... is to tell them they aren't allowed to.
I have been pretty fired up about the news that broke a couple weeks ago about the Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell book banning in Anoka-Hennepin schools. I happened upon an article about it on The Toast after it was linked on FB by some writer "friends." The book was a recommended by the Anoka-Hennepin librarians as part of a voluntary summer reading initiative, and was supposed to conclude with a visit by Rainbow Rowell in the fall.
That led me to read the formal complaint on the Parents Action League website. Which led me to realize that ONE parent objected to the content of the book, listing the profanity as obscene and labeled the book pornography. The main characters, high school students, are bullied by people who swear a lot, and these characters fall in love, make out, and talk about but do not have sex. Porn at its best. The parent and her husband wrote a report, rallied the troops, and managed to get the author visit cancelled in the district, and requested the book be pulled from all library shelves in the high schools and to formally discipline the librarians for recommending this "profanity." As far as I can tell, the book hasn't yet been pulled and the disciplinary action is still being reviewed. But it's hard to follow the latest in the story.
You can read about the situation at NPR and Book Riot and CBLDF and an Omaha newspaper.
My author-crush John Green had given the book a gushing review in the NYT back in March, so it's been on my to-read list since then. But, like most of my friends, my to-read list is a mile and half long and growing, so I hadn't gotten to it yet. But I read it over the weekend after the news broke, just to see what all the fuss was about.
It is a great book. I loved it. The way Rowell captures these two complex teens is touching and funny and interesting. I'll admit that the hand-holding scenes are hot - which, isn't that supposed to be the way it is for high school students? But pornography? No freaking way. I loved these two authentic characters, many calling them misfits, but they are just themselves. And bullied for it.
The only good thing to come out of this is that apparently book holds have gone up on the book, and a number of local TC organizations are coming together to schedule a visit with Rainbow Rowell, so that those students that loved the book can have an opportunity to hear her speak. Hopefully, all this buzz will get many many teens to read this beautiful story.
I have been pretty fired up about the news that broke a couple weeks ago about the Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell book banning in Anoka-Hennepin schools. I happened upon an article about it on The Toast after it was linked on FB by some writer "friends." The book was a recommended by the Anoka-Hennepin librarians as part of a voluntary summer reading initiative, and was supposed to conclude with a visit by Rainbow Rowell in the fall.
That led me to read the formal complaint on the Parents Action League website. Which led me to realize that ONE parent objected to the content of the book, listing the profanity as obscene and labeled the book pornography. The main characters, high school students, are bullied by people who swear a lot, and these characters fall in love, make out, and talk about but do not have sex. Porn at its best. The parent and her husband wrote a report, rallied the troops, and managed to get the author visit cancelled in the district, and requested the book be pulled from all library shelves in the high schools and to formally discipline the librarians for recommending this "profanity." As far as I can tell, the book hasn't yet been pulled and the disciplinary action is still being reviewed. But it's hard to follow the latest in the story.
You can read about the situation at NPR and Book Riot and CBLDF and an Omaha newspaper.
My author-crush John Green had given the book a gushing review in the NYT back in March, so it's been on my to-read list since then. But, like most of my friends, my to-read list is a mile and half long and growing, so I hadn't gotten to it yet. But I read it over the weekend after the news broke, just to see what all the fuss was about.
It is a great book. I loved it. The way Rowell captures these two complex teens is touching and funny and interesting. I'll admit that the hand-holding scenes are hot - which, isn't that supposed to be the way it is for high school students? But pornography? No freaking way. I loved these two authentic characters, many calling them misfits, but they are just themselves. And bullied for it.
The only good thing to come out of this is that apparently book holds have gone up on the book, and a number of local TC organizations are coming together to schedule a visit with Rainbow Rowell, so that those students that loved the book can have an opportunity to hear her speak. Hopefully, all this buzz will get many many teens to read this beautiful story.
