This week is book banning week which sounds sort of awful if you think about it. When I first heard about it I thought it was a week celebrating banning books but no, it is a celebration of all the books that were once banned in this country. Silly me! Sponsored by the ALA (American Library Association), this week tries to bring awareness to an issue that still very much exists even though it feels like ancient history.
Honestly, it floors me that in 2011, books are still being "challenged." That is the word used now because as you know it is against the Constitution to ban books but one has the right to challenge anything (also according to our beloved Constitution.) According to some research I did there were over 300 documented challenges concerning books in this country last year, most of them made by parents of school aged children. As a former teacher and educator, this disgusts me. It suggests that our children should not think for themselves or even worse, that they can't be trusted. They think that some of the issues written will influence their children negatively and cause them to act inappropriately. Can't these parents think of greater causes to put their energy behind rather than an antiquated one like book banning? In a world where things like terrorism, drugs, natural disasters, and gang wars populate the news, how come people are more afraid of what is between 2 pages than what is on their doorstep? Call me naive, but I just don't get it. When teaching, I was thrilled when my students found books they actually wanted to read. With the age of technology, it is getting increasingly difficult to entice children to read actual books. There are so many other exciting things out there that capture their attention - much more so than when I was a kid. I remember when a group of my 6th grade girls were enraptured by the "Twilight" series. Instead of going outside for a much needed break in their day, they chose to stay inside and read as a group. I was never more proud as a teacher and a lover of books even though I couldn't get as enthusiastic about their choice of book but that's neither her nor there. They were reading and that is all that mattered. Incidentally, "Twilight" was one of the top 10 most challenged books last year by parents, along with the "Harry Potter" series (gasp!) and "The Hunger Games." (my favorite new young adult series.)
We can't protect our children from the world. Bad things are going to happen - whether its for real or between the pages of a book. And don't parents know by now that the one thing that will get their child to do something quicker than anything else is telling them they can't? Once you start saying that a book is bad and they shouldn't read it, what do you think they are going to do? So I say, keep challenging books so kids will keep challenging their parents!
For a list of top most challenged books of 2010, go to:
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/220946/20110927/banned-books-week-2011.htm
Honestly, it floors me that in 2011, books are still being "challenged." That is the word used now because as you know it is against the Constitution to ban books but one has the right to challenge anything (also according to our beloved Constitution.) According to some research I did there were over 300 documented challenges concerning books in this country last year, most of them made by parents of school aged children. As a former teacher and educator, this disgusts me. It suggests that our children should not think for themselves or even worse, that they can't be trusted. They think that some of the issues written will influence their children negatively and cause them to act inappropriately. Can't these parents think of greater causes to put their energy behind rather than an antiquated one like book banning? In a world where things like terrorism, drugs, natural disasters, and gang wars populate the news, how come people are more afraid of what is between 2 pages than what is on their doorstep? Call me naive, but I just don't get it. When teaching, I was thrilled when my students found books they actually wanted to read. With the age of technology, it is getting increasingly difficult to entice children to read actual books. There are so many other exciting things out there that capture their attention - much more so than when I was a kid. I remember when a group of my 6th grade girls were enraptured by the "Twilight" series. Instead of going outside for a much needed break in their day, they chose to stay inside and read as a group. I was never more proud as a teacher and a lover of books even though I couldn't get as enthusiastic about their choice of book but that's neither her nor there. They were reading and that is all that mattered. Incidentally, "Twilight" was one of the top 10 most challenged books last year by parents, along with the "Harry Potter" series (gasp!) and "The Hunger Games." (my favorite new young adult series.)
We can't protect our children from the world. Bad things are going to happen - whether its for real or between the pages of a book. And don't parents know by now that the one thing that will get their child to do something quicker than anything else is telling them they can't? Once you start saying that a book is bad and they shouldn't read it, what do you think they are going to do? So I say, keep challenging books so kids will keep challenging their parents!
For a list of top most challenged books of 2010, go to:
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/220946/20110927/banned-books-week-2011.htm
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