You know, parents and citizens in local
communities are not the only ones we need to worry about when it comes to
challenging book selections. Think of a book that you have read either recently
or in the past that as you were reading it, you immediately thought “There is
no way I could assign this to my students!” Be
honest with yourself – you know there is at least one of those in your memory!
Just last
semester in the Children’s Literature course, Cristofer and I encountered one
of these books. We actually came to this realization when we read the title on
the list. In fact we felt that it would
be a book that we would not be comfortable or frankly, even be allowed to have this
book in our classroom library. Maybe
“allowed” is a little strong, but we are both sure that our principals would
ask us very nicely not to have it in our classrooms, so they would not have to
deal with the parent complaints that would be sure to ensue! I teach 5th
grade in a conservative South Alabama public school, while Cristofer teaches
middle school electives and works in the library in a conservative and protective
Catholic School in a suburb north of Houston.
The title of the book is It’s so amazing! A book about eggs, sperm, birth,
babies, and families, by Robie Harris.
I read
reviews that the book is recommended for ages 7 and up so it should be
appropriate for my 10 and 11 year olds, right? In reality, I’m not sure
that I would want it on my classroom shelf, not because I find it
objectionable, but because I can already imagine the convulsions that would be
occurring throughout the building if I did.
Cristofer always has a slew of parent volunteers, and he knows many
would throw a fit to see such a book on the shelves of his library. If it’s not already, we bet this title will
soon join the PABBIS list of books (see http://www.pabis.org/)!
According to Alabama’s Course of Study for 5th
grade Science, I am supposed to teach the kids about the major body systems
with particular focus on the respiratory, circulatory, urinary, and
reproductive systems, and I have no problem with that. BUT, what exactly DO I make
available, and what should I NOT include? Can my class handle the word “sperm”? Can the
girls live if I endorse a book that
mentions that the sperm enters the female body through the vagina to fertilize the egg that will
attach itself to the wall of the uterus and be supported there until the baby
is developed enough to survive the delivery process?
In Texas, Cristofer has to follow the Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for his Family and Consumer Science
course that he teaches to middle school students. Some of these
skills include: summarizing
developmental principles and factors of children and identifying changes in the
parent-child relationship at different stages in the family life cycle. Would it be okay for him to talk to his
students and explain to them that their relationship with their parents is
going to change and not be the same due to many factors including puberty?
This book would do an awesome job presenting
this information to our students in a way that would not overwhelm them or be
offensive. Logically this book makes so much sense to use, and yet…neither one
of us can even bring ourselves to approach our principal about it. Does this
make either one of us a poor candidate to be a school librarian? How will we defend
other books that children should have access to when we cannot even bring ourselves
to defend the use of this one? These are questions we are asking ourselves and we
really need the answers!
So… here is your assignment –
1.
Give us some advice on how you might handle
this situation if we were school
librarians… and we were having the same wonderings about the school library’s collection. Use the
required readings as “experts” to guide your advice (use page numbers and
direct quotes) – and let us know how your opinion mirrors or steps away from
the experts.
2.
Tell us about a book you have come across
that gave you this kind of pause and make sure to answer the following prompts -
a.
What book it was/is and what about it
made/makes you pause;
b.
What you did/are doing about the situation;
c.
What, if anything, would you do differently
as the school librarian, based on the required readings this week?
Be sure to comment on two other posts…specifically the
person whose last name is immediately before yours – and immediately after
yours in our class list (to find this in Bb, click on users and groups, and
then click on users). In at least one of the posts, challenge
the opinion of the expert or the advice giver. You are welcome to comment on
others, too, of course!
When you find a spare moment you might want to glance at
this post from a few years ago - http://bannedbooks.world.edu/2011/07/03/banned-books-awareness-amazing-perfectly-normal/
Sincerely,
Michelle
Davis & Cristofer Mattern
Work
mentioned:
Harris,
R. (1999). It’s so amazing! A book about eggs,
sperm, birth, babies, and families.
Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
According to the article Four Questions to Ask Yourself by Debbie Abilock, making your selection process transparent and collaborative is essential. I agree with this statement. As stated on page 7, “...the resources you own should be evaluated not only by their alignment with lists of best books and the standards of professional associations but also by how well they meet your users’ needs and the goals and objectives expressed in the policy.”First, I would look to see if this book meets my users needs. For the grade levels I teach, no, it doesn’t fit my users needs and I wouldn’t purchase this title. If I did think it was possible, that’s is when I would move to the next step by inviting other users and colleagues to help me evaluate, especially those who curriculum this title would supplement. “When you invite users to participate in this assessment, your selection process becomes more transparent and you can be confident that your collection decisions have been based on the policy and not on personal biases.” (page 7). I have read this book. Putting on my parent hat, I don’t think I would let my 9 year old daughter read it right now. Is this where my personal bias comes in? As a librarian, I understand the value of this book, but like our discussion leaders stated, I would also have convulsions within my faculty and parent base if this book was on my shelf. I don’t think I would feel the need to “fall on my sword” for this book. It all goes back to your community and your mission.
ReplyDeleteLast year, we did have a parent/teacher very upset by a magazine that was (notice the past tense here) accessible in our library. I have to concede that I work in a very conservative private school. We have a subscription to Interview Magazine that is mainly used by our high school art teachers. While this magazine contains a wealth of artistic photography, there were photographs of shirtless women. A teacher/parent found the magazine (not sure where he found it) and started flipping through the pages and stopped with a dropped jaw. He immediately brought the magazine to one of our librarians and complained that this magazine was trash and had no business being in our library. Now, as a teacher who teaches young children, yes, I can see that this magazine would not be appropriate for my students to see, but I wouldn’t consider it trash. In the context of high school art, it would be appropriate. And, from what I understand, the teachers only used parts of the magazine that fit into their curriculum, so my guess is that the shirtless women were never used in the classroom. To be transparent, we asked for the high school principal to sit down with us and take a look at the magazine and give us his thoughts on the appropriate action to take. The parent was very adamant that we cancel our subscription. The principal saw the value of the magazine as a piece of artistic expression, and suggested that we keep the subscription. However, in the future, it would better for us to deliver the magazine straight to the art teachers to use at their discretion. I don’t believe we would do anything different. When you have a school library that serves student ages 6 to 18, I feel you have to do what is best for your entire patron base. I’m glad we kept the magazine for our high school teachers and we can still provide this service to them. I am also grateful that my little ones won’t have access to this resource.
