Recently in our local paper it was reported that a mom wouldn't return a book to her son's elementary school library. The book was The Book of Bunny Suicides, a comic book that depicts bunnies killing themselves in a variety of ways. I know...sounds hilarious. She is adamantly opposed to the book, and feels it should actually be burned. Well since I have am having an issue with the banning of my comic books in my library (by a mom who feels they are inappropriate for anyone), my anger flared so I did what any angry person would do and wrote a letter to the editor..."words are mightier than the sword" my friends. Here is my letter:
What gives her the right to take everyone else's away? She says she doesn't care "if your kid is 16, 17, 18" reading this book is "wrong."
Yet this book could be the right way to discuss why kids take that desperate step. It could start an open discussion with your child about the third highest cause of death among teenagers. Not to mention, it's bunnies?! If it gets kids reading instead of playing video games, I'll take two for my kids.
This was written a year ago but never posted. Book banning is something every librarian has to deal with during their career. I feel school libraries see the brunt of it. Parents are worried that their babies will be influenced in a way they don't approve of. My daughter's class is going through this with Tin Tin, and my library is going through this with The Hunger Games.
I understand we want to keep our children young and innocent for as long as possible, but once they start school the influences they receive will not (and should not) be 100% controlled by us the parents anymore.
Most often two things actually happen:
1) The kids don't get the references we are so worried about. During the Golden Compass scandal I kept telling the parents that the students who read this book 99% of the time did not get the atheist undertone of this wondrous fantasy series. It went over their heads. They focused on the awesome idea of the deamon - the animal equivalent of our soul. And if they did get it, they are old enough to have a discussion.
2) Your student already knows about sex, violence, and cuss words. The one thing parents complain about is sex...NOT violence...sex. So if the student is reading the book they will either not get the implications (see #1) or they already have heard about it, henceforth THEY ALREADY HEARD ABOUT IT.
In either instance these books bring about opportunities for open, safe discussion with their care giver. How is this bad?
Enough of the book banning people! Trust your professionals, and more importantly trust your kids!
This was written a year ago but never posted. Book banning is something every librarian has to deal with during their career. I feel school libraries see the brunt of it. Parents are worried that their babies will be influenced in a way they don't approve of. My daughter's class is going through this with Tin Tin, and my library is going through this with The Hunger Games.
I understand we want to keep our children young and innocent for as long as possible, but once they start school the influences they receive will not (and should not) be 100% controlled by us the parents anymore.
Most often two things actually happen:
1) The kids don't get the references we are so worried about. During the Golden Compass scandal I kept telling the parents that the students who read this book 99% of the time did not get the atheist undertone of this wondrous fantasy series. It went over their heads. They focused on the awesome idea of the deamon - the animal equivalent of our soul. And if they did get it, they are old enough to have a discussion.
2) Your student already knows about sex, violence, and cuss words. The one thing parents complain about is sex...NOT violence...sex. So if the student is reading the book they will either not get the implications (see #1) or they already have heard about it, henceforth THEY ALREADY HEARD ABOUT IT.
In either instance these books bring about opportunities for open, safe discussion with their care giver. How is this bad?
Enough of the book banning people! Trust your professionals, and more importantly trust your kids!
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