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Friday, January 28, 2005
Give Me a Break
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“This book is negative. I read it. I don’t see the academic value in it. Everything presented to the kids should be positive or historical, not negative.”
This Missouri mom is one of several parents calling for the removal of “The Giver,” by Lois Lowry from a school district’s reading list. They say it is too morbid for middle school students. This book is 14th on the American Library Association’s most frequently challenged books. A query I sent out to metro Atlanta public schools suggests schools here steer clear of it, though several private schools do teach the book. “The Giver” is not part of the state curriculum, though guidelines say the state’s list is just a sampling of appropriate books.
If you haven’t read “The Giver,” you should. I finished it a couple of weeks ago, and I’m still thinking about it. It would be too bold a statement to declare it “the best book I ever read,” but it may be the most thought-provoking. (The book is typically taught in seventh or eighth grade, though my nephew who lives in New Jersey read it in sixth.)
The reason this story is making the rounds? The parents’ stance eerily mirrors The Giver’s utopian society.
A bigger issue is this mother’s belief that school’s shouldn’t present anything negative to students. This particular quote may be extreme, but I have heard similar sentiments before from parents who feel like their kids can’t handle anything bad or negative. With this as a directive, how could teachers teach?
Blog Bites Thanks for being a part of Get Schooled, whether as a lurker or a poster. I’m off Monday, but feel free to talk amongst yourselves. A blog is a bore without comments, so please drop a line. I’ll be back Tuesday, announcing the winner of the eduspeak contest.
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