We had a similar situation last year on our campus but with an Eyewitness video on Volcanoes. There was a scene while showing volcanoes in Hawaii of a naked female statue. A fourth grader went home and told his mom that they watched a video and it had a naked lady. Well, she came up throwing a fit. The administrator gave her the video and told her to go home and watch it. Of course she came back a little embarressed that she overreacted. Once the parent realized the context of the scence and the justification of the video (studying volcanoes) it was no longer an issue.
DeleteLana, I really like the suggestion of having others on the faculty to help evaluate the book. That would really take the pressure off of a single person trying to make that decision. I hope that this is what usually happens when there is a book that is debatable under consideration.
ReplyDeleteI looked at the map that Julie Marie linked to in our mini-lecture - it shows challenges made to books across the nation geographically. My first reaction, when I realized that there were only 3 places in Alabama that had challenged a book, was "Wow - this is awesome! Alabama really has understanding parents and they are willing to trust the libraries and the librarians to choose!" When I was talking to my school's librarian and mentioned my thoughts, she started laughing and burst my bubble of innocence. She told me that the probable reason that it is so low is because our librarians probably do more "self-censoring" (her term) than in other states. I went back to the map and realized that the same was true for most of the south and I realized she is probably right. Do you think that might be the case? Do you think that it happens consciously or is it just part of our culture? So, as librarians, are we doing what is best for our patrons because we follow the trends of our culture or are we doing a disservice to the minority in our areas that would like to be able to have access to some of the books and materials we might naturally steer clear of? - Michelle :)
Lana,
ReplyDeleteThanks for being brave and commenting first on our blog. :o)
I agree that more than the librarian should be the one who decides what goes on the shelf and what doesn't go on the shelf.
At my school we have a Language Arts committee who helps review books that teachers want to use in the classroom. In fact in December right before the winter break, the 7th grade Literature teacher asked me to review a book she hoped to use with her class in January for a novel study. After we returned from the break, I gave her my thoughts and approval of the book.
Another thing my head librarian does in regards to reviewing books is consulting the Archdiocese approved reading list. She also reads reviews on TitleWave.
Michelle, in my library we do a lot of "self-censoring." I feel it's because our parents are very conservative as a whole and very vocal. Luckily, our principal is very supportive, if we can back up our reasoning for having such a book in our library.
Cristofer, I agree with you that the librarians should be the people who decide what goes on the library shelves and what doesn't. Still, they have to exercise discretion. Case in point: books like the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn are in my school library (Gone Girl is currently in the librarian's office because they are unsure whether to put it on the shelf) due to their popularity. Fifty Shades of Grey, even though it is immensely popular is not. These choices are left to the librarians. Arguments could be made to keep them all out of the high school library, but that hasn't happened as yet on my campus.
DeleteAs I read the quote from ALA Freedom to Read “parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically,” I thought wow, this is a great way of expressing why different types of literature is so important. I immediately thought of middle school and high school students. But to be honest, I have been struggling about my feelings toward some questionable material in the elementary school library. For the public library I am all for not censoring any of the materials, and that all different types of literature should be available to the public. But in an elementary school library I feel like it is a little more of a sensitive area. For example, in my library, the previous librarian put the book Draw Me A Star by Eric Carle on a shelf behind the desk. In the book there is a large illustration of a naked woman and man. I’m conflicted on what to do with the book and honestly it is still on that shelf. I have books in the library that show naked bottoms but this illustration is of the front of the bodies with more details and I am afraid it would end up being a disruption with the students. It took months at the beginning of the year for the older kids to stop their comments, pointing, and giggling every time they saw the Moby Dick book on the shelf. So I’m still undecided. Other than this particular book I haven’t thought about any other books being an issue and I have not been confronted by a parent about any books in our library. I did make note of Dr. Frye’s comment in her mini lecture about deciding what is appropriate being “based on our age population, based on professional reviews from library journals and our professional judgment” to help with book decisions if necessary in the future.
ReplyDeleteAmy,
DeleteWhat a great and challenging quote you put in your response...
I agree that in the public library all material should be available. However, do you think there should still be restrictions for certain ages? I read just recently on the listserve, Texas Library Connection, that a library in California does not allow adults to check out books in the "YA" section and that it is only allowed for teens. I think this is a little extreme personally. What do you think? I can understand why the book, "Draw Me A Star" could be an issue in an Elementary school library. However, do you think if a similar book in regards to illustrations, was on the middle or high school levels, should it be put on the "back shelf" as well?
In regards to Dr. Frye's comments, I could not agree more. Those are the three main points of criteria the head librarian and I do to decide on books. We do a lot of what Michelle's head librarian calls, "self-censoring." Do you think we are doing students a disservice when we do this?
Cristofer
Amy - I understand your situation. I know another librarian who had a similar issue with kids pointing and laughing at a book. She removed the book for the short period of time because she got tired of always having to go over to that section of the library and quiet kids down. After the giggling had subsided (I don't know the exact time period), she put the book back and nothing else was ever said. Do you think she did the right thing? Before this class, I think I would of removed the book permanently. But now, I have a different perspective. I think the quote you have summed it up perfectly.
DeleteThat's tough for me; I don't think I would ever take a book off the shelf for that reason. My mind would tell me to go over and talk to the kids as to why they think it's funny and then school them a little, but in the day to day I know we wouldn't have time to do that all the time, so I'd probably relent and take off the shelf for a bit. Ideally we should keep all books on the shelf but in reality I would have probably taken the book off the shelf for a bit myself.
DeleteJames, I agree that it's not ideal to remove any book from the library. However, sometimes there are things that are out of our control and we have to take action. I know personally from my situation in a Catholic EC-8 school, there are some things that might be okay in other schools, but not with our clientele (and their parents.)
