Controversial Literature Controversial Literature in Elementary Schools

Controversial Literature in Elementary Schools Dawn Bish and Crystal Haith LIS 600

Controversial Literature Controversial Literature in Elementary Schools

"Our society is obsessed with sex," she said. "And I will tell you this: The American Library Association is out to sexualize our children." State Rep. Sally Kern (R-Oklahoma City)

Introduction Libraries and librarians are charged with the position of selecting and maintaining a diverse selection of materials for the population they serve as stated in the Library Bill of Rights (ALA, 1993, 2000, 2004, 2008). (See appendix A). There have been several interpretations pertaining the above articles including protecting the rights of all types of people regardless of gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, life style or age (ALA, 1993, 2000, 2004,2008). The role of the School Library Media Specialist is to enhance their collections with challenging, engaging and entertaining materials that represent the diversity of the user community. However this becomes difficult when dealing with what is considered appropriate content for an elementary school. This paper will attempt to address issues pertaining to controversial literature and challenged books in an elementary school setting. For clarification purposes, in this context, controversial material is defined as any literature that has been challenged by a professional, parent or organization due to inappropriate content. Inappropriate content would be defined as not being age appropriate for the child or of a subject that is deemed problematic in nature, such as sexuality, language, evolution, religion, or issues not considered of the norm by some portion of the population (homosexuality, single parent households, interracial marriages).

Controversial Literature Parents, professionals and concerned parties attempt to censor different types of childrens literature in order to protect the child from being exposed to subjects that they deem inappropriate. Marie Kelsey (2007) states:
Despite the imperative for schools to teach students to seek out, critically analyze, and apply information, censors-and they can be parents, teachers, administrators, and even community members-believe they know what is best for all students to read and what information children should not receive in the name of

protection. This restrictive view is often based on an unarticulated assumption between ideas and actions; if students read about drugs or sex, for example, they may be inclined to indulge.

However admirable this may appear, it is in direct violation of childrens rights to access a variety of subjects and situations in reading material. The courts have upheld the belief that information is not detrimental to children for the last 40 years (Kelsey, 2007). One of the most important documents that a librarian uses is the Library Bill of Rights. Accordingly, the Library Bill of Rights provides guidance and guidelines to assist the librarian in choosing their book selection and material content in the library. This includes providing materials and information presenting all points of view. This is particularly difficult for the librarian as they are also charged with challenging censorship, which becomes particularly problematic as according to the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, most challenges come from school media centers. The ALA/OIF (2000) reported that of the 6,364 challenges recorded between 1900 and 2000, 71% occurred in schools or school libraries. Sixty percent of the challenges were initiated by parents, nine percent by school administrators (Adams, 2008). A challenged book is one in which a person (parent, principal, professional) lodges a complaint about a certain book for a variety of reasons including but not limited to: topic, language, belief system, accessibility or content. Most challenged books are based on sex, race, religion or profanity.

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Banned Book Week resource guides are one of the most in depth studies on book challenges, compiling data from over 1500 titles taken from news articles and data collected by the ALA OIF. According to The Most Challenged Book List of 2007-2008, sex, profanity and racism top the list of controversial topics in literature (Doyle, 2007). For the purpose of this paper, the Banned and Challenged Books of 2007-2008 will be used as reference point for what books are deemed the most controversial. These challenged books represent all age/grade levels and include books more suitable for the teenage reader. Since this papers topic deals with elementary schools, all of the books listed do not apply to young readers. When reviewing Doyles list of challenged books, most books geared towards the elementary school population were challenged mainly because of lifestyle choices, religious beliefs and racism (see appendix B). The following sections will define and address challenged books in the areas of lifestyle choices and religious beliefs.

Lifestyle Choices

This portion of this paper will address lifestyle choices. The term lifestyle choice is being used in this paper to define homosexual relationships. In Appendix B, there are several books with homosexual content including King and King, And Tango Makes Three and Fallen Angels. King and King is a book about a prince who is looking for a princess and finds a prince instead. And Tango Makes Three is the story of two male penguins adopting and raising a baby penguin. And Tango Makes Three is based on a true story of two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo, who raise a penguin chick from an egg (Bernstein, 2006). Oddly enough, The

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American Library Association listed Tango as one of the most challenged books of 2006, as well as a Notable Children's Book of 2006. The controversy of homosexuality in childrens literature is a complex issue. On the one hand you have people who believe homosexuality is not natural and against God. In an article printed in the October 2006 edition of The Economist, Wellington Boone, bishop of the Father's House Church in Atlanta is quoted with saying If God calls homosexuality an abomination, if he calls it 'vile affections', if he calls it wickedness, [why can't] I call it inappropriate behavior?" (Anonymous, 2006). Others see books with homosexual content as recruitment propaganda (Anonymous, 2005). This may be a fundamentalist point of view and an exaggeration to most that have a religious background but a number of people agree that homosexuality is deviant behavior. Understandably, parents want to shield their children from the changing world and subjects that they see as offensive such as homosexuality. On the other hand adults want children to remain innocent and nave about the world around them .They want to protect them from harm and information about issues/situations they may not have knowledge of. Knowledge should not be considered harmful. Ignorance is not bliss and we are doing our children a disservice by trying to keep them in the dark about real world ideologies, lifestyle choices and other controversial issues. Dresang (2003) states that children know much more than what adults think they know. In 2005, Metropolitan Library Systems of Oklahoma City voted to remove easy, easyreader, and tween" books containing "sensitive or controversial" themes to a special collection available only to "adults in authority" (Anonymous, 2005). State Rep. Sally Kern (R-Oklahoma City), began the motion in the Oklahoma house because she stated: We're not looking to ban any books. We just think the books should be easily identifiable to parents who may not want a

