First post! Woo scary! It was the final question in Week 2's lecture (What part do/should libraries school classrooms play in this "important work"?) that granted me some fond undergraduate flashbacks and memories. I have actually completed a Literature for Young Adult (YA) subject with Erica Hately, in which we were discussing dystopias and restricted books! Unfortunately I can not find the document we were working off. But I became outraged by the list of books that were on this banned or restricted list - many of which my lecture (Cherie) had actually mentioned in this week's lecture (getting back on topic now). (The list also including To Kill a Mocking Bird, Harry Potter and other literature that is well known and read.) I became so outraged and fascinated by the reasons, I went out and borrowed/bought about 50% of them to read! I am still in the process of my "naughty book relay" as life always seems to prevent a good read. So, to actually conclude my wild tangent about what role should be take links directly back to what Cherie said. These questions raise to mind (Feel free to join in :p). Are we seriously going to try and prevent youth from any topic, concept or word that may or may not skew their view of the world? Are we repressing youth and then wondering why there is such a difficult and anxious path for young adults becoming adults? Has the hungry caterpillar taught me enough about optimistic possibilities and limitations of transformations? What provocation or obstacles have I faced by declining to follow in the footsteps of a shoe loosing Cinderella princess waiting for a handsome prince? Do I believe my students should take the yellow brick road or discover the world as Lois Lowry protagonist?
Now it may be my Katniss style discourse... but it shouldn't be anyone else's decisions on what I can and can not read. Nothing stops me from making a personal decision to put a book down if I can not continue... but unfortunately most of these restricted books are definitely void of this predicament. (... which is probably why they are on Times best YA list) Check it out http://popcrush.com/young-adult-banned-books/ A more broad version of some restricted and banned literature can also be found at: http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica (Originally posted contribution to the Google Community for this subject. Planning on sharing those as well)
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