Where do you stand on banned books?
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I personally think censorship is wrong. I also think that this panic created by people who don't understand what they're talking about is messing with public education. A system that this country has already neglected and defunded year after year. It's a waste of time!
I think schools and districts should be transparent about book selections so people can make choices for or with their OWN children; I do not support wholesale banning from libraries because one Karen gets on her high horse about paragraph two on p. 29. When new books are purchased for whole-class instruction, great thought should be given to the purpose, audience, and literary merit of a text based on more than just one or two people’s opinions. Parents have a responsibility to give input and not “check out” when districts ask for community members to serve on committees; schools also have a responsibility to seriously consider all the variables when making curriculum decisions.
I only teach banned books. I also have a classroom library and an area of that is devoted to banned books. They are the most frequently read by the kids.
I do not believe in censorship as much as I believe in parents teaching THEIR OWN kids to be self-censoring. For example, my daughter wanted some laughs when she was about five years old, so in a typical kid way, she googled “big butts.” Needless to say, what she got wasn’t exactly what she was expecting! We told her why what she was seeing was wrong and how it’s hurtful. She googled it about three more times, with us talking to her every time we heard her giggle and telling her in no uncertain terms to stop and it was wrong. So, it ended. She stopped looking at “big butts” and hasn’t since (not that we know) and we stayed consistent over the years; she’s 16 now and self-censors. If people teach their kids to self-censor, they will better understand what’s acceptable and what’s not in their family. And they should stick to their own kids; parents should not disallow library books because they don’t like them or think they’re wrong for kids.
I believe teachers should teach challenging texts that tackle tough issues like racism, immigrant stories, slavery, GLBTQ stories, etc. Teach about the whole human experience, not just the “pretty parts.”
MO, if we are talking about elementary students, I see your point. I never censored what my kids read, but we did discuss what they read. However, many parents do not take the time to do so. I think if a kid did read one of those books you mentioned, I would hope they stop at the first “icky” part and ask themselves whether they should be reading this; that’s the self-censorship I was talking about. But, since many parents do not take the time to discuss that—whether it’s on the internet or in a book—it probably happens more often than it should. It seems schools are where these discussions are taking place and not in homes. I think where my flashpoint is when parents step into censoring at the upper grades.
Another issue I have is when people say a certain book should not be in a school library just because it deals with issues a parent doesn’t like, e.g., Wallflower, Hate U Give, etc. Some kids do not have access to public libraries, so the only way they find books about kids like them is at school.
I’m glad that you teach those books; I do too except Color Purple but only because I cannot cram it in!
Good discussion, and I appreciate you making me look hard at the topic. Thanks.
My thoughts
There are books I would not read with my classes, obviously. Gratuitous sex and violence are not appropriate for the school setting. However, books that require students to think and question should be the goal. We are offering much more student choice within each genre this year, which addresses some of the issues regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, triggers, etc. And, yes, there are many traditionally and newly banned books on the list.
I teach multiple banned book units. Kids in my courses sometimes read The Color Purple, Maus, the catcher in the Rye, The Hate You Give, Kite Runner, and more.
I agree sometimes banned books are blown out of proportion by parents and outsiders, but teachers also blow challenges out of proportion. An important conversation that needs to be held is when to teach certain subjects, and many times teachers take having this discussion as a challenge against their authority and judgement.
Often banning occurs at building levels, and in many ways, they should. I don’t see any need for an 5-8 grade library to have The Color Purple. If a child is advanced enough to read that, they are free to go purchase it or rent it from another library. I don’t think it should be there for any 8th grader to read. In my opinion, this isn’t even a real ban, but some people see the title “The Color Purple removed from school shelves” and are outraged automatically.
I didn't say remove them from the list or ban them. I simply said that a teacher using the books needs to exercise care when teaching and using sensitive material. Speak also has sensitive material. The emphasis is on how a teen girl responds to a rape, how the people in her life respond and how she ultimately heals. She is left mute. She literally loses her voice from the experience like Maya Angelou did in real life when she was a child. She told her family about her abuser and they killed him. She wrote about it in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She thought he died because she spoke his name out loud. She didn't want to kill anyone with her voice. You could also provide check in with any students you think might need support for Speak. You would know your students the best.
I grew up on books that they want to ban now.
Same here
Most of the novels I teach are banned.
Things to take into consideration: why is it banned? Is it age appropriate? Does it serve the students in a way that develops their skills? Is it going to be a vital piece of a balanced curriculum?
“Rebel” teachers that just want to be “cool” and teach outrageous material frequently do more virtue signaling than anything else.
🙄
You shouldn’t stand on ANY books. But if you’re going to, I suppose it’s best to lay it down flat on the floor and try to center your weight in the middle.
I have taught quite a few banned books in my English classes. I don’t think books should be banned, but there are books that aren’t age appropriate. For example, while I have used “To Kill a Mockingbird” in high school classes, I don’t believe that some of the content is appropriate for middle school.