From: mattb@ctron.com (Matt Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy,rec.arts.sf.misc,alt.cyberpunk,alt.censorship
Subject: Banned Books in Schools (was:_The Turing Option_)
Date: 8 Sep 92 16:54:51 GMT
Reply-To: mattb@olympus.ctron.com (Matt Brown)
Followup-To: alt.censorship
Organization: Cabletron Systems INc.

(Jason T Milhoan) writes:
>>(Marvin Minsky) writes:
>>>(Jamais Cascio) writes:
>>>>btw-- F451 is on the list for the top 5 banned books in US schools...
>>>>wonder why?
>>>Where is this marvelous list?  I'g like to see the rest of it!

>An example of just how ridiculous this list can be...  The Where's Waldo series of kid's books (wjere you have to find the picture of Waldo on a page with hundreds of other people) is banned because of the Satanic elements.  Yes, some even have a little picture of a witch in them.

>I had a girlfriend who worked at a bookstore.  She had access to the list of banned books, and I actually got pretty upset at the reasons for why some of the books were banned.  The store even sponsored a "Banned Book Week", where all titles of the banned
> books which they had in stock were on sale and special displays were made up.

This thread is drifting a little, so I'm not sure the newgroups still apply.
alt.censorship may be better for this train of thought, so I added it and
directed follow-ups there.  Anyway:

My wife is an elementary school media generalist (library skills teacher) and
last year she did a unit on banned books.  The way she approached it was to
dig up books and information that had been banned in the past but seem pretty
tame or accepted now, read it (or have the kids read it), then ask the kids
(Socratic dialogue style) "Why do you think these books were banned?"

Then she showed them some of the materials that are currently banned (adjusting
for their grades), and asked the same questions.  Opened a few minds.

Some of the banned stuff was pretty funny, and some of the reasons were rather
distressing.  I'll see if she still has any of the background stuff. The
lists included everything from fairy tales to anatomy books. Now, this is
not to say that she feels school libraries should lend out "Truth or
Dare" or hang Maplethorpe posters on the walls.  She regularly reviews the
collections to make sure the books are appropriate to the audience, and in my
mind that is censorship too.  But it is not intended to supress expression,
just channel it. For example, books that deal with young adult themes are not
generally appropriate for grades 1-5, but okay in jr. high/high school.

The latest book to hit the banned lists is a new children's book called (I 
believe) "Daddy's Roommate" about a divorced father with a male companion.
It shows Daddy and friend engaging in family activities like meal preparation,
cleaning, and (gasp) sleeping together. It has been pulled from the shelves
in some schools (probably not ordered in others). I heard this on the radio
this morning, so details are sketchy.  To me, this kind of book may not be
right for every kid, but like the "new baby brother" and "Grandpa just died"
kind of books, it may help a kid deal constructively with a confusing sit-
uation.  What do the "banners" expect, a book showing Daddy in a rubber room
in a straightjacket? Scenes of biblical retribution? I would think that a 
mother who had to explain this kind of situation to her kids might be glad
such a book exists. (Then again, she might prefer the retribution version.)

Matt
On banned books, of course, most kids answered with the obvious: "The decline
in family values at the hands of the cultural elite caused these disgusting
materials to become commonplace and accepted." and "It is a plot by radical
feminist trial lawyers to force women to kill their children, become lesbians,
and practice witchcraft."  Like good little New Hampshire Republicans.