Is Mark Twain Rolling Over in His Grave?

Political Cartoon by Nate Beeler, Washington Examiner






There are no less than 454 news stories for today alone on the intended release of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in a new edition in which the words “nigger,” "Injun," and "half-breed" are replaced with the more politically correct "slave," "Indian," and "half-blood."  NewSouth Books, an Alabama Publisher, has drawn criticism from many fronts and has opened up debate that is ongoing and passionate.

Is this rewriting history, taking a revisionist approach, or is it making a great piece of American literature accessible to students who would otherwise not be able to study this book because schools are reluctant to use it?

The Rhode Show (Fox Providence) has done an excellent job of outlining what the buzz is all about.

One thing that all sides seem to agree on is that the word "nigger" makes us uncomfortable.  Some scholars defend Twain's language, believing that his readers should feel uncomfortable since it shines a light on the historic treatment of blacks.  People differ on whether the word should be used if it is within its historical context or whether it should be removed to soothe modern sensibilities.  Professor Alan Gribben, a Twain scholar and editor of the NewSouth edition believes he is helping schools to be able to get this classic book back into the curriculum.   According to Publishers Weekly, Twain himself defined a classic as "a book which people praise and don't read."  Gribben believes that the offensive "n-word" is causing a generation of school children to be deprived of this important American book and that the sanitized edition would make it easier for parents and teachers to accept.

However Twain was angry even when changes in punctuation were made by an editor.  Below is the forward from the original Huckleberry Finn. 

IN this book a number of dialects are used, to wit: the Missouri negro dialect; the extremest form of the backwoods Southwestern dialect; the ordinary ‘Pike County’ dialect; and four modified varieties of this last. The shadings have not been done in a hap- hazard fashion, or by guesswork; but painstakingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity with these several forms of speech. I make this explanation for the reason that without it many readers would suppose that all these characters were trying to talk alike and not succeeding.

                                                                         -- THE AUTHOR.

I can't help but think Twain is either rolling over in his grave or sitting back and enjoying the furor.  This is a debate that will continue to rage, as long as people are uncomfortable with the language but I can 't help thinking that the problem lies, not in the word itself -- for it is used in many other settings -- but in how schools, teachers, and parents sidestep the real issue -- the harsh reality of the slave trade and its role in America's history.

In the meantime, the double volume with both Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer is schedule to be released in February.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Have You Been Banned?

Author Bill Martin, Jr., one of the world's favourite children's authors, joins the ranks of Robert Munsch, Shel Silverstein, Maurice Sendak, and Roald Dahl, as a challenged author.

According to "Name Confusion Gets Kid's Author Banned from Texas Curriculum," an article in the Dallas News, the Texas Board of Education removed Bill Martin from the grade three curriculum because they believed he had written books for adults that contain "very strong critiques of capitalism and the American system."

The book on Marxism, entitled Ethical Marxism, was actually written by Bill Martin, a philosophy professor from Chicago.

Pat Hardy, the member of the school board who made the motion to exclude Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See? received a warning about the author's supposed political tendencies from another member of the school board who had not read the book.

Michael Sampson, Martin's co-author on 30 children's books stated that Hardy's motion is "a new low in terms of the group that's supposed to represent education having such faulty research and making such a false leap without substantiating what they're doing."

My first thought upon reading this article was, "So what if he wrote 'very strong critiques of capitalism and the American system?'" Does that somehow negate the value of this children's book, used by many primary school teachers to teach colour? The reason for banning this book smacks of McCarthyism. The importance of reading the book being challenged is proven by this incident.

Check out the video of Bill Martin, Jr. reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, then the spoof read by daddytypes.





There is still time to set your goal for the "Banned Book Challenge."

A Response to Brian re: The Shepherd's Granddaughter

Brian from Toronto, in the interest of full disclosure, are you the same Brian who wrote the original article in for the Jewish Tribune entitled, "Could This Book Turn Your Child Against Israel" and "An Open Letter to Ontario's Education Minister?"

Brian Henry, a parent and the writer of the article believes that although 'one book by itself is never going to make any child any sort of bigot. Along with other things though, yes, it could.' He add that schools should be 'a politics-free zone.'

What is your source for concluding, "Every school board in the province that has independently examined The Shepherd's Granddaughter has concluded that the book is problematic?" Are you the parent who is asking that this book be removed from the OLA Forest of Reading list and are filing a formal complaint?

May I ask if you have read the book? I will admit that I have not. I am awaiting an Inter-library loan and will read it. However, I am opposed to banning books on principle. Many of the same criticisms of The Shepherd's Granddaughter were leveled at Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak prior to having it removed from Toronto schools. I have read this book and found it to be balanced and fair.

Schools cannot be "a politics-free zone," in my opinion, if we are to raise healthy, well-rounded, critical thinkers. There is a huge difference between addressing controversial issues and promoting political agendas. The Toronto District School Board policy, which you cited states that controversy is part of life. You imply that some parties have a political agenda which they are promoting through "slipping" The Shepherd's Granddaughter into the Red Maple Award Program. I do not see what the author, the Ontario Library Association, or the Ontario schools would have to gain by promoting a political agenda through a novel for children.

As for making sure a book is "good" before encouraging children to read it, I searched a number of reviews. You are welcome to read them in their entirety. The links are included.

Quill and Quire is negative about the complexity of the subplots.

