tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2202949130902554989.post6903120282477521217..comments2024-01-04T05:04:16.447-05:00Comments on A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust: Celebrate Banned Books WeekBeth S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06944635942712994937noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2202949130902554989.post-68497281188478901612012-10-01T02:02:43.900-04:002012-10-01T02:02:43.900-04:00Stopping by because of your link from this year...Stopping by because of your link from this year's post. I have always been grateful that my mom let me read in the adult section at a younger age because she trusted my judgment and let me learn and explore. It is incredibly frustrating to me when people (including some relatives of mine) won't try something like Harry Potter because they've been told by their church that it's a gateway to Satanism and witchcraft. And they won't even read the books to judge for themselves because then they might be led into temptation. The irony is that when their kids grow up, if they read the HP books they'll have to wonder what the big deal is, and then they might question what else the church has taught them that's been blown out of proportion.<br /><br />I've been trying to gently convince my relatives for years that HP is a great series of fantasy books, using Lord of the Rings as a comparison (because there is a good wizard in that book too). For some reason LotR is okay (because J.R.R. Tolkien was friends with C.S. Lewis?), but HP is soul corrupting. It actually caused a rift between my relatives and I when I told them that I had read and loved the HP series. It's so ridiculous.Alycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10919057159829023714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2202949130902554989.post-38038136651990351452011-09-29T17:23:31.575-04:002011-09-29T17:23:31.575-04:00Great post, Beth. I love your perspective on this ...Great post, Beth. I love your perspective on this as an educator. And I so agree that kids aren't going to look at every book character as a role model! They can be discerning. I just wanted Holden Caulfield to shut UP already, ha...Allisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06628530227439660832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2202949130902554989.post-40025118096230430842011-09-27T20:13:22.243-04:002011-09-27T20:13:22.243-04:00Marg, I completely agree with you. If I had my way...Marg, I completely agree with you. If I had my way, literature in high schools would be taught completely in a workshop format where students choose their own books under guidelines from the teacher. I teach middle school and that's how I teach my lit classes. It so empowering for the kids to be able to choose their own books. <br /><br />High school is where I lost my love of reading because of the ridiculous reading requirements that sucked any sort of joy or pleasure I got out of reading. <br /><br />If you watched the John Green video, he mentions that parents in the English class in question had the right to say they didn't want their kid to read his book. What he takes issue with (as does anyone against book banning) is when a group of people get together and says "we don't think ANYONE should be allowed to read this book."Beth S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06944635942712994937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2202949130902554989.post-5005140105949132082011-09-27T19:34:12.371-04:002011-09-27T19:34:12.371-04:00I definitely don't think books should be banne...I definitely don't think books should be banned, and on the flip side, I also don't think certain books should be forced upon young readers. <br /><br />One time when I was still in high school our English class was required to read a handful of books selected by the department faculty. We would then write papers on these books and that would make up a majority of our grade for the class. One of these books was an autobiography by a man who at the time was incarcerated. The book told the story of his life as a gang member, drug addicted, and criminal. Apparently, once in prison, this man found God and decided to write a book in order to warn young people against making the same mistakes as he had (particularly kids growing up the "hood"). <br /><br />Truth be told, whatever positive message this story was supposed to convey was totally lost on me. The book was brimming with foul language and detailed descriptions of senseless violence, including brutal gang rapes. I recall being completely disgusted by what I was reading...not just because of the acts themselves, but also because I felt as though the story was more about shock value than anything else. I saw no merit in the book, and I didn't want to read it. I approached my English teacher with my concerns, and he basically told me that I had no choice in the matter. The book was on "the list" and so I had to read it regardless of my feelings/opinions. <br /><br />Anyways, my point is, that young readers should be presented with a variety of different books from various genres, encouraged to discuss these books with their parents/guardians, and then given the power to choose what they want to read either individually or as a class.Marg @ Clockwork Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10798495776647093913noreply@blogger.com