DeleteIn preparation of bringing this book before your principal, I would suggest you go through the book and identify how parts of it could be used in lesson plans; the strengths of the book such as the language, accuracy, and approachability which makes it ideal for children; and your preemptive plan to handle concerned parents. This would show that you have thoroughly thought through the pros and cons of the book and you are giving an educated response its value. According to "Four Questions to Ask Yourself" by Debbi Abilock on page 9, paragraph 2, "The entire school must understand that the First Amendment still protects a student's legitimate access to valuable information."
ReplyDeleteI had exactly the same experience reading this book in the children's Lit course. I was kind of shocked that it was on the list and that it would be allowed in a school setting because of the depictions of nude individuals (I was homeschooled and came from a pretty conservative background). I had a hard time writing reviews and assessing it because of my feelings of distaste for it, but it was required and I had to find a positive spin on it. In this weeks readings I had an epiphany about our position as a librarian. We are someone who defends freedom and the pursuit of knowledge for not just one world view, but all. In defending someone else's freedom and access to books, we defend our own as well.
Jasmine, I love your quoting of "Abilock" at the end of your first paragraph. It was a great way to wrap up your thoughts. I agree that if we have a "game plan" to share with our principal in regards to how we are going to use the book, we should be fine.
DeleteWhen I looked for the book last semester for Children's Lit, I honestly did not find it in any of the local elementary schools in my area, so my guess is these librarians just decided not to put it on the shelf because of the questionable illustrations and content. The sad thing is that the book was very thorough and easy to comprehend for most young people. So, in regards to that, I feel it is a great resource. However, I agree that I would not want it on my shelves because of the backlash, I'm sure that would follow. Another question is why is the human body and normal human functioning so "taboo" for us a librarians to the point that we will not put it on our shelves?
Cristofer
Jasmine - I felt the same way as you when I read this book. I didn't like it at all, and I had a hard time writing a positive review on it. But, I guess that the time I didn't have a real understanding of intellectual freedom and my responsibility to uphold it. While I wouldn't put it on my library shelf, I see its value as an informational resource. Sometimes I feel like we are walking on a fine line when it comes to this topic. But, if you try to please everyone, you'll end up pleasing no one.
DeleteJasmine, I agree with your statement...In preparation of bringing this book before your principal, I would suggest you go through the book and identify how parts of it could be used in lesson plans; the strengths of the book such as the language, accuracy, and approachability which makes it ideal for children; and your preemptive plan to handle concerned parents. When you provide parents with information and answer all of their questions, they appears to be happy.
Delete1.According to the “Library Bill of Rights” Section II “Libraries should provide material and information presenting all point of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval” (p1). As a librarian/teacher you have to be very careful in selecting materials that you present to your students. I understand where a book like “It’s So Amazing! A book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families” could cause some parents to feel the images are offensive. Some of the images are inappropriate for a child at an elementary school. I’m a 5th grade teacher who is required by the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) to introduce the major body systems. I am not responsible to teach my students about reproduction but the topic is mentioned when we discuss life cycles of various organisms. A student asked, “What is reproduction?” My response was, “When an organism produces offspring (has a baby).” All of my class responded by saying, “Eeewww! That’s gross Ms.” I understand that at some point in their life they will learn about it. At this age (10-11), they are still very immature. Now for a group of high school students, I feel this book should be available to a mature audience. I believe at the age of 14 and up the audience will be able to handle the images presented in this book. According to “Four Questions to Ask Yourself” Debbie Abilock states, “The libraries goal is to present a wide variety of viewpoints on controversial issues” (p.8). I believe reproduction can be a controversial issue and some age groups are not ready to be exposed to such a topic. However, a libraries responsibility is to provide resources that are focused on meeting the needs of the patrons it serves.
ReplyDelete2.I came across Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card about two years after a co-worker of mine said she had just finished reading the novel to her students. I decided to go and check out the novel set from our library because my friend said her class really enjoyed the novel. As soon as I popped the audio into the CD player the negative and obscene language began. Oh no I quickly thought. What am I trying to teach my students? Of course their reaction was its cool Ms! Now keep in mind I teach 5th grade at a public school whose surrounding community is filled with criminal and gang related activity. However, I was very uncomfortable with all the curse words in this novel. I immediately asked my librarian if this was an appropriate book to read and she said yes it is at their reading level. Then she followed to show me some of the awards this book had received and even mentioned the plans for the upcoming movie. I continued the novel with my students that school year but I decided I would not be reading the novel again with the whole class. If a student wanted to read the novel they could go and check it out at our library but I would not be reading it during novel reading because the use of so many bad words made me feel uncomfortable. According to the ALA in “Frequently Challenged Books”, “A library cannot restrict access to materials based on age- a common request of concerned adults on relation to children’s material” (p.3). So, as a future librarian I have to provide materials based on the age of the patrons I will be serving.
I don't blame you for being conservative in reading the book "Ender's Game" to your class. I have not read the book but by your description, I would have probably done the same thing.
DeleteI remember feeling uncomfortable reading parts of the book "James and the Giant Peach" to my naive 5th graders at my suburban Catholic School a few years back because of the use of the word "ass." I love the book, but I just didn't like that language.
I couldn't agree more that as librarians we should provide resources to help all our patrons.
Cristofer
Melissa and Cris,
DeleteI agree with both of you that as librarians it is our duty to provide a variety of resources to meet the needs of all patrons, but as Melissa stated it should be age appropriate.
I've read "Bridge to Terabithia" with my students for several years now and they loved it. However,when we read the parts that talk about Jess' infatuation with his music teacher, Ms. Edmunds, I still feel a bit uncomfortable. Each group of fifth graders' level of maturity has been different. Some years they've asked me if this meant he "liked" his teacher, I responded by saying yes he looks up to her because she sees potential in him through his art. Other groups in the past, didn't think anything of it because their level of maturity was different. I suppose it's due to the difference in what children exposed to in today's world.
As Clare Booth Luce states, "Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should stay there."
If a child is educated at home about such topics, then they will be able to determine for themselves what to read.
Sandra
Sandra,
DeleteThanks for sharing this perspective as a classroom teacher. When I think about what is age appropriate, I think about my students who were having (different forms of) sex in the fifth and sixth grade. I don't think that was just Indiana, urban kids either. If some of them are "doing it," then even more want to "know about it."
