermore, the novel could be used to incorporate the various meanings and values of family. People view family in many different ways. These views of family could provide valuable insight to the increasing societal problem of gangs and gang violence. Finally, the novel could impact students' perceptions about what adolescences are capable of accomplishing regardless of their background or perceived "place" in society.
In the past people have taken offense at certain aspect of this novel. Some have criticized this novel in the past due to the violence, drug and alcohol abuse contained within. After all, there are many fights, a murder, a big gang "rumble", a burning building falling on a young boy, drunken teenagers, and references to marijuana use. To these critics I say look in today's newspapers or watch the news. These topics, unfortunately, are commonplace real life issues in our society today. However, unlike our daily news media, The Outsiders provides readers with a context for the discord and provides readers with healthy ways (such as honesty, helping others, doing well in school, taking responsibility for your actions) to overcome this strife.
Another reason that this novel has found objection in the past is because the characters were all from broken homes. According to US Census information form the 2000 census, the divorce rate in the state of Georgia alone is 10.3% and the percentage of grandparents who are caregivers to their grandchildren in the state of Georgia is a staggering 47.6%. Unfortunately, broken homes are also very commonplace in today's society.
The Outsiders has won much critical acclaim in the past. This is evident from the following awards that the book has won:
New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List, 1967
Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book, 1967
Media and Methods Maxi Award, 1975
ALA Best Young Adult Books, 1975 Selections chosen for this award have "proven or potential appeal to the personal reading tastes of the young adult" and "incorporate acceptable literary quality and effectiveness of presentation" as well as "incorporate acceptable literary quality and effectiveness of presentation" (American Library Association, 2006).
Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, 1979 Books awarded this honor have proven to have "literary quality, variety of genres, representation of diverse cultural groups, and reader appeal" (Salem State College, 2006).
ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award, 1988 This award was given "in honor of 'an author whose book or books, over a period of time, have been accepted by young adults as an authentic voice that continues to illuminate their experiences and emotions, giving insight into their lives'" (as quoted in The Outsiders, 1997).
The following works are all related works that can be used along with or instead of The Outsiders:
Westside Story by Irving Shulman
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Prep by Jake Coburn
Rite of Passage by Richard Wright
Breaking Point by Kristen D. Randle
Society today is very two-faced. On the one hand many parents do not raise their children. They do not talk to their children about moral behavior or demonstrate this behavior themselves. In my community, many "parents" send their children to be raised by the grandparents. Many "parents" purchase anything for their children just to shut them up. Things like violent, sexist video games. These are the same "parents" who will try to sue the school at the drop of a hat because their child read a book in school with a "bad" word or a reference to sex.
Then there are the "parents" who are over protective of everything their children read, watch, play with, etc. These "parents" think that building a cocoon around their children will "protect" them for whatever evil they imagine.
Both groups should realize that it is not the job of the teacher, school, BOE, or government to raise their child. It is the responsibility of the teacher, school, BOE, and government to instruct students on how to become productive members of our society. Part of that instruction means introducing students to many news ideas and ways of thinking that might be different from what they are used to. In today's global community, it is of extreme importance to expose our students to various ideas and customs from around the world.
I know, I'm rambling...
Comment to leighleigh and Go Ask Alice
During my senior year of high school--mid 80's--this was our school end of the year drama production. I remember thinking what an amazing job the student who played Alice portrayed. After reading your post, there were definite scenes that were left out of the play.
KUDOS to our drama teacher for picking a controversial book!!! She used this forum to educate and inform her teenage audience about the affects of drugs. “HATS OFF” to the administrators and parents for their support.
Comment to demealor and Forever by Judy Blume
Growing up, I was a big Judy Blume fan--read all her books that were available to me on the shelves of our library, including Forever.
As an adult, I appreciate even more how insightful and understanding she was as she portrayed her characters and the real life issues they faced.
Judy Blume is one to be admire for her quest to tackle issues that parents prefer not to hear about or ignore--hoping it's just a phase and will pass quickly--even though they too could relate to many of the different characters in her books.