...this novel has enough material for a whole series of books, and it gets overwhelmed by a series of underdeveloped subplots...that fragment the narrative’s focus and undermine its realism.

However, this respected magazine also lauds the author for her attempt to foster peace.

The Shepherd’s Granddaughter is a well-intentioned, very earnest narrative that aims to foster international harmony by educating young readers.

The Jane Addams Peace Association chose The Shepherd's Granddaughter as an honor book for older children for the 56th Jane Addams Children's Book.

In 2009, the Canadian Library Association chose The Shepherd's Granddaughter as a Book of the Year for children, according to the School Library Journal.

This is an award winning book (USBBY Outstanding International Books selection, selected for the Cooperative Chidlren's Book Center - Choices, and a Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award for Children finalist) with excellent reviews from SLJ and Kirkus....

Manitoba Library Association rates the book as "Highly Recommended," while also acknowledging that there are some complex issues covered in the book.

Anne Laurel Carter's new novel, The Shepherd's Granddaughter, is a hard-hitting, thought-provoking, troublesome book. The Shepherd's Granddaughter centres upon the issue of Israeli-Palestinian relations and the on-going conflict over land. As such, this is not a book to be treated lightly. It demands of its audience maturity and a willingness to give the book due consideration. At the same time, however, Carter's book is also simply a story well told.

The Canadian Children's Book News says this: "The story is well-developed, realistic and believable, without ever becoming heavy handed or showing bias" and "Overall, this novel is a swift and thought-provoking read, and one which will hopefully transform the readers’ view of this very difficult topic and open up discussion with middle grade students."

Kirkus included the book as one of the best Young Adult Fiction books for 2008.

It was chosen as a 2009 Notable Books for a Global Society.

The Forest of Reading nomination was made in 2010.

Reach And Teach, an organization which is a "peace and social justice learning company dedicated to transforming the world through teachable moments," lists many other awards the book has received.

Craig Wiesner of Reach And Teach says:

This is a powerful book which deserves all the awards it has already won and more. Just as the holocaust stories of my childhood told me that people can do terrible things to each other, it also shows that people can do wonderful and heroic things for one another. Read it. Think about it. Discuss it. Argue about it. Devour it.

There is not one united Jewish voice calling for a ban on this book and although there are people calling only for its removal from the Forest of Reading list, there are also people with politic clout who vow to remove the book from school shelves. Sheila Ward, a trustee of the Toronto District School Board, has vowed to "move heaven and earth to have The Shepherd’s Granddaughter taken off the school library shelves.” She thinks she will be accused of censorship. Well, Ms. Ward, that would be censorship.

Tablet Magazine is a daily online magazine of Jewish news, ideas, and culture. Author Marjorie Ingall writes an article entitled: "Banned in Canada: Jewish groups protesting a pro-Palestinian book are missing the point." She concludes,

...being disingenuous and hyperbolically alarmist about the threats posed by novels—as opposed to the threats caused by shutting down all discussion—means we don’t get the chance to elucidate and debate. If The Shepherd’s Granddaughter can teach us anything, it’s that even educated people with a glorious literary tradition sometimes feel justified in banning books. And we’re all poorer for it.

In a follow-up entry, Ingall once more stresses the importance of keeping the opportunities for education open.

When we get shrill and hyperbolic and demonize any book—just as when we go all Reefer Madness about drug education or insist that every act of premarital sex leads to AIDS, pregnancy, warts, and demon babies with gills—we’re missing an opportunity for education. If the kid reads a book like The Shepherd’s Granddaughter and doesn’t become a suicide bomber, we’ve proven ourselves to be clueless and untrustworthy as authority figures. We’ve closed the door to open, honest discussion.

Ingall offers something of great value -- a list of books which represent a good perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

I will fight for your right to keep this book from your own children but I cannot support keeping this book from all children. It is the right of every parent to decide what they will allow their children to read. Its numerous awards tell me that a wide cross-section of people have seen value in this book. Trust readers (even children).

The "Banned Book Challenge" runs for just a few more weeks. How many challenged or banned books can you read before June 1?

All is not Happy in Boneville

A challenge to a graphic novel series written for children is ironic because it is so close to Free Comic Book Day. A recent story in the Minnesota Sun explains that parent Ramona DeLay was shocked that Jeff Smith's popular "Bone" graphic novel series has illustrations related to drinking, smoking, and gambling, activities the DARE program taught him not to do. She had filed a request to have the materials reconsidered for inclusion in the library. She objected to the book's portrayal of gambling, alcohol and tobacco use, and "sexual situations between characters" and indicated that she wanted the book "withdrawn from all students."

An interview with author Jeff Smith was held by Publishers Weekly.

JS: [Laughs] I'm laughing because it doesn't seem like you could really find those things. To a degree. In general, the characters in Bone are all adults and there are not a lot of strange activities like that, but there are storylines, some of the unsavory characters will try to pull scams, try to rig bets and things, and it always goes wrong. So no one is rewarded for doing any unsavory behavior in Bone, and it's difficult for me to see how anyone could think Bone would encourage kids to do unsavory things. Also, none of the main characters do these things. My conclusion is that some people aren't smart enough to read comic books.

He explains why his character was smoking.