Like you are saying, Sandra... with vast levels of maturity, this isn't something I'd "mandate" for all students (like classroom teachers have to). But, if it connects to curriculum AND is of interest to some students, I can't imagine NOT purchasing it.
~jmf
I see this at my school as well Julie Marie. As much as we (the teachers) would like to pretend the kids don't really mean what we think they are saying, (surely we misunderstood!) and as silly and immature they seem to be in our classrooms, these kids are exposed to things that are much more inappropriate than this book. I think that it is our obligation to provide them with information we know to be accurate and non-sensational.
DeleteAccording to the ALA Library Bill of Rights, “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.” I’m a little torn about this book. I read it for a previous class, and I think it is a wonderful resource on the topic as it is very thorough. However, I don’t think it is appropriate for the little ones I currently work with I work with K-5 students, but I really feel that even my fifth graders are too immature to make it through this book. My school is small and conservative, so I am fairly confident there would be many parent complaints if this book were found on the shelf. On page 7 of Abilock’s article, she offers the suggestion of inviting other staff members to review areas of the library’s collection. In my opinion, a collaborative meeting could only be beneficial before including resources that could be considered as questionable or inappropriate for the student population.
ReplyDeleteI don’t currently work in a library, so It’s So Amazing is probably the most questionable resource that I have encountered in my graduate classes. As I said earlier, I feel it is a wonderful resource on the topic but not appropriate for my kiddos. I looked at Amazon reviews of this book out of curiosity. The book has mostly positive reviews from parents as young as age 5. A recurring complaint was the use of illustrations rather than real photos. While determining if this book would be appropriate for my students, I would first collaborate with other staff members to review “how well it meets my students’ needs and the goals and objectives expressed in the policy.” (Abilock, p. 7)
Megan,
DeleteI agree a team effort in reviewing material is a good choice rather than one person making the decision. I have helped review hundreds of books since leaving the classroom for the library in the fall of 2013. I always read a handful of online reviews for the book and then if I'm stuck, I get the head librarian's opinion. If she' still stuck, we consult on of our special volunteers, a former teacher at the school.
I'm shocked that most parents didn't like the illustrations for their children. I think using the illustrations rather than the real pictures is a nice way of easing children into learning about a rather uncomfortable issue.
Megan,
DeleteI agree that this book is not appropriate for fifth graders. My students in fifth are too immature to handle a book that discusses this topic. When I asked both my librarian and principal what they thought of this book, they agreed that it was not a book for an elementary school library, but maybe more for middle and high school levels.
As future librarians we must ponder on Abilock's words, "to engage our communities not in debate, but in open discussion." (11) I feel that this is the key to having a diverse collection that will meet the needs of all the patrons we serve.
Sandra
Sandra and Megan,
DeleteI also feel that this book is inappropriate for 5th graders. My fifth graders are too immature too.
I agree, as well, that this book is inappropriate for fifth graders, and shouldn't be in an elementary school library. However, at least in my district, it isn't in the intermediate or high school libraries either. If we are to have a diverse collection, I don't see why it is not accessible to the older students. Though, to be fair, I am not sure how the high school students would handle the book as I know how my colleagues and I responded to the book when I finally managed to find it. ;)
DeleteInteresting perspectives from teachers moving from "teacher" to "school librarian." What do expert librarians say, though? Go back through the different reviews. Would your principals say "no" to expert principals? Would teachers say "no" to expert teachers? Why do we feel it is our duty to say "no" to expert librarian reviewers?
DeleteCurious,
~jmf
Julie Marie,
DeleteI don't think we are necessarily saying, "no" to expert librarian reviewers. Instead we're saying we want to be proactive to the potential backlash we might receive. Even though it stinks at times, I go back to the old saying, "Better safe than sorry."
But Cristofer - is there really a "safe" place to be if you are truly being the librarian we all want to be - to provide our children with high quality, diverse information, even if it makes us uncomfortable or at risk of having a parent complain?
DeleteQuestion 1:
ReplyDeleteI had to read this book last semester as well, and I must say I was rather uncomfortable checking it out in front of my 2 sons, ages 14 and 18. Sure they’re old enough and know about the topics discussed in this book, but I would not sit down and share this book with them. Would I have a problem with them checking out? No, they’re old enough to handle it. Would I share it with my 5th graders? Definitely not. Fifth graders are beginning to go through puberty and are trying to figure things out as it is. In the article, “Freedom to Read Statement,” ALA states that “Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves.” As a parent myself, I feel it’s their choice to decide what is and what is not appropriate for their child, and no one else should make that decision for them. As a future librarian, I agree that we must provide a diverse collection for our users, and ALA’s “Freedom to Read Statement,” states that it is our responsibility to make it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings.” However, Bishop suggests in “Four Questions to ask yourself,” if we invite users to participate in our selection process our collection decisions have been based on the policy and not on personal biases. (7) That being said, every library has their own selection and collection development policies and should invite those involved (in an elementary setting): teachers, students, administration and parents to collaborate in the selection process. I wouldn’t want any student picking up a book he/she is not ready to view. In a public library setting, it is appropriate.
Question 2:
As a teacher I like to read the new and latest novels available to children so that I can share and recommend them to my students. One that I enjoyed and thought of reading with my fifth graders was “The Giver” by Lois Lowry. The main character Jonas, the new Receiver of Memory, learns from the Giver the truth about the past. Through memories passed on to Jonas, the Giver reveals history, both pleasing and unsettling. He is entrusted with information that not even his “society” knows of. For example, he learns about the nature of sexual attraction, "stirrings," as they are referred to, which are eliminated with "pills" (37), and euthanasia, the "release," reserved for underweight babies, criminals, and the elderly that have lived the prescribed time (148-150). This is where I paused and thought, “my students will definitely ask, “What does the author mean by “stirrings” and why did they use pills? “What does he mean by the release of babies and others?” Fifth graders are beginning to go through puberty, and do have lots of questions. I didn’t want to open a can of worms, so I decided not to read it as a class. I let them know that there were some parts that weren’t appropriate, but I didn’t discourage them from reading it on their own. After reading the “Teachers Strategies” section in “What to do if someone Challenges a Book,” as a teacher (or librarian), I can see where I could’ve provided parents with a written rationale, as proof as how the title in question fits into the curriculum, and if challenged, advise parents to read the entire book. In addition, I could get a written consent from parents.