Several people commented on the book, Shooter, and the recent VA Tech incident. It does make it difficult to argue for a book's place on the shelf in the midst of such a situation. But just like the novel, the murderer had serious psychological issues that might have been ignored. He had a history of harassing others and was even referred to a counselor. Sometimes students just need someone to acknowledge them and their needs. Besides, students who commit crimes like school murders have not been found to read novels like Shooter to get their ideas! The book is more for making people aware of what others are going through and to be sensitive to others' needs.
My gifted kids would kill me if I did not post this...about half of my 2nd graders come to my resource class each week with one of the Harry Potter titles, and I would take an educated guess that 90% of my gifted 3rd graders are reading or have read at least one of them. They are very appropriate for advanced and/or mature readers.
I agree that the Harry Potter books are great for advanced readers. What I truly love about them is that they encourage kids who don't read to do so. Not only do the advanced readers pick them up, but the struggling and reluctant ones do too.
I remember reading The Outsiders way back in the day when I was in high school-I loved that book and cried my eyes out! It didn't make me want to drink, smoke, join a gang, or get in a fight, but it sure made me think about how I treated people who were different from me. And that's the whole point of reading books. I think we are all saying the same thing in different ways-that books are written about life-aspects that are wonderful,not so great, and downright awful. And reading books is one way we learn about life. To deprive someone the opportunity to read a book is not my call to make-or anyone else's. The books mentioned so far are thought-provoking, well written, and contain unforgettable characters-and that's why they touched us.
So many great books and comments! In relation to the post about going to the meeting and the question of censorship had come up. I would think that sometimes censorship does take place in the library not because a parent has objected to a book, but because I a parent might object. Why do something if you know it will cause trouble? That is human nature. But, should that stop a media spec. from ordering certain books and putting them on the shelves? My administration right now always thinks about how the parent will percieve things- not if it is the right thing to do. Is this right? I don't feel it is, but it causes less trouble.
I was reading Forever when my stepdaughter (15 yrs old) was in for the weekend and of course as soon as she found out it was banned....she wanted to read it. She does not like to read at all. I have tried over the years and always failed. No matter what books I bought, she would always start them but never get through the second chapter. She read this book in four hours (camping trip) and said she did not see what the big deal was. She stated that she sees and hears a lot worse in movies and on satellite.
I picked the high school standard- Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I read this book in the 10th or 11th grade. I loved it!! I remember the teacher having a long talk with us before we read it. "If your parents object, I can assign another book." "Let me know if any of this is disturbing." That made it even more interesting! THe book is about a group of boarding school boys who are involved in a plane crash. They end up on a remote island without adult supervison. A high schooler's dream!! The boys begin to try and have order, but choas reigns. Groups form and there is a fight for control. At the end of the book, the boys are rescued by the military. There is so much symbolisim in this book. I have read it four times and each time get something else out of it! The reason why this book is sometimes banned is because there is death in the book. Boys kills the other boys in acts of savagness. There is an idea of anarchy and children's rights in the book. I don't find anything wrong with the book. It is very thought provoking and makes you think about what you would do in the situation.
A couple of years ago the administration wanted the team to read a book to the students through out a nine weeks. So, I would read to my classes 15min out of a book, the next day another team teacher would read the same book for another 15 min and so on. The book we chose was The Giver. I had never heard of it before. The reading teacher picked it because I think it was a recommended read for the 8th grade but she didn't have time to do it in class. I loved the book!!! The ending was great. But, we did have some parents who objected to the book being read. Some of them were the standard, "This is history class, why are you reading to them?" Others who seemed to have real objections we invited to sit down and talk about the book. When asked directly what was wrong with the book the parents would respond with "I heard that this book...." The parents had never actually read the book or done any research on it. We did tell the parents how they could challenge a book in relation to school district policy. We encouraged the parents to read the book and the get back to use with any concerns. Only one did- the parent apoligized for jumping on the banwagon and not reading the book for himself. Sometimes the censorship talk is just talk.