The smoking in Bone, it's kind of like a time capsule thing. I started Bone in 1991. In 1988 there was a big movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and there was a baby smoking a cigar [in that movie]. So a cigar to me was like a Groucho Marx vaudeville prop, it was an anachronism. When I created the dragon, it was not the evil it is now. When I quit smoking in the middle of Bone, the cigarette just disappeared from the dragon's mouth.

According to a Wikipedia article, "Bone has received numerous awards, among them ten Eisner Awards and eleven Harvey Awards. In 2005, Time chose the 1,342 page compilation as one of the 10 best English language, graphic novels ever written."

The review board has voted 10 to 1 to allow the series to remain, according to Boneville.com.

Why not celebrate Free Comic Book day by adding a challenged comic book or graphic novel to the Banned Book Challenge? How many challenged books can you complete in one month?

Locker Library

Author Cory Doctoro shares a story in Boing Boing of a teen (who shall remain anonymous) who has a lending library of banned books which he/she runs out of his/her locker. While there has been some discussion over whether this is a hoax or a true story, it is provocative. According to the original question at ask.com, the idea began when a friend asked him/her to lend The Catcher in the Rye. The idea grew until his/her locker was so full of books that he/she decided to organize them in the empty locker next to his/hers. At last count, he/she had 62 books which had been banned from students.
He/she keeps a log and gives out due dates. He/she is at a private school which has banned certain titles. He/she speculates about what kind of trouble he/she could get into if he/she is caught but believes a lot of his/her friends are reading more because of this idea. In case you were wondering why the teens just don't go to a public library, he/she suggests that most of the kids are too chicken or their parents won't let them.

See the original question at answers.com.

The Banned Book Challenge continues until June 30. Set a goal and read with us.

Internet Filtering Software

The Corporation of the City of Cambridge wants to force the Cambridge Public Library to install and use Internet Filtering Software on their computers. Councillor Tucci put forward the following Internet Filtering Proposal found in the City of Cambridge's Council agenda of February 9, 2009.

Councillor Tucci - Internet Filtering Software On Computers

Recommendation
WHEREAS there is no law in Ontario prohibiting pornography and other sexually explicit material from being viewed on computers in public schools and libraries;

AND WHEREAS there are public schools and public libraries that do not use
internet filtering software on computers that blocks such inappropriate material;

AND WHEREAS significant changes have occurred with respect computer technologies, software and programs that could filter access to inappropriate, explicit sexual content;

AND WHEREAS parents in the province of Ontario have the right to ensure
their children are protected from pornography and other inappropriate material available on the internet in their public schools and libraries;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of The Corporation of the City of Cambridge petitions the Honorable M. Aileen Carrol, Minister of Culture, the Honorable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario and, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to require all public schools and libraries in Ontario to be required to install internet filtering software on computers to avoid viewing of sites with inappropriate, explicit sexual content;

AND FURTHER THAT the motion once approved be forwarded to all MPPs representing Waterloo Region, to the Leader of the Official Opposition, to the Leader of the 3rd party and, through AMO, to all other municipalities for their consideration.

In 2004, a Cambridge man was arrested for using a city library computer to download child pornography, according to a story in The Record. In the fall of 2008, the Cambridge Public Library Board twice rejected the call for the use of filtering but promised to review the situation as technology advances. The City of Cambridge refused to force the library to purchase filtering software in January 2009. Cambridge Public Library is the only library system in Waterloo Region that doesn't use filters. The issue has been raised once again. Cambridge Council voted 4-3 to support Tucci's recommendation, calling on the Province of Ontario to force libraries to use Internet blocking software.

Cambridge MPP Gerry Martiniuk is pushing a private members' bill (Bill 128) that would put internet filtering rules in place. Private members bills are rarely passed into law. Councilor Gary Price, who sits on the Cambridge library board, pointed out that libraries have a mandate to provide free access to legal information and that filtering software can block legal sites as well as questionable ones.

Below is the text from Bill 128 which is relevant to schools and public libraries:

Education Act
Every school board is required to ensure that every school of the board has in place technology measures on all of the school’s computers to which a person under the age of 18 years has access. The technology measures must do the following:

1. They must block access on the Internet to any material,including written material, pictures and recordings, that is obscene or sexually explicit or that constitutes child pornography.

2. They must block access to any form of electronic communication, including electronic mail and chat rooms, if the communication could reasonably be expected to expose a person under the age of 18 years to any material,including written material, pictures and recordings, that is obscene or sexually explicit or that constitutes child pornography.

3. They must block access to any site on the Internet or to any form of electronic communication, including electronic mail and chat rooms, if the school has not authorized users of the computers to access the site or the communication or if the site or the communication could reasonably be expected to contain material that includes personal information about a person under the age of 18 years.

A school is required to have a policy on who are authorized to use its computers to which a person under the age of 18 years has access and to monitor the use that persons under the age of 18 years make of those computers.

Public Libraries Act
The Bill amends the Public Libraries Act to make amendments that are similar to those that the Bill makes to the Education Act, except that the duties of a school board are those a board with respect to every library under its jurisdiction and the duties of a school are those of a public library.

Read an article which gives alternatives to internet filtering.


The Pelham Public Library challenges you to take the Banned Book Challenge. This challenge will run until June 30, 2009.