I think it is important to get parents involved in what their child is reading. Being transparent in the selection process of books is helpful to keep them informed just in case there is opposition. It's also important to PLAN PLAN PLAN before exposing a child to a book they may not be ready to explore on their own.
DeleteSandra,
DeleteI agree that we must involve the school staff in the selection process of the materials, especially at the elementary level. It is important to ensure the materials in the library are age appropriate for its patrons.
Stacey and Melissa,
DeleteI agree, the best thing to do before exposing students to literature is to PLAN, PLAN, PLAN and know the contents of the book before you actually share it with students. You don't want any surprises.
If librarians collaborate with others in the selection process, then we can ensure our resources and materials are not only diverse, but age appropriate as well.
Sandra
Planning is best when it comes to anything. I mean how many times do you see a sports team be successful without a "plan"? Or how about a country defending itself? Or building a house?
DeleteSandra,
DeleteI have to agree with you about 5th grade students. Mine are not even close to being able to handle this material in a mature manner. That being said, I only work with a small group of students at my school (most are behind socially), so I would hate to remove this book when there might be some students who could maturely read the book and benefit from it.
I really like your idea of planning ahead with a written rationale and parental consent for books that contain questionable material.
As a librarian you will definitely have to be ready for books to be challenged that causes a person to pause and think is this appropriate? I agree with the article “Freedom to Read Statement” that states reading is among our greatest freedoms. I’m glad the First Amendment is in place to support that right. With that being said it still would be very difficult for me to approach my principal as well about this book. I wonder if I did have the “courage” to address my principal what would I say or how would I defend this book to be included in the collection. If I had the courage I think I would discuss with my principal including the book as a resource for teachers. I would send a letter home to parents asking for permission to discuss or share book so that way parents have a say in what they deem to be appropriate for their child. In the Freedom to Read Statement, I agree with the proposition 2 that discuss helping to serve the educational process by helping to make available knowledge and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning.
ReplyDeleteOne book that comes to mind in my teaching career is the “Captain Underpants” series. I can recall standing in the library as my students chose books to read and looking at the front cover with the boy in underwear. Of course my students would often giggle because to them it was funny to see. I didn’t agree with the presentation of the book but it did at least peak their interest to want to read and see what it was about. I read online that it was in the ranks as the one of the most challenged books. I can see the pros and cons of reading a book like this. One pro would be enabling a struggling reader to choose a book of interest and it helps to boost his/her reading skills. One con would be the bathroom humor and gross adventures which may cause a student to mimic behavior. As a librarian I would enlist the help of parents to review what their child reads to ensure the appropriateness of the book.
Stacy,
DeleteI think getting parents involved is a great idea. Sending a letter making them aware of what their child is learning can serve as an excellent communication tool.
However, I personally enjoy the "Captain Underpants" series because I have a son who has struggled with reading comprehension since 1st grade and he really loves these books. When he read the 1st book he came home super excited because he was able to read and understand the entire book on his own, even got a 100 on his A.R. test. To my son this was a great accomplishment and it was because of the "Captain Underpants" series. It motivated him to read and showed him that he was capable of reading a novel that had a lot of words. Prior to that, my son preferred to read shorter books because he feared opening up a novel that had no pictures. At the time he was in 3rd grade and a lot more reading was expected of him. Once he saw the "Captain Underpants" books were novels with pictures he was hooked. So, that is why I am a personal fan of the "Captain Underpants" series.
I understand about the struggling readers. My daughter was a struggling reader and refused to pick up a novel because it was so intimidating. I got the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book in her hands, and she took off. While it has a little crude humor, it acted as her gateway to reading and really sparked her desire to read. Now, she reads like crazy, and books I never thought she would pick up.
DeleteAs I continued to think about struggling readers and their "right to read" it brought to my mind my nephew and I wonder if he had been introduced to Captain Underpants or another book similar would he have liked it and gained more confidence in his reading ability or as Lana said "spark his desire to read". Sometimes things are bigger than yourself and what you deem to be offensive may be a life saver to others. One thing I do commend is giving your child the option to decide for themselves what they want to read especially if the bigger goal is to instill in children a love for reading. And I believe that can be done in a responsible manner. My response to a student who says I hate to read is you just haven't found the right book yet.
DeleteI also agree with the Captain Underpants series. We have multiple copies of each book in our library and some of the paperbacks are practically falling apart and needing to be replaced. I do remember when the kids would always giggle, but they are all used to the books so it doesn't shock them or make them laugh at the name or cover anymore. We have never had any parent complaints on that series.
DeleteI feel any way you can get a kid to read, is a good way. Now, does that mean parents are always going to agree? Definitely not. I do agree we can prevent a lot of problems though, if we get the parents involved. Parent involvement is such a great thing. I know for my school we have OVERLY involved "HELICOPTER" parents and at my previous school I had "BARELY SEEN" parents. So, I've seen both extremes. But if I had the choice, I would have parent involvement.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDear Michelle and Cristofer,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed thinking about your question all week and thinking about what I’d do as a school librarian in this situation. Knowing how much this type of resource is needed, I’m fairly certain I would have bought the title for my intermediate aged public school (5th and 6th grades). In my elementary public school job, I think I would’ve purchased it for my Reference collection. But, I would’ve done some things first:
1) Read the reviews. See the SLJ review below.
