Please. You can't get any closer to censorship than saying "that book cannot be read." What is this accountability, anyway? Do you want to have the teachers to be in stocks on the town common?

You are trying to assert the right not to have anything "against your values" taught. That is not a right. The legitimate question is teaching things of value. That is why evolution is taught and "intelligent design" is not. One theory has value, the other is a warmed-over pile of voo-doo. Clearly, Toni Morrison's work has value - it brings up important questions of identity, race, and power.

Hi Sandy -- I'm curious -- this reading group. Is the intention to be informed about what your kids are reading, or is the intention to pre-screen, and perhaps control, what they are reading?

My opinion: I don't have a problem with either, in fact I think parents really should be informed what their kids are reading. But here is where it gets sticky -- I've heard of so many adults and adolescents that have been pulled into reading (and I would be first to admit that reading doesn't seem as popular with kids now as it did back in the day) because of J.K.Rowlings recent work. On the other hand, she's featured prominently on lists of banned books. Someone, somewhere, nameless and faceless, thinks it isn't appropriate for kids to read. Thanks, but I'll decide that for my own kids (and so far, one of them loves Harry Potter).

QUOTE:
Thanks, but I'll decide that for my own kids ...

Well, that's the point. If you reserve the right to decide for your own kids, what do you do if they're forced by the school to read a book of which you strongly disapprove?

The summer reading list in my opinion is an excellent one. I recognize many of the books I read in High School and College. In my opinion we have an excellent English Department at the High School. I am confident that a thoughtful process occurred that lead to the list. The point of the list is to inspire learning and develop life long readers which we all agree is a good thing. I would not like to see a sanitized reading list but a list of books that stimulates thought and discussion just as this string has done. How do we recommend books for our teenagers? Do we shelter them from the darker side of the human experience that may be present in a fine novel.That is a slippery slope. If a parent feels that strongly that their child should not read a book then they can certainly bring that up to the Teacher. But I would want to make the call myself for my own child,and not have somebody else put their value system on it.

Excellent Discussion Here

Bill Kelly

Hi Guy,

Our book group was founded by a children's librarian here in town. We all had sons about the same age who hung out together, all the moms and sons share a love of reading, and we wanted to have another fun thing to share with our children. Our kids think it's pretty cool that we read some things they've already read, some things they might want to read in the future, and some things that the sons have recommended to us.

As I look down the ALA list of challenged books, I see that three of the books we read are on the list: Bridge to Terabithia, The Giver, and A Wrinkle in Time. I found nothing objectionable in those books...some heartbreaking passages...some disturbing passages...but nothing I would condemn the books for.

I never censor what my children read. They know my values, hopefully they will always share my values, and I trust that they will choose wisely. There's never been a problem, in their books, their music, or in the movies and electronics they choose to watch.

I believe that by censoring, you make the censored material more attractive to the person you deny the access to.

What goes on in your own home is one thing, but books assigned for class reading are another. As Bill Kelly points out, the solution is simple: tell the teacher that you object to the book and request an alternative book for your child. I am sure that alternatives have already been considered.

One last comment - the list of challenged books is really quite astonishing. My son was a very early reader (was reading by his third birthday). For the first few years, he loved Roald Dahl books. James and the Giant Peach was a great adventure that we enjoyed reading together. It's a great book. It's on the list. What a shame if people were deprived of reading such books.

Sincerely,
Sandy Gleed

Sorry, Michael, but I think you missed my point. I don't want *you* to decide what my kids should read. As far as English literature teachers go, I think they probably have reasons for picking the summer reading lists they do, with input from, say, a department head, a committee of teachers or maybe from reasoned sources (such as the ALA).

To be even more clear -- I think these three statements are distinct:

1. I don't think that book is appropriate for my children to read.
2. I don't think that book is appropriate for children to read.
3. (said to a school board) I don't think our children should be reading that book.

Only one of those statements I consider to be an attempt at censorship.

And, personally, if I had a problem with the contents of a summer reading list for my kids (and my wife just informed me that she's been reading pretty much every book our kids have been reading) I would take it up with the teacher, not the superintendent or the principal.

I would also want to be clear, and I don't think it is in this case, are these lists recommendations, suggestions or requirements? From the list on the HS website, I don't think it is clear. The VP is implying otherwise, by saying these books were assigned.

Thanks, Sandy.

My mom wasn't a children's librarian, but one of the advantages I had as a kid was that I got first crack at Newberry award winners (and first crack at new books that came out that nobody -- nobody but librarians -- knew about yet).

I agree, I think the list is astonishing too. It makes one think "what problem did someone have with that book?" And that is the problem...nameless, faceless people with some kind of covert or overt agenda.