Canadian National Anthem Banned

The National Post posted a recent story on the banning of the national anthem from a New Brunswick school

Erik Millett, the principal of Belleisle Elementary School in Springfield removed the anthem citing concerns from a number of parents but without asking for input from the local parent school support committee. The decision went without notice until Susan Boyd, a parent of a Grade 5 student, was surprised when she heard her daughter say that she need to practise the anthem before performing it for a Canada Day celebration last year "because she was not sure if she'd remember the words." The singing of O Canada was removed from the daily opening but was still being sung at monthly assemblies. It became a personal issue for Boyd, whose nephew died in Kandahar in 2007 while serving in the military. For her, the national anthem is a way of honouring him and all Canadian soldiers overseas.

The issue has renewed debate about political correctness in schools as the principal removed the singing of the anthem as a way of accommodating parents who, because of religious reasons, did not want their children taking part in the opening routine.

Millett asked, "Is it right or is it fair for children who are not allowed to sing the anthem to be forced to?" adding, "Different families have different beliefs.... It's not up to me as a school administrator to subject kids to something their parents don't want them exposed to. I have to protect the minority rights as well as the majority rights."

The CBC followed up on this story from a different point of view.

Kelly Cooper, the vice-chair of the Parent School Support Committee, believes that the controversay has caused divisions within the community and has unfairly subjected the school and its principal to hostility. She would rather have her children miss out on the singing of the anthem each day than to have other students feel excluded.

Stated Cooper, "We all have our reasons to sing or not sing the anthem. But for me this is about how do we treat the people who are different in our community. How do we treat the people who disagree with us? Do we respect them, listen to their point of view, or does the majority say, 'We're the majority, too bad for you and we've got rights.' That doesn't make me feel very comfortable."

The principal told CBC News that his decision to stop the daily singing of the anthem was blown out of proportion and that the issue raises the question of what it means to be patriotic.

"There are many ways to demonstrate one's patriotism or one's love for a country," he said. "The anthem is one, flying a flag is another, volunteering in your community is another. I would argue that teachers and staff at my school, caring for children to make sure they don't go hungry or don't go cold or have all they need to learn, that is being patriotic.

"I think really it has nothing to do with the decision that my staff and I arrived at. It has everything to do with one person having a very driven agenda and misrepresenting what the school did in the media and the media reproducing the myth, that mythology to a point that people in this country were whipped into a hysteria."

The school board ordered that the anthem be reinstated and higher levels of government are debating the issue.

As we come to the end of Freedom to Read week, the Pelham Public Library challenges you to take the Banned Book Challenge. This challenge will run from February to June 2009.

Freedom to Read Week Activities at Brock University

Check out the James A. Gibson's Library celebration of Freedom to Read Week at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario for ideas on what you can do to recognize the week. And be on the lookout for banned and challenged books set free through Bookcrossing or free a book yourself.

Below is a listing of Special Events @ the Brock Library:

Special Lecture
Forbidden Knowledge: Censorship and the Arts
Thursday, February 26
1-2pm Classroom B, Matheson Learning Commons

Join Dr. Linda Steer, Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual Arts, for a discussion on works of art and literature that have been banned for religious, moral, or political reasons. This lecture will explore questions and issues around censorship. Why are creative works banned? Is censorship ever of value? Do morals change over time?

Free a Challenged Book!

During Freedom to Read week, banned books (e.g. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye) will be released across campus... If you discover a book with the “Free a Challenged Book” label, be sure to visit www.bookcrossing.com and add your thoughts and comments. To see a list of over 100 books and magazines that have been challenged in Canada, please visit: http://www.freedomtoread.ca/censorship_in_canada/challenged_books.asp

Special Display
Challenged Books
February 23-March 2

Visit the display cases across from the Library Help Desk and discover books that have been challenged or banned in Canadian schools and libraries.

A Week of Prizes!
February 23-27

Sign up to follow the Brock Library on Twitter before the end of Reading Week. During Freedom to Read week, we will be announcing a secret word each afternoon through our Twitter account. The first person to reach the Library Help Desk and say the secret word will receive a prize! Sign up for Twitter. Be sure to visit the Brock Library Twitter account and “Follow” our updates.

At the Pelham Public Library, we challenge you to take the Banned Book Challenge.

A Question of Censorship

Fahrenheit 451 welcomes guest blogger Heather Johnson.

The word censorship conjures up an image of a pair of scissors, but no, the chopping and patching together of movies to come up with a suitable ratings certificate is not the subject under debate here; we’re talking something that has a further reach than movies – Schools. History has seen its share of censorship over the centuries and decades. Conspiracy theories abound about self-professed leaders and despots burning entire libraries to prevent information from being passed on to the generations to come. In the recent past, we’ve seen controversy dog novels both as benign as the Harry Potter series and as inflammatory as Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons.

I’m sure there are existent rules and policies that decide what one should censor and what one should allow when it comes to teaching children. But even after a lot of research on this contentious subject, all I’m left with are more questions rather than answers I was seeking:

• What is it that makes human beings decide on the right to information?


• In the case of children, who decides what’s right and wrong in terms of information that’s accessible by or taught to students?


• Are libraries and curricula the only sources of children’s information?


• By censoring schoolbooks and restricting the kind of books allowed in the school library, are we doing our children a disservice or are we protecting them?


• In this age of free and ready information on the Internet, is it worth the time, effort and hassles associated with implementing censorship at schools?