Ok, so I have been thinking all night about this question... A parent has a complaint about a resource used either in class or the media center. The parent goes through the district policy steps and makes some valid points. The parent isn't irrational or out of control, but rather has some concerns. The administration and school board understands the reasons why the resource is questionable to the parent. Does the resource get pulled from the shelves and not used? Or should permission slips be used? Of course, if the resource is a requirment for a class for that student a replacement should be found. But what about the other students? Because one parent makes a valid claim for his/her child, do the other students not get to use the ressource? I just can't come up with an easy answer for this.
FINALLY!!!!! I chose to read Orwell's 1984 for my banned book. I never really understood why it was a banned book until rereading it. As a high school Junior, I remember reading 1984 and it not having a great effect on me. However, having to reread this books later in life, I can see why people may want it banned. To summarize, Winston a very free thinking person is in a society where going against the norm and free thinking and free speech are not permitted. Everything is monitored and the whole socitey is functioning like one big episode of "Big Brother" which is also the name of the main law giver and controller in the Oceania society. Big Brother's presence is everywhere and speaking or thinking out against him is completely forbidden and punishable by law. As the story continued, Winston falls in love with Julia and begins to "THINK" about what type of life he and Julia could have together. Facing persecution for thinking freely, Winston eventually gives up all hope of having a life with Julia and accepts the fact that he must love "Big Brother".
Go Ack Alice...sounds like a typical day in the life of today's teenagers. I think the real reason as to why it is "banned" is because people are afraid to face the fact that their precious children could (and probably are) involved in the same types of risky behaviors. I cannot walk down the halls of my school without seeing two kids involved in some type of PDA. The sheer fact that parents are oblivious either by choice or ignorance seems to pervade today's society. Maybe Go Ask Alice was a way to "shock" parents into the realm of reality.
As far a Harry Potter contributing to the delinquency of minors...possibly. However, children will be children. I know there were times in every child's life when defying authority is the "in thing to do". If Harry Potter is to be banned strickly on this provision, then TV shows that convey the same message should be banned. More children are sitting in front of the square babysitter and the content being fed into their minds is not being monitored. Also the video games these children buy and the games their parents buy and play in front of the children (or let the children play themeselves) would also have to be banned. Choices are the driving force behind our Deomcratic society. Just because something is available does not mean you have to partake.
Shooter...I can't say that I would read it however, it could be beneficial for students to read, especially those that like to pick on others. With all the incidents that have happened in today's schools and universities I have a feeling this book will never make it off the banned book list. It seems to have a great moral... There are consequences for all your actions.
The Chocolate War...I too get aggrivated by the continual appeals to a society already tapped by things other than education, espcially when the sweet little faces are the ones selling. I think this book would serve a greater purpose if read while studying cause and effect. Should one stand up for what's right (or what they believe) or should someone cower to the claws of the "accepted way". There are many other books that convey this same message and are still on the shelves. This is a message that needs to be taught. Responsibility for your actions is critical to success in life.
The book that I chose to read for this assignment was The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. This book was very interesting I actually had the hardest time putting it down. The story takes form of a series of letters that were written to an anonymous friend by a teenager named Charlie. The letters are written during Charlie’s 1991-1992 school years while he is a freshman. Charlie struggles to find himself in this new world of high school, he is referred to by many as the wallflower because he is someone who just sits and “watches”.
Charlie meets a guy named Patrick, who Charlie finds out is gay, and his step-sister Sam. Charlie is very much in love with Sam but Sam make is known that she wants Charlie to find someone else. Charlie’s life is going very well; he is meeting new people as he spends time with Patrick and Sam. He is also exploring smoking, drinking and drug use as he visits parties with them. Charlie is such a great friend to all of the people that he meets. He finds out secrets about them that he never tells. He always supports and never judges anyone. Charlie is very shy and unpopular so he finds himself doing all that the other friends are doing just to fit in.