Controversial Literature child to read those materials." (Anonymous, 2005). This was in response to a consumer who took offense to the book, King and King written by Linda DeHann and Stern Nijland. Kern was also quoted as saying [she} characterized libraries as "usurping the role of parents" unless they segregate some materials. "Our society is obsessed with sex," she said. "And I will tell you this: The American Library Association is out to sexualize our children." (Anonymous, 2006) Additionally, the Oklahoma House passed a bill that makes it necessary for all libraries funded

by local funding authorities to place all children and young adult books that contain homosexual or sexual subject matter in a special area on to be accessed by adults. The bill goes on to define homosexual subject matter as content that relates to the recruiting and advocating of same gender sexual relationships (Anonymous, 2006). Another example of challenging lifestyle choices in childrens literature occurred in 1993 in regards to the book Daddys Roommate, written by Michael Willhoite. According to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), it was the most challenged library book of 1993, with 21 challenges reported between January and October alone (M.J.S. 1994). In 2006, out of the ten most challenged books of that year, four books were cited as having homosexual content. Both And Tango Makes Three and King and King have been involved in challenges pertaining to elementary schools in states including but not limited to: Pennsylvania, Alaska, Oklahoma, Virginia and Massachusetts. On a positive note, a new publishing house, Two Lives Publishing, has begun publishing books with gay/lesbian themes. The companys audience is children of gay/lesbian parents/families. The two founders, Bobbie Combs and Sally Lindsay, started this company in response to the increasing number of gay and lesbian families emerging and wanting this group to have books available to them pertaining to their particular lifestyle choice (Briton, 2001).

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Religion When dealing with religion in childrens literature, parents challenge the material because it goes against their personal values and beliefs. Two of the more recent titles that top the challenged books are J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series and Philip Pullmans The Golden Compass. Both of these titles are challenged because they are viewed as exposing children to evil and witchcraft and are seen as representing the anti-Christ. As stated before, the intent of the parent is to protect their children from being exposed to inappropriate material. In Dont Give Us Little Wizards, The Anti Potter Parents Cry, an article written in the New York Times (Wigoren, 1999) children were interviewed and asked about their opinion of the books. The students were quoted as saying the following: I think hed (referring to the main character) be a good friend because he cares about other people. Hes funny, he has sympathy, he shows his emotions. Also quoted: If he thinks he can do something, he will actually try and do it and not say its impossible (Wigoren, 1999). While parents are worried their childrens religious values will be compromised, students actually look beyond, or do not recognize the issues at the core of debate. Instead they find similarities between the character and themselves and they find inspiration through their actions. What parents seem to be worried about does not cross the mind of the reader. The Golden Compass is the first in a trilogy of books written by Philip Pullman. In The Golden Compass Lyra Belacquaroams, the main character, roams from the rooftops and hidden tunnels of an Oxford-like university to the frozen northern wastes and through alternate worlds, trying to rescue children who have been captured by agents of the Church. At the hands of the Church, the children are being "intercised," separated from their souls (what Pullman calls

Controversial Literature daemons) so they can be protected from Dust, fine particles that the Church regards as original sin (Higgins and Johnson 2008). In the proceeding novels of the trilogy, the main character continues on her journey to fight evil (the Church), with the events culminating to the death of God. Knowledge of Pullmans atheism and his inclusion of anti-religious content in his trilogy has caused concern among a variety of religious groups. The books are seen as downright evil and a counterblast to C. S. Lewis' Christian science fiction Chronicles of Narnia series (Quirk 2008). What one might find interesting is the fact that The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis failed to make an appearance on the challenged book list. Though these books have as much religious connotations as the previous two, parents do not seem to take issue with their

children being exposed to the ideas presented. Whats the difference? The ideas portrayed in the Chronicles of Narnia parallel those of Christianity. This refers back to our initial statement that content deemed inappropriate is anything that is not accepted as normal or mainstream. Our society has moved away from reading for pleasure. Children have computers, video games, cell phones, and many other things to keep them occupied. It seems that when a child finds material they are truly interested in and would rather read than play games, parents and educators would be thrilled. By attempting to censor what children are reading, parents are squandering a natural curiosity and love for literature and reading.