Kindergarten-Grade 4-Another barrier-breaking contribution by Harris and Emberley that seamlessly bridges It's Perfectly Normal (1994) and Happy Birth Day! (1996, both Candlewick). This oversized, attractive guide on reproduction and birth answers common questions such as "Exactly what is sex?" and "Where does the baby actually come out?" The familiar enthusiastic bird and reluctant bee narrate the comic cartoon panels, eventually deciding that the miracles of birth, families, and love are just "so amazing." Readers will appreciate the life-size illustration of a full-term fetus, and adults will be grateful for the many different ways Emberley portrays situations not always easy to explain to children. People are represented with a variety of body shapes and ethnicity, and Harris discusses sexual preferences and alternative family situations. While the illustrations are engaging and often hilarious, factual information is effectively presented in a clear, nonjudgmental tone that will inform and assure readers. Topics covered include basic anatomy, conception, fetal development, birth, genetics, adoption, and love. Sexual abuse and HIV are sensitively mentioned in short, informative chapters. An essential guide that will delight and inform and appeal to young readers as well as adults.
I appreciate that it is a celebration of the body, and it calms children’s concerns.
As a classroom teacher I would not purchase this text.
2) Shared the review with my principal – and let him know that I was planning on purchasing it because it supports the academic health curriculum and the students’ questioning. If he had any concerns, I would certainly listen.
3) Shared it with my health teachers – so that we could get it in the hands of children who had questions.
If I worked in a religious school, I would reconsider my approach to #2 above. Instead, I would show the professional reviews to my principal/headmaster and ask permission to purchase the book to support the academic health curriculum.
I think I would also consider hosting a professional book club on When Sex Goes to School by Kristen Luker. This text helped me understand conservative and progressive sides to the sex education debate. Plus, I finally had a balanced, historical understanding. I recommend it for all educators.
JMF, I completely agree with you in respect to the fact that I also feel more comfortable with this book for the intermediate grade levels and that I feel that for the elementary grade levels housing it under reference would be a perfect fit. :) I feel this book contains excellent content and I have read reviews that rave and praise just like you mentioned as well. However, I think that my conservative side still needs to feel more at ease on these types of topics and I will surely look for "When Sex Goes to School" by Kristen Luker to hopefully ease my nerves-Thank you for sharing this title!
Delete-Yilsa DLS
One of the best assignments I did as a collection development student was to go to a LGBTQ bookstore. My professor (Carol Tilley) asked me to spend a half an hour there browsing for books and putting myself in my students’ shoes who were trying to understand their own sexual identities.
DeleteAfter completing that assignment, I think that’s when I stopped thinking so much about my own comfort/discomfort, and really started thinking about what my gay students must be experiencing when they were wanting to learn more. (My professor wrote “JMF, if you were that uncomfortable, just think what a Questioning adolescent must feel like, especially considering all the of the messages they could be receiving from home or church…”
My LGBTQ students hoped my library would provide them with balanced ideas – represent multiple ideas/identities… and I realized I was in the wrong profession if I wasn’t willing to give them what they needed/desired/and what my profession demanded that I provide my users.
My balancing of my own collective identities and representing my patrons’ collective identities has been a gradual process, but I am proud of my evolution. The ALA has been my guide on what is acceptable for my work as a collection developer. Not my parents. Not my church. Not my partner. Not my principal.
~jmf
Julie Marie,
DeleteI can't imagine how eye-opening that assignment must have been for you. I also applaud you for being such an advocate for ALL your students. Now, that you use ALA as your guide, have you run into any issues with anyone? If so, how have you dealt with them?
Cristofer
This week’s subject makes me extremely nervous because of the fact that I know that it will one day be my library and I that may be under fire for housing a book such as this on my shelves. Having have read “some” of the book that is being used for this discussion last semester, yes, I said some, because it was too much for me to handle and I found myself blushing, I see the book for its value, and believe that it is very accurate in all of the information that it contains, but I guess the conservative side in “me” does not agree that is appropriate for the 7+ age range. As a 2nd grade teacher, I couldn’t imagine my students picking up this book and reading it and I having to answer all the questions that may arise thereafter. Could this book be beneficial for children in elementary, I believe that it absolutely can, but again, the conservative side in me still thinks that elementary level is still too young for students to actually read this book on their own. Based on this week’s readings, specifically “A Library’s Approach to Books That Offend” by Alison Cowan, it states “Policies should not unjustly exclude materials and resources even if they are offensive to the librarian or the user” and it refers to ALA’s “Toleration is meaningless without tolerance for what some may consider detestable.” This struck me, not because I was not aware of this, but because I had an Ah-ha moment, when I thought, what if all librarians filtered their collections, to include only what they thought to be accepted by society? But then again, societal norms differ greatly everywhere…..Then libraries, would not be providing diversity in their collection, and then if that had been the case, then I would not have found that book in a library to begin with…so basically I did a lot of thinking to myself, and I may be going off topic or steering elsewhere, but my gears started turning with this and although I have to be honest and say, that I would be scared to house this book on my library shelf, I also know that it would be a disservice if it wasn’t. I’m thinking to myself, could I house this book in my library, but only as a ‘parent resource’? All sorts of questions are going through my mind, and so what I am basically getting at is that I think that in order to avoid having a personal bias when developing/deciding what to include in my collection, I would like to have something like a “committee” with me in order to help me make decisions that would benefit my patrons and my community. In “Four Questions to Ask Yourself”, Abilock states “While you should oversee any evaluation process, Bishop suggests that you invite faculty and students to help you (146).” (pg. 7) I don’t know about the students, but I would definitely like for faculty and administrators to help with the selection process, so that we may make decisions based on the best interests of the school library center and its users.
ReplyDelete***Please see continuation of my post under reply. I’m afraid it will be too long to contain in just one comment***
Since I have not come across another book that has given me this kind of pause, I will share about a questionable moment that I had because of language contained in a book. Luckily, I have only had one incident in my classroom in 4 years that I have taught 2nd grade and used the state adopted Journey’s Anthology. In our journeys anthology, it has the story “How Chipmunk Got it Stripes” by Joseph & James Bruchac, and in the story, the word “stupid” is used. Of course, every single year when we read it, the students gasp and cover their mouths and say that it says a bad word. So every year, I have to go into a long speech about how it is not a “bad” word, that it is just a very inappropriate word to use and that it is street language and that yes, I know that we should not use it, but we must respect the author because it was his choice of word to use, but I tell them that if it makes them uncomfortable to read it, that they can just say “silly” in its place. Needless to say, 99% of the students love to say the word while reading the story, because they know that for once they won’t be reprimanded for using it in school, but one year, I did have a parent go to the office and complain about the word. I was very worried, but knew that it was a word found in our reading series and did not know what would happen, but luckily, after my principal talked to the concerned parents, the issue was resolved and I have not had an issue while reading the story since that year. One thing that my grade level decided to do differently after I had that incident was that we send out a letter to parents just simply telling them about the word that is contained in the reading selection the week before we teach it.