• The human psyche is programmed to want what is denied to it – so the more you stress that an activity is forbidden or a subject taboo, the more the adolescent or child wants to explore it for himself. So when a topic or book or subject is censored from the curriculum or library, word gets around, and isn’t it true that the kids are all agog with curiosity to know what the fuss is all about?


• Rather than censoring information outright, is it a better option to teach children to process and assimilate it and decide for themselves if it’s right or wrong or if there are any acceptable shades of grey in between?


• Who decides at what age children should be allowed access to any information without any form of censorship? Parents or teachers? If both sets of adults are unable to reach a compromise, who wins? Is it the voice that’s the loudest or the one that has more say in the child’s upbringing?


• How long can we keep protecting our children anyway? Isn’t it better that we taught them about touchy subjects like sex instead of having them learn from their peers who are not experts on the subject or from other sources that are not the best teachers?

It’s difficult to reach a satisfactory consensus or conclusion on so contentious a subject; maybe it’s a matter of individual opinion and varies from one person to another.

This article is contributed by Heather Johnson, who regularly writes on the topic of instant degrees. She invites your questions and writing opportunities at her personal email address: heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.

Descending Onto a Slippery Slope or Challenged to THINK

With the permission of Flash Cap, who appears to be a teacher in the Fort Worth area, I have published the essay found in his blog entry, "Another Post on Book Banning...." This essay is a response to the controversy over teaching classics such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

In an article about the current controversy surrounding Adventures of Huckleberry Finn up in the Fort Worth area, Ron Price, a Dallas school board member, states, "We are here today to say we will not tolerate the N-word being used by any educators anywhere in our school district, throughout our region or the state of Texas. It's critical that we examine all of our textbooks to ensure that the language is proper and that the language is not being used to abuse any child in any school."

As an English teacher for ten years, I find Ron Price's statement scary, and not just because of my feelings about Twain and Huck. His statement suggests that any word deemed offensive by any student can and should be removed carte blanche from the curriculum. With this threat in mind, I started looking through my high school’s reading list in an effort to determine which works could be targeted.

Let's start with the word "nigger" - obviously, Twain's Huck Finn is gone. Tom Sawyer is, too. So are any number of his short stories and essays, including a scathing condemnation of a southern lynching entitled "Only a Nigger." But Twain's not the only author whose works will be culled. So, too, will Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is removed, as are any number of his novels. Flannery O'Connor is also guilty of using the word in a few of her stories. Catch-22 is gone. A few Hemingway works won't make the cut (including The Sun Also Rises) and, to be consistent, neither will Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, Richard Wright's novels Black Boy and Native Son, and Frederick Douglass' Autobiography (and most other slave narratives I've read). So right there we've effectively silenced three of the greatest African-American voices in American literature. But, hey, at least students won't be exposed to the word "nigger," right?

Swear words (not just racial epithets) are offensive, too. Good-bye, Catcher in the Rye, Of Mice and Men, Cold Mountain, Catch-22, Invisible Man, and Fahrenheit-451 (oh, the irony!). The boys of Lord of the Flies should have their mouths washed out with soap, and Orwell’s 1984 is horrid. Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima is gone (and I haven't even mentioned the witchcraft in that one...oops), as are Seabiscuit and A Separate Peace. Don't even get me started on Grendel, that monster (why can't he act civilized?). No wonder I hear all sorts of curse words in the hallways - the literature students are reading is setting the standard.

Let's move on to not just words, but actions (actions speak louder than words, you know). I know many people find sex offensive, particularly between unmarried people. So, so long, Scarlet Letter and Cold Mountain; good bye, Romeo and Juliet. The Great Gatsby has an affair in it, so scratch that, and the trouble in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible all starts with an affair between John Proctor and Abigail (but maybe we can leave that one in, since John is hanged at the end). Wait a minute - Willy Loman has an affair in Death of a Salesman - obviously Miller has some strange fixation on sexual trysts so let's ban 'em both. Catch-22 and Invisible Man are now three-time offenders, so perhaps we can burn them and drive home the point (I mean, do they have ANY redeemable qualities? Oops, that's beside the point). Dances with Wolves - Dunbar masturbates! And then he fools around with Stands With a Fist (this is after being fondled by some young indian women). The senior level reading list is chock-full of sex (implicit and explicit) -- Kate Chopin, you're not fooling anyone. Nude women abound in The Odyssey, and The Picture of Dorian Gray is scandalous (the foreword Wilde writes, notwithstanding). Not a sexual episode, but in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels the titular Gulliver actually pees on a house to douse a fire – how lewd! Students don't need to be reading that, it's distracting and they'd laugh, and then the next thing we know THEY'LL be peeing on house fires (maybe we could just excise that portion).

And what about witchcraft? Goodbye Macbeth, Hamlet and Julius Caesar (is there ANY Shakespeare work that would be safe?) and The Crucible centers around it. If we throw in religion (don't want to start in with what any religious books say, as it might make some students uncomfortable) we also have to get rid of The Poisonwood Bible, any Puritan readings (Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", for example), and let's just ignore any allusions made in any other works ("Mr. Williams, what does Patrick Henry mean when he says 'Don't be betrayed by a kiss'?" "Just ignore that line, student of mine, it could be offensive if I explain it"). Practically nothing Abraham Lincoln wrote could be read (he was President! How dare he quote the Bible!), and more recently published novels being considered by our English staff like Life of Pi and The Kite Runner (both finalists for the Brazos Valley Reads program) are immediately verboten. Oops, perhaps I shouldn't use German because of the negative connotation it might have.

