Thursday, October 03, 2002
Follow up to the earlier post on Banned Books Week:
After reading the Focus on the Family press release, I contacted FOTF to find out the title that was challenged by a Florida mother for containing "containing profanity, prostitution, graphic violence and a detailed account of a suicide attempt."
A representative from FOTF says the book is The Bones in the Cliff by James Stevenson. According to FOTF, the case
occurred two years ago with an advanced reader second grade girl.
I will say that the FOTF representative was extremely courteous and generous in his reply. I love it when people who wildly disagree about a topic can talk about it rationally and politely with each other. Here is the email I sent to FOTF:
Hi,
I recently read your release regarding the ALA's Banned Books Week at http://www.family.org/welcome/press/a0022343.cfm
I applaud you for speaking your opinion. Part of the message of Banned Books Week is to raise awareness about this issue and open a dialogue about the practice of censoring or challenging books in our culture.
My knowledge of the most frequently challenged books suggests that most challenges are the result of what the book is perceived to contain, rather than the true message of the book.
In your press release you mention a Florida mother who challenged a school library book. I'm curious what this title was?
By not listing the title of the book, you are leaving it up to the reader to think of the offending book as solely "containing profanity, prostitution, graphic violence and a detailed account of a suicide attempt" without providing any evidence or way for the reader to check on these claims.
I support the ALA's Banned Books Week. I think challenging books in order to remove them from libraries or bookstores is a misguided attempt by parents to control their child's education. It creates a fear of ideas and infringes on the rights of other adults and children to decide what they can read.
But I'm also willing to hear your side of the story. I think both sides agree on some core goals (namely a supportive, nurturing educational environment for children).
Thanks for your time. I look forward to finding out the book title challenged by the Florida mother and any web links or comments you think would explain your position more.
Jay Gesin
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After reading the Focus on the Family press release, I contacted FOTF to find out the title that was challenged by a Florida mother for containing "containing profanity, prostitution, graphic violence and a detailed account of a suicide attempt."
A representative from FOTF says the book is The Bones in the Cliff by James Stevenson. According to FOTF, the case
occurred two years ago with an advanced reader second grade girl.
I will say that the FOTF representative was extremely courteous and generous in his reply. I love it when people who wildly disagree about a topic can talk about it rationally and politely with each other. Here is the email I sent to FOTF:
Hi,
I recently read your release regarding the ALA's Banned Books Week at http://www.family.org/welcome/press/a0022343.cfm
I applaud you for speaking your opinion. Part of the message of Banned Books Week is to raise awareness about this issue and open a dialogue about the practice of censoring or challenging books in our culture.
My knowledge of the most frequently challenged books suggests that most challenges are the result of what the book is perceived to contain, rather than the true message of the book.
In your press release you mention a Florida mother who challenged a school library book. I'm curious what this title was?
By not listing the title of the book, you are leaving it up to the reader to think of the offending book as solely "containing profanity, prostitution, graphic violence and a detailed account of a suicide attempt" without providing any evidence or way for the reader to check on these claims.
I support the ALA's Banned Books Week. I think challenging books in order to remove them from libraries or bookstores is a misguided attempt by parents to control their child's education. It creates a fear of ideas and infringes on the rights of other adults and children to decide what they can read.
But I'm also willing to hear your side of the story. I think both sides agree on some core goals (namely a supportive, nurturing educational environment for children).
Thanks for your time. I look forward to finding out the book title challenged by the Florida mother and any web links or comments you think would explain your position more.
Jay Gesin