DeleteJust wanted to add that I am aware that I shared an experience that involved instructional materials, but I shared it because it was the only experience that I have ever had that has come close to possibly being a challenge. In addition, the story in question, is an actual book that is housed in many libraries and can possibly cause a similar type of reaction from a patron. Sorry for so much additional notes-LOL
Delete-Yilsa DLS
Yilsa, I definitely agree with your feelings of nervousness about one day this will be me and a challenge may be made in my library. I like the activity that JMF had in one of the mini lectures where she made a list of all the things about herself and her life. This way you can check any biases you may have or at least be aware of so that your collection does not reflect your views and values but includes a diverse selection.
DeleteYilsa,
DeleteThanks for sharing your experience. Did you ever get a chance to talk to the parent about their concerns or did your principal resolve the issue for you?
Cristofer,
DeleteThe principal diffused the situation, although I knew that it would not be pinned on me, since it was a book that was state adopted, so I knew everyone else in the district was reading it as well. I think that being proactive and sending out a letter informing parents, has really saved our team from reoccurring complaints when we encounter that story.
First things first, I am so sorry for being so late in the game. Spring fever hit early in my school this year with these boys and girls and as Grade Level Chair I was putting out a lot of "fires" as it were. It's funny that this book is this week's topic. I should take it to school and remind these guys and gals not to believe everything they hear off the internet.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, my response to the first question would be yes. Definitely include it in the library. At first when I read this book for Children's Literature last semseter I was really hesitant about it both as a teacher and prospective librarian. I knew that I ought to include it, but the traditional Texan in me raised by an extremely conservative Latina and hardcore traditional Vietnamese father said, "ehhhhhhhhhhhh, maybe we shouldn't. I agree with the intial posting in that I would be hesitant, but the book had a lot of academic merit in it that would make me hard pressed to leave it out. So ultimately I'd have to meet my own biase and opinion and ask them to kindly step down. Learning is at stake after all. Debbie Abilock states "Confronting your own beliefs is unsettling, but it is a necessary check against narrow mindedness, ignorance and bias" (5). Thus we as librarians must take the plunge and stand by our rights as information guides. If in my school I decided to have this book, I would involve parents and explain to them the postive aspects of having this book as a learning tool in an age where misinformation is easy to obtain and make mistakes from.
Last year a book that made me pause and question myself as to why I was teaching it was "The Yellow Birds" by Kevin Powers. This book is about a soldier retelling the story of his life in Iraq during the early stages of the war, his friendship with another solider, and dealing with his loss back home and with what is obviously Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A literary achievment, often described as this generation's "The Things They Carried" I decided that this book was literary gold and that the students in my Junior class would love and appreciate. But why was I picking this book? Many of my family members were ex military and a few of my friends served, but was that really driving my decision? Was I picking a book worthy of literary study or was I just picking it because I felt the need for my students to understand and appreciate the negative effects of war on the human psyche? Whatever the reason, I really had to sit down and contemplate why this book and how was I going to teach it and give justice to my students, academic justice that is. After all the book is heavily graphic and violent, did I really want to have so many parents on my door step? (I did too btw, despite the warning letter I sent home). I ended up doing extensive research on it and asked another english teacher to read it and offer feedback. To my surprise, my colleague read it despite her tough schedule and informed me of the many aspects I'd have to teach my kids and how to approach it both on an academic and personal (since it obviously meant so much to me) level. I took her advice and did more research and ended up teaching a great unit. This time around I will be teaching it again and will make it a research project with the literary text acting as a guide to find relavant and direct/meaningful examples so that they could connect to the text. I dont know eactly if it will make it better, but I do know that despite the graphic content, these students are going to get a lot out of it. And I am personally talking to many parents this year as a heads up during our bi-annual meeting.
James, so great that you referred to your colleagues for support. Good luck with your use of the book this school year.
DeleteJames, I completely understand about the early spring fever! We have been suffering the same down here in Alabama! With Mardi Gras and Valentine's at the same time it has been crazy! AND the weather has been perfect for the last few days - I think that will all be over tomorrow!
DeleteI really appreciate the struggle you spoke about with "The Yellow Birds." When a book touches you it makes you want to share the experience. I'm so glad you had another teacher that was willing to work with you to make it a great teaching opportunity in the long run. When we take the time to research our ideas we can usually come up with plenty to justify our choices, no matter how "if-y" they might feel to begin with. We also have to remember that even with all our planning, someone is still bound to complain! Stay the course! You are doing the right thing! :):)
Question 1:
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement, on page 7, as stated “the resources you own should be evaluated not only by their alignment with lists of best books and the standards of professional associations but also by how well they meet your users’ needs and the goals and objectives expressed in the policy.” (Abilock p. 7). As librarians we can include our parents by inviting them to a book reading in the library. We can allow our parents to see the reading list before the school year begin. As a librarian and a teacher you have to be very careful in selecting materials that you present to your students. The book “It’s So Amazing! A book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families” could cause some parents to feel the images are offensive and inappropriate. Some of the images are inappropriate for elementary school. It has short easy to read paragraphs, comic strips, and lots of diagrams. To me, it seems most age appropriate for ages 10-12, though every family/situation is different.
Question 2:
My class read the “Bridge to Terabithia” (Katherine Paterson) years ago. Some of my students enjoyed the book other did not. I had parent upset because of the offensive language, the word “lord” outside of prayer, and claims that the book promotes secular humanism, new age religions, the occult, and Satanism. This novel is banned in many states due to “profanity, disrespect for adults and an elaborate fantasy world that might lead to confusion.” I was very uncomfortable with the profanity. This novel taught negative behaviors we encourage positive behavior at my school. As the school librarian, I will read the book first and ask other staff members to read the book for their input. If the book needs to be removed from the shelf, I will send notices to parents explaining why the school had decided to discontinue this book.