Strangely enough, graphic violence doesn't seem to offend anyone. But violence is usually accompanied by swearing (people who get shot/stabbed/poisoned are generally nonplussed) so it's a moot point.

Some reading this might reply that I’m descending onto a slippery slope. Perhaps a bit, but I would also point out that every specific work mentioned above has been challenged at a school somewhere in this country for the exact reason given. So here's the question: if we shouldn't include anything in our curriculum that could possibly/maybe/might offend someone, what exactly do we read? Does context not count anymore? Does authorial intent not mean anything? My entire AP reading list is gone, based on Ron Price's argument that began this missive. Most of the works included in Consolidated's English curriculum are questionable because they could make some students uncomfortable, and apparently that's not what some in high places believe literature should do.

But I would argue that this is EXACTLY what it should do. This is what great literature (i.e. education) does: it makes us question our society, our world, our selves, and questions without immediate answers are uncomfortable. When we read any novel, we come into it with preconceived ideas and if the book makes us question those ideas, we're forced to THINK about why we believe the things we do. Huck Finn makes us think about race (which will ALWAYS be an issue in the U.S., even if we abolish the word 'nigger') and how supposedly civilized people treat one another. It's a tale of how difficult it actually is to overcome the supposed "truths" society feeds us from day one, and it's a tale of friendship. To ban this book (and others) for the use of deemed "offensive" words, disregarding entirely the context of such use and the author's intent, is a crime far greater than making a student uncomfortable. Yes, some ideas we encounter in our education can be offensive, but if teachers are just in the business of reinforcing preconceived notions/ideas, playing it safe, why the hell are we here?

Banned, Not Banned, Half Banned, Not Sure....

Confusion runs amuck concerning Maureen Johnson's The Bermudez Triangle and its banning in Barltesville. In Maureen Johnson's latest web log entry, she goes over the whole conversation with officials to try to find out whether her book has been banned, "half banned," or is under no threat.

Little Willow reminds me that there is a petition against banning books for those of you who might be interested in signing it: NO BOOK BAN IN BARTLESVILLE petition.

Maureen Johnson Confesses to Being a Dangerous Person

I AM A VERY DANGEROUS PERSON is the title of a recent entry on Maureen Johnson's web log.

She had received an email from Ninja Librarian Susan Hunt of the Bartlesville, Oklahoma school district, where a challenge to Maureen Johnson's The Bermudez Triangle,a Young Adult novel, was made on March 4, 2007. The committee reconsidering the novel informed Susan Hunt that the decision had been made to pull the book from the library. Apparently in 19 years, this is the first book that has raised objections.

Says Johnson,

Well, well, well. Looks like I went and got myself banned! Apparently I have written something so dangerous that it can’t be contained on the shelf of a high school library.

This was the letter that started it all:

I’m shocked and appalled at the lack of discretion, and moral decline in the selection of books at the Mid-High library. Homosexual content, unprotected sex, underage drinking, and reckless promiscuity are not values that belong in a school library. I understand there are parents or teens who are dealing with these issues, but not all parents want their kids exposed to this material. Personally, I would not endorse any of these types of book as “14-and-15-year-old-friendly.” Giving teenagers knowledge without guidance is irresponsible and dangerous. As a parent, I screen my 15-year-old’s television, Internet, video game, magazines, and books. There are things she’s not mature enough to handle, or are simply wrong for her. Parents are a child’s best line of defense in a world that rushes to grow them up too soon. This book, “The Bermudez Triangle” has no moral fiber, and wrongly promotes a “do whomever you want to discover yourself” mentality. There’s no mention of the myriad of diseases, pregnancy, destruction of friendships and lives that are very real consequences of a “sexual free-for-all” decision. I ask that his material be removed at once. You have a responsibility to the children at school to protect them and educate them. Let’s raise the bar a little higher, respect moral values and a parent’s right to guard that which has been entrusted to their care.

Johnson maintains that there is no sex in the book, but there is kissing. Says the author,

No moral fiber? Really? I beg to differ. The book is entirely about what happens to friendships when relationships enter the picture. That is, in fact, the whole book. Since there is no sex in it (just some kissing), pregnancy is not really an issue.

She explains that her mother who wouldn't let her wear denim skirts and still tells her that the stork brought her can't find a reason for banning the book.

I say she has joined the ranks of some excellent authors.

Read and watch author John Green's take on the banning on his "Brotherhood 2.0" blog.

Dealing with Challenges

Freedom to Read Poster 1996


Take the "Banned Book Challenge."


When the censors come:

Download a form to let Freedom to Read know about challenges in your library or school. While you are on the Freedom to Read site, check their list of banned or challenged books.

Diane R. Chen at Deep Thinking deals with a challenge in her school.

Cooperative Children's Book Center, University of Wisconsin confidentially assists Wisconsin librarians and teachers when they are facing potential or actual book challenges. However, they publish a list of Steps to Take when confronted by a challenge. Read the story of how University of Wisconsin is helping educators.

The ALA (American Library Association) has information on Fighting Censorship.

The really brave can find a lesson plan using banned or challenged materials in the classroom. Curriculum Services Canada offers a novel approach to teaching art. Art History Goes Graphic offers a unique approach to the study of art history through the use of graphic novels.

