Showing posts with label challenged books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label challenged books. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Blog of the Week: Dangerous Pages
Dangerous Pages brings you the story behind some of the most commonly banned books in schools across the country. Learn the inside scoop behind bans on books like Alice in Wonderland, The Color Purple, and James and the Giant Peach. . . and The Very Hungry Caterpillar???
Thursday, April 2, 2009
For the Poet in You!
Happy National Poetry Month! April was a big deal when I was an English major in college. We would have readings and get-togethers, even chalk the sidewalks with poetry.
Poetic Asides is hosting a month long challenge/competition for the poets out there. Write one poem every day all month, based on the given prompt. Your poem could end up in an e-book at the end of the month. But hey, even if it doesn't, you can still have the satisfaction of knowing that you wrote 30 poems in one month!
Reminds me of the NaNoWriMo challenge for novelists that happens every November. Only harder somehow. Don't think you'll be seeing this out of practice poet taking this challenge!
Poetic Asides is hosting a month long challenge/competition for the poets out there. Write one poem every day all month, based on the given prompt. Your poem could end up in an e-book at the end of the month. But hey, even if it doesn't, you can still have the satisfaction of knowing that you wrote 30 poems in one month!
Reminds me of the NaNoWriMo challenge for novelists that happens every November. Only harder somehow. Don't think you'll be seeing this out of practice poet taking this challenge!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Parents Against Bad Books in Schools
If you haven't seen the Parents Against Bad Books in Schools website (http://www.pabbis.com/) you have to check it out.
Their criteria for judging a book, according to their website:
"Age appropriateness
Good taste
What are educational goals/objectives and does book achieve them?
Is book relevant to curriculum, standards of learning, program of instruction?
Is this particular book necessary? Are other books without bad content equal or better in doing the job? Which ones were considered?"
They acknowledge that "bad" is what you determine for your children. But, if you look at their website, you'll be hard pressed to find a well-known middle grade or YA novel that doesn't have some sort of objectionable content. And their reasons for including them are often vague, confusing, or erroniously drawn from innocent passages.
Some of their "bad" books include:
I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
Keesha's House by Helen Frost
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
(By the way, I have read all of the books above and I wouldn't have any problem with my child reading them, at an appropriate age of course.)
While I respect parents' rights to choose what is appropriate for their children, I have a hard time with this group suggesting that the books should be removed from schools, therefore taking them out of the hands of all children at that school.
I think this issue is too big for just one blog entry.
Their criteria for judging a book, according to their website:
"Age appropriateness
Good taste
What are educational goals/objectives and does book achieve them?
Is book relevant to curriculum, standards of learning, program of instruction?
Is this particular book necessary? Are other books without bad content equal or better in doing the job? Which ones were considered?"
They acknowledge that "bad" is what you determine for your children. But, if you look at their website, you'll be hard pressed to find a well-known middle grade or YA novel that doesn't have some sort of objectionable content. And their reasons for including them are often vague, confusing, or erroniously drawn from innocent passages.
Some of their "bad" books include:
I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
Keesha's House by Helen Frost
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
(By the way, I have read all of the books above and I wouldn't have any problem with my child reading them, at an appropriate age of course.)
While I respect parents' rights to choose what is appropriate for their children, I have a hard time with this group suggesting that the books should be removed from schools, therefore taking them out of the hands of all children at that school.
I think this issue is too big for just one blog entry.
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