In the minds of many, the publicity from this episode is likely to stimulate greater interest in the book. One could imagine a large number of individuals checking their public library or going to Barnes and Noble to get themselves a copy to check out what makes the book so controversial.It's a book one father says he would NEVER have allowed his son to read and he's furious it came from a William Byrd teacher.
The book in question is called 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky.
In it, there are countless stories of sexual encounters including homosexuality, forced sex and voyeurism.
These writings upset parent John Davis.
His son is a junior at William Byrd.
An English teacher gave her copy to a student, who then gave it to Davis's son.
This book is banned in other school districts across the country on what's called a 'Banned Book List.'
The book is NOT banned in Roanoke County schools.
Davis finds it troubling that two copies were available in the school's library.
The Roanoke County School Board responded:
"The principal took appropriate personnel action. It has been the long-standing practice of the school system not to publicly comment on action taken with regard to individual employees and, in keeping with that practice, we do not intend to comment on the action taken in this case."
The School Board was unaware of this book and that it was in the library.
Both copies have been removed and the Board has ordered a review of the system's procedures for accepting books in school libraries.
Does the parent have a legitimate concern? Did he handle it properly? Did the school system do the right thing?
In the Roanoke Times on Sunday Dan Casey wrote a column that poses some interesting thoughts and includes some the back and forth on the issue:
Thursday morning I called Barnes and Noble at Tanglewood Mall with a simple question.
Do you have any copies of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky? I asked.
The answer was no.
"I can order you a copy," the clerk said. "We're all sold out."
"Wallflower" was out of stock at the Valley View Barnes and Noble, too. And at Ram's Head Book Shop in Towers Shopping Center. A colleague managed to snag the last copy at Books-A-Million.
That's one of life's little ironies that must gall the book-banners.
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Calls flooded the office of William Byrd Principal Richard Turner, and the Roanoke County schools administrative offices.
Members of the Roanoke Area "Tea Party" movement passed around an e-mail with the tantalizing subject line: "For Those Needing More Encouragement To Pull Their Children Out of Public Schools."
It read in part: "You should be outraged that a Roanoke county [sic] school teacher even owns such material, much less that she gave it to her students."
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Yes, among its 213 pages are passages about sex, masturbation, homosexuality, sexual violence and alcohol abuse.
But the parts I've read, which the offended father explicitly cited in his complaint to the school system, hardly glorify those subjects.
If anything, the narrator seems to describe them with a bit of angst and detached horror.
He comes across a bit like Holden Caulfield, the narrator of J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye," a novel that other book-banners have pilloried from time to time.
Is this much ado about nothing or a legitimate issue?
I don't think any books should be banned. If they were good enough to be published then they should be read...but only if you want to read them. If an instructor tells you that you have to read a certain book to pass his course and the book happens to be in some way offensive to you, then you shouldn't have to read it. The fact is that they can't make you read books so why should they have the right to tell you what you can't read. Some books should definately be kept out of the reach of children and I think they should all be rated like movies. People can get a good idea of what they are about to read if they preview it first. Books are books, pick one read it, and if you don't like it then put it down, but not because someone told you to. Banning Books is a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteNormally I'm against "banning" anything, but at the same time there are definitely some books which shouldn't be in Grade School libraries. (Like Twilight...ZING!) If kids are that desperate to read it then they can go to the public libraries. Outside of that setting, no problem, everybody's free to read what they want. I for one hope the teacher isn't being punished, it's not like they were given the book as an assignment.
ReplyDeleteBtw did you know that Huckleberry Finn is also one of those commonly banned books? Let that blow your mind.
HMMMM banning a book....does that make one want to read it more???? YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Aside from those banning books is not only wrong it is silly and childish. Yes there are some that should definitely NOT be in a children's (high school and under) library but to ban a book is making the work something that it is not. Many of the subjects that the so-called horrible books glorify are actually in a context that makes them out to be as bad as they are. People, high schoolers included, have knowledge about even the most graphic of subjects, and to be honest if I had children I would rather have them read about graphic subjects and be able to discuss them with a trusted adult rather than learning about them from a peer or by real life experience. And that is what WILL happen of children have no experience with the graphic topics: they have a fragmented or warped idea about them and want to experience them. Also, banning a book is putting down every person that worked on that book. If you or your family has an objection to a certain book that is given as an assignment than let an alternate be assigned. Banning books is just one more way for government to stick its nose into how and what people are and are not allowed to do, especially when it comes to their own children.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that this book should have been banded, I do think that the father of this student made a big deal about nothing. I think that father should be worried more about other things that are going on in his son or daughters life. Myspace is not on a banning list, nor is facebook, and other websites that in my opinion are more serious than a book that may talk about sex or drug use (I haven't read that book, so I'm not sure what exactly it is that it talks about). I remember having sex-ed taught in my fourth grade class, but a 16 year old can not read about it, I do believe that a 16 year old has heard more and may know more than a fourth grader!!! I'm sure that this particular student has never had any encounter nor has ever heard the word SEX before, come on now...
ReplyDeleteI think a junior would have the maturity and knowledge of the subjects to read this book. Maybe younger children I would worry about reading it but I think high school students and even middle school students would be able to read this and probably take some knowledge from it. How sheltered are children these days really? What child at 16 or 17 doesn't know about sex, violence,masturbation,homosexuality and alcohol? I say let them read, its not like they don't see the same things on tv everyday. I don't know about other books I would say if they are detailed books on how to make bombs or something then yeah they should be banned but for something they are inevitably going to learn anyway then whats the point in trying to shelter them?
ReplyDeleteBTW... Huckleberry Fin!?! What!?! Thats just crazy! Why would that be banned? I'll have to google this one.
ReplyDeleteI believe a responsiblity partly lies with the school system to make sure that there is appropriate material in the library for students to read. I do not feel that books should be banned because that just make people more interested in reading those books. There is also a responsiblity for the parents, the world is full of knowledge that is at your finger tips and if a child really wanted to know about something it would not be hard for them to find out. This is where education and moral plays a part. If you raise your child to be a young Man or Women and know right from wrong then you have done your job. You can not shelter your child from every bad thing out there.
ReplyDelete