This is one of those times when I am glad my kids are still in elem. school! I am able to guide them in their reading and movie choices. I still read many of the same books my kids read. I guess the struggle at the HS level is to actually find books teens will read. If I were the parent of an HS student and I objected to the book choices, I would approach the teacher. If no options could be offered by the HS staff, I would work my way up the chain of command til options could be provided. It all boils down to core family values. I want the right to censor what is read in my own home but I don't believe I have the right to censor what is read in someone else's home.

To go back to when a parent objects to a book "recommended" to read for their child. These are recommendations by the English Department and are not "forced" ie, you will get a F unless you read what we want you to read. If there is an objection to a novel I am positive that after consultation with the Teacher a alternative novel can be read. Lets not forget that the English department recommends reading not based on whim and what is popular but on their curriculum standards and where their students need to be achievement wise.


Bill Kelly

Excellent point about curriculum Bill. Thank you for clarification on the required vs. suggested. This issue is perhaps great preparation for what our kids will encounter when they head off to college and books are assigned...like it or not.

Dawn,

Right on. When your kids get to the HS or the Middle school for that matter if you have an issue with a book recommended for one of your kids you go to the Teacher. If you hit a brick wall then you elevate the issue. In my experience I have not heard of a time when a Teacher did not accept the alternative or have one to recommend. My guess would be that most would enjoy the discussion with a concerned well read parent.

Bill Kelly

QUOTE:
I want the right to censor what is read in my own home but I don't believe I have the right to censor what is read in someone else's home.

Hi Dawn:

It's not censorship in your own home!

From the ALA website:

What Is Censorship?

Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain persons—individuals, groups or government officials—find objectionable or dangerous. It is no more complicated than someone saying, “Don’t let anyone read this book, or buy that magazine, or view that film, because I object to it! ” Censors try to use the power of the state to impose their view of what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on everyone else. Censors pressure public institutions, like libraries, to suppress and remove from public access information they judge inappropriate or dangerous, so that no one else has the chance to read or view the material and make up their own minds about it. The censor wants to prejudge materials for everyone.

I think the last 5 or 6 posts confuse the issue.

From the summer reading list, can we all agree that all Level 1 and 2 11 grade students must read: A Hundred Years of Solitude, A Thousand Splendid Suns? Further these are the only books they are required to read.

Since this is the summer reading list, parents who don't like these books can't complain to the teacher - they're all off on vacation. The only person answering the phone over the summer, apparently, is the superintendent - so that is the person to complain to.

The Valley Patriot note implies that the superintendent sided with the teachers. It isn't clear how many parents are complaining and what was or wasn't said.

The issue, in my mind, is what happens when the public schools don't support your values. If its only a handful of families, I understand that the majority will rule. However, if its a non-trivial number of families - as might be the case here - what do you do? If your values are being supported by the schools, attempts to change the schools amounts to cries of censorship.

I don't think the suitable answer is to have one group of kids reading the bible while having another group of kids reading pornography (I'm exaggerating here). There's a middle ground and have we found it yet?

Best wishes,
ahbgone

I think there are several things confusing the issue, but it's not necessarily the last five or six posts (half of which are probably mine).

First of all, the "must read", "assigned", etc. is something that is assumed. The actual list doesn't say. We don't even know if this is considered a "suggested" list. We don't know. We don't even know if the teacher(s) involved will allow alternate selections.

(honestly, we also don't know about expectations placed upon level 1 and 2 readers -- from everything I've heard, most teachers are ecstatic if a student reads anything at all over a summer break -- and most reading lists are put together with the notion that there is some value in reading what is placed upon the list)

Secondly, who is complaining? Some unknown number of parents. Certainly the tone of the VP item is clear that the VP is complaining. But as far as parents go, we don't know who, or how many, or how they complained, or anything else. We don't know. Non-trivial? Based on what? We don't know. The VP might know, but the item didn't say. It just said "parents".

We also don't know about the contents of the books. Of course, we have the synopsis of what the VP says these two books contain, but there is no other mention of any other literary value at all. We only have one side of a story. There is some editorial bias built into what we have heard so far.

So, some unknown number of parents have allegedly complained to someone, and we have heard from the VP that the superintendent is backing teachers, but we don't even know what their motive is. If their motive is to control what is on a summer reading list, then if you ask me that's where we're getting into attempts at censorship. The "What is Censorship?" post I made should have made that clear. I think it is perfectly relevant to the discussion we're having.

Hidden in all of that is the other discussion you wish to have -- values. Others, like me, have said that yes, we reserve the right to retain our values. When it comes to summer reading lists, yes we reserve the right to monitor what our children are reading. But when I wish my values to control what your children might be reading, then we're getting into shady territory.

But all of this is moot, I think, if the posted summer reading list is merely a list of suggestions.

If the summer reading list is optional, our high school isn't as good as I expected. I have never heard of an optional summer reading list.

I don't see much room for common ground here so I guess we'll have to have a civil war or I'll move to Canada.

Best wishes,
ahbgone