Writing in this blog about how precious books are is, as they say, preaching to the choir. We are the ones who love to read ourselves and who work hard to encourage our students to read. We鈥檙e well aware that books engage us, teach us, please us, and that books save lives. We own 聽 but can spend hours in a bookstore or on Amazon looking for more. Likely, we鈥檙e English teachers because we love to read.
But, did you know that books are very important to others, too, to those who find them dangerous? These people are the challengers of books, those who find books too scary or mature or inappropriate for students or even for anyone at all. Here are a few recent examples:
鈥溾�� Dorr, the book burner, has been charged with fifth-degree criminal mischief. Do watch at least the end of to see Dorr burn and explain why he鈥檚 burning the books. He has refused, so far, to pay to replace the books he burned but donations from the community have poured in to replace them.
鈥溾�� The protest includes this: “It’s horrendous. It uses a lot of words you won’t be able to put on your newscast,” said Don Powell with Lawsonville Road Baptist Church. “It’s my feeling and other people’s feeling that it’s inappropriate for use in a classroom.” 起点传媒聽protesting the ban.
鈥溾�� The book, David Benioff鈥檚 ,聽was a 10th-grade class read, but聽Dawn Willett protested,聽 “I have a son, but imagine a daughter reading and being referred to as the c-word, or the p-word. I can’t even bring myself to say.” 起点传媒 against the banning.
Well, you get the idea. . . .
So, my point is to remember that some see danger in those books that we find to be precious. We need to be aware and prepared to counter their fear, disdain, and arguments.
Good rationales for the books you teach; strong, fair, and followed school policies; book choice; and Angie Thomas鈥� words from the School Library Journal 2018 Day of Dialog will take you a long way toward keeping precious books in your classroom and in the hands of your students.