Recently the book banners once again crawled out of their pits of nastiness to once again try to remove YA literature from classrooms and libraries. A certain Wesley Scroggins an associate professor of management at Missouri State University, and obviously standing for re-election for some post or other decided that Laurie Halse Anderson’s book “Speak” was “filthy an immoral”, he then classed it as pornography as the book includes two rape scenes, how a person can compare “pornography to rape” I just cannot understand. Today I had two guests whose work has also suffered from “YA Book banning and censorship”
Ellen Hopkinson whose books include “Crank”, “Burned” and “Fallout” to name a few with a new YA verse book “Perfect” and her first adult verse novel “Triangles” coming out shortly, has been affected by such one person book banning events as happened to Laurie Halse Anderson. She explained how several authors had their books removed from a major book event in Texas, the response was so dramatic from the authors that the event in the end had to be cancelled. Yet she writes about subjects people need to know about, that YA readers welcome to educate them about life and it’s problems.Ellen during a truly wonderful ninety minute share explained how time and again she is asked to talk about the subjects of her books, how she receives letters from people who have read her book and quit doing meth etc.
My other guest Sarah Ockler was mentioned in the same mindless rant of Wesley Scroggins, her debut book “Twenty Boy Summer” will soon be joined on the book shelves by “Fixing Delilah”. She was shocked at the statement by Mr Scroggins to what basically goes on all the time in schools, and was to be honest some very mild sex, where at least he r characters had condoms.The show covered many aspects YA Book banning where one persons voice can control hundreds of people who disagree, where people who follow upon these complaints make decisions without even reading the book.
Take for example “The Diary of Anne Frank” a classic novel a standard for reading since even I was at school. One parent at a public school in Virginia made a complaint that “the book includes sexual material and homosexual themes.” And suddenly the 7,600-student school system in rural Virginia can no longer read the book. A person complained about Harry Potter in Texas and now that school nobody can read any science fiction/fantasy, how a school wants Huckelyberry Finn banned, the list goes on and on.
Judy Blume said it right when she stated
“Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won’t have as much censorship because we won’t have as much fear.”
The whole aspect of education, sharing reading, how YA readers self censor and so much other chat from the guests and those listening in the chat room filled the show from end to end with fine discussion and education.
So sit back and listen or download an great show as I discuss "YA Book Banning and Censorship" my two special guests "Ellen Hopkinson" and "Sarah Ockler".
Barry
Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat YA Book Banning and Censorship""
or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Ellen Hopkinson and Sarah Ockler"
You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Ellen Hopkinson"
You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Sarah Ockler"
Barry Eva (Storyheart)
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