Discussing the “dark” qualities of YA books and their strong language is much in vogue of late. Yes, books can“scar” you–in that they effect you, they leave their mark, they cause an emotional reaction that sticks with you after you’ve read them. There seems to be an impulse to keep teens “unscarred” in the well-meaning, […]
Goodbye Jean Craighead George, “Julie of the Wolves” author
It’s been a rough week for the world of arts and letters–Maurice Sendak, Carlos Fuentes, now Donna Summer. And the great and prolific author Jean Craighead George, who died yesterday at the age of 92. I doubt Craighead George’s name is as immediately recognizable to the general public, but as one of the many people […]
Farewell to Sendak, but not to Censorship
We were saddened to hear today about the passing of beloved children’s book author Maurice Sendak at the age of 83. His books, the most well-known being Where the Wild Things Are, captivated the imaginations of readers both young and old with their sometimes dark, fantastical stories. Because of the nature of his tales, many […]
Kudos to a Courageous Kentucky Librarian
Two library employees were fired at the Jessamine County Public Library for violating library policy. Deciding that the graphic novel The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume IV: The Black Dossier was inappropriate for young patrons, they conspired to keeping the book on permanent “checked-out” status and removed a “hold” one young patron placed on the […]
Banned Books Week Book Censorship Update
Some good and bad news for you today, folks, on the fifth day of Banned Books Week… First the good news: In Pennsylvania, Downingtown West High School followed model procedure in addressing a challenge against Laurie Halse Anderson’s Twisted. We are please to report school officials and parents resolved the issue amicably through discussion. For […]
Litchfield teacher resigns amid short story controversy
On June 18, the School Board of Campbell High School in Litchfield, New Hampshire decided to remove four short stories from the “Love/Gender/Family” unit of an English class. Early last week, Kathleen Reilly resigned from her position as English department head, citing a desire to teach elementary school in a different district. Reilly, who had […]
Interview with Brent Hartinger, author of challenged book, Geography Club
Kids’ Right To Read’s Jaime Chosak interviewed Brent Hartinger, author of the young adult novel Geography Club. Parents recently asked for the removal of the book from shelves in the West Bend Public Library in Wisconsin. Kids Right to Read Project: What was your motivation for writing Geography Club? Brent Hartinger: You know, it’s partly […]
Hemingway, King, Sedaris kicked out of New Hampshire high school classes
A couple of recent censorship attempts at public libraries have been squashed, but yesterday a group of parents succeeded in banning four short stories from high school classrooms in Litchfield, New Hampshire. School Superintendent Elaine F. Cutler stated that stories by authors including Stephen King, David Sedaris, and Ernest Hemingway will be removed from […]
Gossip Girl controversy goes national on FOX News
FOX News ran a national broadcast today about the Leesburg, Florida controversy over the Gossip Girl series of books in a public library. The segment, Unfit to Print?, features Dixie Fechtel and Dianne Venetta, the two mothers who brought their complaints before the Library Board, had them rejected, and are now petitioning the City Commission […]
Not in Front of the Children: A Reply to the Critics
A number of critics have taxed Not in Front of the Children with being insufficiently sensitive to the concerns of parents about sexual explicitness and graphic violence in popular culture. It's true that the book doesn't decry all the gross and offensive entertainment that is available—there is already a vast literature on that subject. My […]