Charlie visits a counselor to work through his problems. The problem is Charlie has no idea what type of problem he has. He makes reference many times throughout the letters of his Aunt Helen. He says that she made him feel very special and always bought him presents. Charlie also notes in the letters to “friend” that his Aunt Helen was sexually abused by a family friend when she was very young and developed into an adult that was shunned by the family. As the plot develops and Charlie learns that he was sexually abused as a young child by his Aunt Helen. Charlie is admitted into a hospital to help him deal with his problems after his senior friends have gone off to college. This whole book focuses on Charlie’s desire to fit into this world that he considers to be perfect.
I read The Color Purple by Alice Walker. It was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1983. The novel is set in the early 1900's in the rural south. It is a heartwrenching tale of oppression and emotional abuse. Celie and Nettie are sisters and they face daily abuse by their father. Celie is told that she is the ugly sister and Nettie is the beautiful sister. Celie is raped and bears two childen that are sold for money by her father. He attempts to rape Nettie, but does not succeed. Nettie is sent away as punishment for Celie. Her father allows a stranger (Mr.) to take Celie to his home to become his wife and the mother of his children. Celie is mistreated by Mr. and his children. They do not respect her and take her for granted. She is forced to perform wifely duties even if she does not want to. She is degraded in front of Mr.'s family and treated like a slave. Celie knows her place and only speaks when she is addressed. Shug Avery, a former lover of Mr., returns to town to visit. Celie confides in Shug and helps her find letters from Nettie that were sent and hidden. There are stacks of letters that date back from previous years. Celie is outraged and is determined to finally stand up to Mr. at any cost. She leaves him and moves to Tennessee with Shug's help. It is peaceful living alone without daily torment from her husband. Celie must return unexpectedly to Georgia due to the death of her father. The land is left to Celie and Nettie. Mr. changes his evil ways and pays for Celie's children to return to her. All are reunited and Celie finds independence despite years of humiliation and torment.
This novel has controversial themes of sexism, transformation, and culture. The women in the novel are dominated by men and are expected to know their place. Because of the time period (early 1900's), these actions were considered normal. Celie was a passive young girl who transforms into and independent woman. Cultural differences are evident because of the social classes that exist in the novel. Walker uses black folk vernacular in Celie's letters to portray the characters as poor rural African Americans.
This novel should be in media centers because young adults (especially girls) need to be exposed to these themes. Celie is searching for trust and freedom. She only exists to herself and is overlooked by everyone. Her faith is highlighted in the novel and she will not let her husband kill her spirit. Tennage girls need to be exposed to Celie's way of life. Gender issues are important and allow for good discussions among young people. Religion, faith, and friendship allow Celie to get through these rough times.
In response to The Outsiders, I too read this book in high school and did not want to participate in some of the activities such as drinking and smoking. I read many books like these and they opened my eyes to social issues that were prevalent for that time. I was not easily influenced into doing anything because of my upbringing and I was afraid of the consequences. I just knew that my parents would find out about it and be disappointed in me. I think this book should be available to all students becuase one day they will encounter these issues and will have to know how to deal with them.
The book The Witches is also a wonderful book that teaches children to use their imagination. They have difficulty with this in reading and writing. Roald Dahl is my favorite author and my students love his illustrations. Children love to have someone read to them. He creates eccentric characters that are larger than life. We have read several of his books this year (The Twits, The Magic Finger, The BFG, George's Marvelous Medicine, and the list goes on..).
When we finish one they ask me, "Which one are we reading next?" These books take the place of watching a movie with all the special effects. His details are vivid are students are transformed into the world of fantasy.
I also think that the Harry Potter books are appropriate for younger readers. Advanced readers need to have books that spark the imagination. My students that are hooked on these books do not talk about the witchcraft or the bad guys in the novel. They like reading books that challenge them and make them think outside the box. Four years ago, I had a student who wrote the most creative stories that were similar to the plots of the Harry Potter series. He was very advanced and continued to write because he was making a series out of his story. These books are motivatational and keep the interest of advanced readers. Other novels such as Eragon and Eldest are excellent also.
I agree that children see and hear a lot worse on televison. Forever by Judy Blume is enduring. "First Love", everyone can relate to this at some time in their lives.
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