Over the past few years, there has been much controversy over banning books in young adult libraries, due to some inappropriate topics or details. After reading my inquiry groups book, “Sold”, by Patricia McCormick, I realized which side I was on. I think that these books that might be considered inappropriate for the minds of young adults should be introduced to these kids through guided reading.There was lots of inappropriate content that can affect the minds of young adults. The detail and gore made it harder to read and made me uncomfortable. Some may say that these topics like sex, drugs, violence, or other issues make the books interesting (which could be true) but I feel it is not appropriate for the minds of young adults. This kind of material should not be harshly exposed to adolescents, and I have found that books are casually approaching these serious issues. However, where I stand on this topic is in the middle.I hope that others can realize that students should not be casually exposed to these topics through grim novels that can cause them emotional damage.
During this unit on book banning I have developed my own opinion on the books that contain controversial topics such as sex, drugs, and violence. Personally I feel that the question to ban should be based on the book and the level of exposure to these types of issues. For the books that incorporate as some may call, ‘inappropriate topics’ that are put into lots of detail or will go so far as to make the reader uncomfortable; I feel they should be introduced using a more thoughtful approach. In my book (Sold) I found that the amount of gore and detail was extreme and I surely wasn’t expecting it. Although this year wasn’t the first time I had read the book, I was still surprised at how the author decided to illustrate this real world issue. Because it wasn’t the first time I was exposed to this literature, I was able to put a critical lens on the way McCormick decided to introduce the topic. For example, the excerpt, “I hurt, I am torn and bleeding where the men have been”. For some readers that may not be educated on anatomy or rape or even violence against women, this passage might be confusing, misleading, or terrifying. Without an adult to help guide you through the text or answer any questions the reader/student might have, these young adults are left with their imagination and possibly scarred minds.
This debate has gone on for years and many classic books have been banned. Many teachers who appreciate this young adult literature and want their students to read these books have been fighting back against the concerned public. As stated in an article “Banned Books We Have Loved”, “They stand out as important books that we have read because they dealt with important, hard subjects”. However, they may be important but that doesn’t mean they aren’t affecting the minds of young adults who have never been exposed to these difficult issues. “If you think it matters what is inside a young person’s mind, surely it is of consequence of what they read”, the article ‘Darkness To Visible’ states. How do you think these adolescents will handle the dark topics they have never heard of before? Writing gory details (like in Sold) will not give them a good image or a good understanding on what is happening. As I stated before, a more supervised or thoughtful approach is needed when dealing with impressionable young minds. Giving harmful details that can come off as scary to middle school students can really affect them. “Lets hope publishers do have young adults interests at heart- and they are not selling books by sensationalizing children’s suffering.” As ‘Sick-Lit’ declared. In other words, we hope that these authors or publishers are putting themselves in the minds of young adults and considering the fact that some of their content might be emotionally harmful to the reader.
Although these topics are very important for young adults to be aware of, there must be (and there are) other ways to convey these messages and show these kids what is happening in the world in a safe way. Such as reading a book that includes these kinds of conflicts with your teacher, so they can made sure there is no misguidance from the students. It could also be read with a parent or guardian- as long as its with someone who is there to clear the issues up and help you understand these topics. Reading about these controversial issues at an age where you are just learning about it now, can lead to misunderstandings. We want to avoid misguidance when kids are learning about these harsh subjects in the world.
In conclusion, where I stand in this debate is in the middle. Do I feel these books should be completely banned? No, not at all. These books are a great source of information for young adults who should be exposed to this material at this time in their life. But unless they are absolutely sure they can manage on their own, supervision and guidance should be provided to these adolescents who could possibly be scarred by some of the content included in these books. Misguidance is what we are trying not to have and that is why if young adults want to read these books, it should be with an adult who is there to guide them through the text, not leaving them alone for their minds to wander or maybe misinterpret information given in the important novels. Its important to know that your children/ students are learning in a safe way which teaching them things they will need to know.
Sources Page
-Carey, Tanith. "Sick-Lit." Mail Online. N.p., 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
-Doll, Jen. "The Banned Books We Have Loved." The Atlantic Wire. N.p., 12 Apr. 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013
-Gurdon, Meghan Cox. "Darkness Too Visible." Wall Street Journal. N.p., 4 June 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
-McCormick, Patricia. Sold. New York: Hyperion, 2006. Print.
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