Book Moot has advice on avoiding book challenges. Excerpts of the post are below.

Too often in the past year I have read reports of districts ignoring their own reconsideration policies to quiet one hysterical voice. I have also seen heartening stories where district policies are followed to the letter.

Librarians CAN innoculate themselves to a small degree to book challenges.
1. Do your students look forward to their time in the library?
2. Do you interact with your students?
3. Do you get to know their interests and reading strengths?
4. Would they recognize you in the hall?
5. Do parents hear about your "very cool" library program?

Or are you an "in-the-office" librarian, toiling away on MARC records, focusing on the administrative aspects of the job with little personal contact with the kids?

RULE #1 of book challenges--It is NEVER just about the book. Book challenges always include one or more of the following ingredients:
1. anger with someone at the school
2. parental guilt about not being there for their child in some way or fashion
3. a bid for attention and/or a desire to be someone of consequence and power

Finally, remember, it is all about "the Right Book for the Right Reader at the Right Time."

Doug Johnson of The Blue Skunk Blog advises, "Don't defend any book." Excerpts from his post follow.

I find it upsetting that so many professional librarians seem to have lost the basic understandings of selection, reconsideration, in loco parentis, and intellectual freedom.

The main objection I have to the conversations [about banning Lucky] has been that we are trying to defend a single book rather than defending a fair and open process for selecting and retaining any instructional material in our schools.

As I remember from li-berry school, this is how professionals deal with the selection of and potential censorship of instructional materials:

1. They assure that the district has a board adopted selection/reconsideration policy. Oh, and they've read it.
2. They select all materials based on the stated selection criteria in the policy.
3. They select only materials based on authoritative and reliable review sources.
4. If they are asked to remove an item selected from the instructional program, they do not defend the material, but insist that the board adopted reconsideration policy and procedures be followed. This policy should require that a standing reconsideration committee be appointed at the beginning of each school year. When requested by the committee, they will provide the rationale and resources used for selection of the item under reconsideration.
5. Once a resource is selected, they do not restrict its use by any student. Professionals cannot act in the place of parents (in loco parentis) to restrict access to materials to individuals.

His final advice is to know your selection policy, select from authoritative reviews, and insist on due process if a book is challenged.

Canadian Challenges 2006

Freedom to Read Poster 1995




Take the "Banned Book Challenge."










Dr. Toni Samek has created and teaches a course on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibilities at the Faculty of Education, University of Alberta and is also the convenor of the CLA Intellectual Freedom Advisory Committee. She has developed a web-based challenges form that received a very good response for 2006. From the responses, they have put together a list of some of the 2006 challenges to books and other materials found in school and public libraries in Canada in 2006, as well as the libraries' response. This was a first-time effort in gathering information from Canadian libraries through the Canadian Library Association listserv, and other places on the Internet that are frequented by librarians. She adds that this is not an all-encompassing list.

Deborah Ellis to Take the Banned Book Challenge

Canadian author Deborah Ellis, recipient of the Order of Ontario for 2006 and the Governor General's Award for Looking for X has faced challenges to her books. When contacted about this "Banned Book Challenge," she promised to give it a go.

What a great idea! I can't promise, but I will try.

Paper Tigers recently interviewed Ellis.

Your books are often controversial - not least in your native Canada. In particular, Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak has been both promoted and removed from reading lists in Ontario. What are your views on book censorship, particularly of children's and young adults' books?

I think all topics should be available in children's and YA novels, but not all writers have the talent to write about all topics in a way that is accessible to children. We put children in all sorts of situations around the world - prostitution, drug abuse, slavery, incest, etc - and it takes special talent to write about those things in a way that is respectful. There are topics that I won't touch because I know I don't have the talent to do them properly.

A Canadian challenged book list has the following information about the recent banning of Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak

2006—In Ontario, the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) urged public school boards to deny access to this children’s non-fiction book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to students in the elementary grades.
Cause of objection—The CJC said that Ellis had provided a flawed historical introduction to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The CJC also said that some children in the book portrayed Israeli soldiers as brutal, expressed ethnic hatred and glorified suicide bombing. The effect on young student readers, the CJC said, was “toxic.”
Update—Although the Ontario Library Association (OLA) had recommended Three Wishes to schools as part of its acclaimed Silver Birch reading program, and although schoolchildren were not required to read the book, at least five school boards in Ontario set restrictions on the text:
a) The District School Board of Niagara encouraged librarians to steer students in Grades 4–6 away from Three Wishes and to tell parents that their children had asked for the book.
b) The Greater Essex County District School Board restricted access to the book to students in Grade 7 or higher.
c) The Toronto District School Board restricted access to the book to students in grade 7 or higher and withdrew the book from school library shelves.
d) The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board refused to stock the book and refused to provide copies to students who asked for it.
e) In 2005, before the CJC made its views about Three Wishes public, the York Regional District School Board also withdrew the book from the Silver Birch program.
Protests by the OLA, The Writers’ Union of Canada, PEN Canada and the Association of Canadian Publishers failed to persuade the school boards to repeal their restrictions.

Sarah Elton wrote this article for the Globe and Mail in the wake of the controversy.