Funny story with Bridge to Terabithia, I was reading it for my Children's Literature course and had no idea it was so controversial. I told my high school students I was reading it for class and no one said not a word of it to me, they just said it was "a good book". I cried like a little child at the end and they knew what was coming, yet didn’t tell me. However, despite the main plot, I didn't think anything of the language. After working in the inner city for so long and hearing the way these kids talk, I actually considered this a tame book. I guess it just goes to show that as librarians we really need to check our biases at the door when it comes to developing our collections.
DeleteJames, great point about your perspective of the book. I honestly agree it all boils down to our own situation. I agree it is so important to check our biases at the door. However, how successful are we with this?
DeleteIf I were a school librarian and presented with a potentially objectionable book, I would confer with teachers who frequent the library, as well as the other librarians in my district who are placed in the same school level libraries to see what their thoughts on the book were. On page 7 of "Four Questions to Ask Yourself," the author "cautions against the excessive influence of personal interests on selection decisions." I would ask teachers and other librarians their thoughts because there is always the possibility that I have a problem with the book based upon personal issues, when others may not think there is a problem at all. If, however, the consensus of opinion that the book was objectionable, I would pull it from the shelf and confer with the administrator that is assigned to the library. I would also confer with the appropriate person in the district library department with my concerns. Personal biases should be left at the door.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, when I was trying to find this particular book for the assignment in the children's lit class, I had a hard time. Apparently, my district felt it was objectionable enough that it is not carried in any of the school libraries.
As to the second part of this discussion, I am a fairly open minded person, so there is not much that gives me pause. I am the one who will go read the book just because it has been banned, which is precisely why I read Lady Chatterly's Lover by DH Lawrence. I always want to know what the big deal was to get it banned. With all that being said, I did read a book last year that relates to this discussion. Every year, I participate in the TAYSHAS contest at my school. The librarians usually let a few of us teachers read the books on the list before the list is revealed to the students so that a. we have access to the books because once the contest starts, it's sometimes hard to get the books and b. because they like to have the opinions of other adults. Last year, there was a book on the list called Scowler by Daniel Kraus, and I decided to read it. For me, it was a mistake as there is a scene where the father sews the mother to the bed. Reading it, I became physically ill. When I returned the book after I finished it, the librarians asked if I would pull the book because of this one scene. I told them I would not pull it, but that I would warn the potential reader of disturbingly graphic imagery, and that is what they do when this book is checked out. This scene didn't bother most who have read it nearly as much as it did me, and I don't think that people should be deprived just because one person had a problem with it.
Great post, Mandy. I am also one who would read a book which was banned to see what the fuss was about. I completely agree with your idea of collaboration with other professionals on books that are potentially objectionable. I'm still torn over this particular book though. I know that my students are too immature to look at it without pointing and laughing. However, I only work with a small group of students in the school, so I can't say that there are no students that would benefit from it. I also really like your idea of providing a warning for books that contain graphic imagery or mature content.
DeleteI do like the idea of a "warning" as well. I feel we owe it to our clientele to give them the warning. It's up to them if they listen.
DeleteAccording to the ALA Library Bill of Rights, “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.” I currently don’t work in a library, so It’s So Amazing is perhaps the most questionable resource that I have encountered. It was a required reading for my Children’s Literature Course. I teach Second grade and even though I feel it is a great resource on the topic, it is not appropriate for my students. Some of the images are inappropriate for a child at an elementary school. To me, it seems most age appropriate for ages 10-12. I would first collaborate with my colleagues to see how this book meets the goals and objectives and its appropriateness. I believe twelve year olds are so immature that even this book would be inappropriate for them. According to “Four Questions to Ask Yourself” Debbie Abilock states, “The libraries goal is to present a wide variety of viewpoints on controversial issues”.
ReplyDeleteEnelda, I see many children in the age range of 10-12 that are very immature, but I also see some that are very mature. I have had many girls in my 5th grade classes that have already started their periods and most are not comfortable asking questions about what is happening inside their own bodies. It makes me wonder if they have questions that they are not asking because they don't want to say the words out loud, not even to their moms, let alone a teacher. Would these girls get some of the answers they are looking for if we put the resources out there for them? Isn't it worth a little bit of our own discomfort to allow them to find answers that we know are accurate rather than leave them up in the air to find answers on their own by Google-ing it?
DeleteIdeally we can present a wide variety of viewpoints on controversial issues, but I don't think all parents would agree with that. If that is the case, where do we go from there?
ReplyDeleteI agree Cristofer, and you are right to ask - where do we go from here? I hope that we all continue to address our own inner censors and attempt to let the true librarians that are inside each of us to take the reins when it comes to selecting the resources all of students have the right to have access to in our libraries. While I understand the idea that elementary school libraries will probably have more censorship imposed on them than other libraries, I still think that we should continue pushing until we ALL at least have books like "It’s so amazing! A book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families," by Robie Harris, available somewhere, even in our elementary libraries! Even if it is behind the desk, in a drawer, only able to be seen by teachers! :):)
DeleteOverall, I feel we all believe that it's important to be cautious, but as we've read in the articles it's so important for us as librarians to not bring in our biases. We must do what's best for our students by exposing them to all resources. We cannot limit students to certain sources just because it might get a "complaint." I'm sure once we all have our own libraries we'll do our own "self-censoring" as Michelle's librarian put it. Although, I feel the bottom line is something my head librarian always asks me when we are questioning a book. She asks me, "Will this enhance our library?" If it won't, we'll usually keep it off the shelf, but if it will, we'll put it out on the shelf and let our customers have access to it.
ReplyDeleteWell, I feel we have had some great discussion this week. It took a while for some of us to get out there, but once y'all got started y'all did great. Now, some top performers for the week. I agree with James that it is so difficult to pick just a few people as everyone had great things to say and share. However, I feel Lana got the ball rolling with making our first comments, so I applaud her for that. I also feel that Stacey and Sandra did a great job with their contributions as well. Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge my partner in crime in this assignment, Michelle. Michelle, thank you for allowing me join you in this venture in leading this discussion. It has been a lot of fun, now who’s next up to bat? :o)