Conclusion

It is a misnomer to say that books are banned in the United States as they are protected by free speech as stated in the First Amendment. However, books are challenged on a regular basis

Controversial Literature due to controversial topics and inappropriate content. This is particularly disturbing for the elementary school child as they can have limited access to books deemed as controversial in a number of ways. One way is that the controversial literature does not end up in the school library. Others include limiting access to books based on age or grade level, needing parental permission to take out certain materials and placing controversial childrens books in a section

that is only accessible to adults. Children are not the ones making the decisions for what they can and cannot read. It is the adults in their lives that perceive children as innocent and want to protect them from information they deem not suitable for them. Adults need to remember that children know more than adults think they know. In conclusion, instead of censoring, challenging or limiting access to controversial literature in the elementary school, parents and teachers can embrace diversity and understanding of different points of view. This can be done by introducing the so called controversial literature to their children in a controlled but relaxed environment and discuss the issues intelligently, answering childrens questions and misconceptions as part of the discussion. This can provide children with tools for problem solving and thinking for themselves. It can also foster a relationship between child and adult where the child can read, learn, enjoy, and prosper (Dresang, 2003). Parents and professionals need to remember that children are not ignorant to what is going on in the world but may have misconceptions about difficult issues they are faced with everyday (violence, racism, prejudice). It is the parent and professionals responsibility to provide the child with the assistance they may need to make sense of the world around them. By discussing and reading about controversial issues instead of limiting access to these, parents and professionals may just be raising children to develop a world where there is no violence, racism or prejudice.

Controversial Literature References

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Adams, Helen R. The Library Bill of Rights and Intellectual Freedom. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 24(5), 32. (2008, January). Retrieved February 11, 2009, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1395113561). Anonymous, Have you heard the Bad News?. (2006, October 21). Economist, Retrieved February 16, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database Anonymous, is it legal? libraries. (2006). Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, 55(3), 145-146. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1078862871). Anonymous, Kids Barred from "Sensitive" Books. (2005, October). American Libraries, 36(9), 29. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 909613001). ALA, Interpretations of Library Bill of Rights, Adopted June 30, 1993, by the ALA Council; amended July 12, 2000, June 30, 2004, July 2, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from ALA website: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/statementsif/interpretations/default.cf m. ALA, Library Bill of Rights, Adopted June 18, 1948, by the ALA Council; amended February 2, 1961; amended June 28, 1967; amended January 23, 1980; inclusion of age reaffirmed January 24, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from ALA website: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm. Bernstein, Allison (01/01/2006). "And Tango Makes Three". Library media connection (15424715), 24 (4), p. 76. Britton, J. (2001, March 26). New Publisher to Focus on Gay Families. Publishers Weekly, 248(13), 37. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database. Doyle, Robert P. (2007). Books Challenged or Banned in 2007-2008, Retrieved February 10, 2009 from ILA website: http://www.ila.org/pdf/2008banned.pdf. Dresang, E. T. (2003).Controversial Books and Contemporary Children, Journal of Children's Literature, Vol 29, No 1, Spring 2003 , 20-31 Higgins, Edward, and Tom Johnson. "The enemy church: Pullman's agenda in 'Compass' and beyond.(Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass)." The Christian Century 125.1 (Jan 15, 2008): 28(4). Academic OneFile. Gale. University of North Carolina-Greensboro. 18 Feb. 2009 Kelsey, M. (2007). Are We Lucky for the First Ammendment? Knowledge Quest 36 no2 N/D 2007 , 26-29, Retrieved February 14, 2009, from Education Full Text database.

Controversial Literature M.J.S., M. (1994, January). In biggest school challenge, Daddy's Roommate is staying. School Library Journal, 40(1), 11. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

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Quirk, Anne. (2008, May). God Knows, Philip Pullman. The Horn Book Magazine, 84(3), 362363. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1485957021). Wigoren, J. (1999, November 1). Don't Give us Little Wizards, The Anti-Potter Cry. The New York Times , p. 1.

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Appendix A

Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services. I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation. II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment. IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas. V. A persons right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views. VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use. Adopted June 18, 1948, by the ALA Council; amended February 2, 1961; amended June 28, 1967; amended January 23, 1980; inclusion of age reaffirmed January 24, 1996.

Controversial Literature Appendix B

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List of Elementary School, age appropriate challenged books from Robert P. Doyles Books that have been challenged or Banned in 2007-2008 (2007)

1. Allan, Nicholas. Where Willy Went 2. De Hann, Linda and Stern Nijland. King and King 3. Opie, Iona Archibald with Peter Opie, eds. I Saw Esau: The Schoolchilds Pocket Book 4. Pullman, Phillip. The Golden Compass 5. Richardson, Justin, and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three 6. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone 7. Schreier, Alta. Vamos a Cuba (A Visit to Cuba) 8. Gordon, Sharon. Cuba 9. Grover, Vicki. The Starplace 10. Howe, James. Totally Joe 11. Mercado, Nancy E, ed. Tripping over the Lunch Lady and Other Short Stories 12. Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels 13. Steer, Dugald. Wizardology, The Book of the Secrets of Merlin 14. Taylor, Mildred D. The Land