I am embarrassed to tell this blog's readers that I live within the boundaries of the District School Board of Niagara and at one time taught for them. I have read this book and find it to be a fair and balanced view of the conflict. It is powerful because it is in the words of the children themselves and it challenges the adults in their lives and even as far away as Canada to put a stop to the horrow. Our JT Book Club (ages 11-15) is reading Three Wishes this month.

Take the "Banned Book Challenge" yourself and let us know what your goal is.

A Challenging Year in Review 2006

Bookslut has an article on titles from 2006 which have been challenged. Read the article by Chris Zammarelli for full details of what happened with these challenges.

The Well by Mildred Taylor
"...removed from an elementary school reading list for Black History Month in Absecon, NJ because of a racial epithet used in the book...."

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The mother of a high school freshman in Annapolis, MD asked that it be banned because of its mature themes.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The superintendent of the Judson School District Board, San Antonio, TX ordered the book taken out of the advanced English curriculum when a parent complained it contained sexual and anti-Christian content.

Vamos a Cuba by Alta Schreier
Cuban exiles requested Miami-Dade School Board, FL ban this children's book because it portrayed an unrealistic portrait of life in Cuba. School board member Frank Balanos had the book pulled from classroom shelves, although the book stayed in the library.

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Laura Mallory spent much of 2006 trying to get Harry Potter banned from Gwinnett (GA) County Public Schools because of its theme of witchcraft.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Parents of students at Apalachee High School in GA had an edition of Lord of the Flies removed because it contained an essay by E.L. Epstein that commented on the rape-like nature of the pig-slaying scene.

Beloved by Toni Morrison and eight other titles
Board member Leslie Pinney in Arlington Heights, IL called for such titles as Toni Morrison's Beloved and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five to be banned because of their obscene content.

Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love by Maryrose Wood and nine other titles
The Hernando County (FL) County School Board removed 10 titles from the library's book order, including Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love by Maryrose Wood and The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. School board member Sandra Nicholson requested the titles removed because they contained offensive language.

The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
Fleet Belle of the Mobile County (AL) school board requested The Learning Tree be removed from LeFlore High School summer reading list because of its offensive language and sexual content.

The Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein and Felice Picano
The Nampa (ID) Public Library Board voted to retain The Joy of Gay Sex, but ordered the book and 60 other books about sex be placed on the top shelves on the library.

And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Some people in Shiloh, IL and Charlotte, NC objected to this children's book about two male penguins raising a baby penguin because, well, it's about two male penguins raising a baby penguin. It's based on the true story of two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape? by Peter Hedges
The superintendent of Carroll (IA) Schools pulled Peter Hedges's What's Eating Gilbert Grape? from a class about books made into movies because a parent complained about an oral sex scene in the book.

Take the Banned Book Challenge. Watch for details to be posted here next week.
Freedom to Read Poster 1985

Gilbert Grape Ban Stomped on Temporarily

In a previous post, the controversy surrounding the removal of What's Eating Gilbert Grape was aired. Last night, a committee of students, parents and staff at Carroll High School had a small majority of 5-3 pass a proposal to keep the book in the library and classrooms. However, that may not be the final say when Carroll's school board meets later in January to put the issue to rest.

It is facing a challenge due to one sexually explicit passage that a parent objects to.

"Poet Laminate"

Recently author Jack Prelutsky was given the title of Children's Poet Laureate, the first ever named by the Chicago-based Poetry Foundation, according to the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

It's a title, complete with $25,000 cash prize and an inscribed medallion, he will hold for two years, a sort of blessed community service that compels him to give two major public readings and act as adviser, ambassador and pollinator of his art.

His 35 plus books have been translated into several languages and have sold more than a million copies.

Prelutsky says that before becoming the Poet Laureate, he was the "Poet Laminate" as so many of his poems have been laminated and hung on the walls of schools.

He is proud that one of his books, The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight and Other Poems to Trouble Your Sleep, was banned by some school libraries. The UCLA College Library states that The Headless Horseman was challenged at the Victor Elementary School media center in Rochester, N.Y. in 1982 because it "was too frightening for young children to read."

According to The Mountains and Plains Booksellers Association, two other titles, Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep and Rolling Harvey Down Hill have also been challenged or banned.

Check out Reading Rockets for more information on this poet or to view videos and interviews.

Teaching Challenged and Banned Books

Author Chris Crutcher, an adult of young adult novels has been a crusader for the right of children and teens to read freely. A number of his books have been challenged over the years. A Guide to Teaching Challenged and Banned Books is available at his web site along with a history of challenges to his books. Also interesting is CC Answers the Censors, his response to the people who would remove his books (and others) from schools and libraries.

Brief Story - Pardon the Pun

A Canadian Press story published on October 26 exposes the silliness of a Long Beach, NY high school principal. Nicholas Restivo banned Captain Underpants from the annals of Superhero history at least at his school. The popular superhero is a character from a series of children's books. While he hasn't endeared himself to most parents, the kids love the bathroom humour.

Three students wore beige leotards and nude stockings under white briefs and red capes on the school's Superhero Day. The principal claimed they appeared to be naked, although he clarified that he knew that they weren't naked.

While Restivo figuratively got his shorts in a knot, the three 17-year-old girls poo pooed the idea that they were naked or that they had done anything inappropriate. Excuse my confusion but don't most superheros look like they are in their underpants? And why would you hold a Superhero Day that even Superman or Batman couldn't show up at?