August 3, 2010 2:48 PM
School reading lists: disturbing themes, gay sex
Don't know if any of you have gotten caught up in the public school "literary" wars - with apologies to the word literary, which used to carry some prestige because it was attached to real literature.
My daughter Samantha went through this last year in our neighboring Clarke County - writing letters to the principal, school board, newspapers. She went door to door with a petition and when people would react as though she were a crazy book banner - she would ask them to listen a minute while she read aloud something from one of the questionable books.
They listened. They signed.
Many parents have their heads in the sand. Even if they look at their children's reading lists, recommended reading has changed so radically since you and I were in school - even considering the generations - that you would be appalled to find out what kids are required to read.
Good, noble, traditional, intelligent literature has taken a back seat to whatever current educators think will expand your children's horizons:
Explicit assignments
Too many teachers seem ready to insult the sexual sensibilities of students and parents.
by Dale BussEditor's note: Some of the content in this story may be disturbing to some readers.
As school was ending last year, Sue Ann Johnson came across a copy of a short story that was assigned reading for her son's Advanced Placement English class. "I Like Guys" is a homosexual coming-of-age tale set in a summer camp.
Horrified, the mom and real estate agent in Litchfield, N.H., dug into her son's book bag. She found three other short stories that were extremely dark and sexually explicit.
"These stories were just shocking," Johnson recalled. "I am reading these stories and freaking out. They are affecting me negatively, so I'm wondering, 'How are they affecting 17-year-old kids?' "
So the Johnsons launched a complaint process that ultimately saw the high school principal toss some of the stories out of the curriculum. And, like Christian parents and students across the country, the Johnsons learned that too many public school educators are more than ready to insult -- often outrageously so -- the established sexual sensibilities of children.
Assigned tomes include The Bluest Eye, by famed author Toni Morrison -- which depicts in disquieting detail a father's rape of his 11-year-old daughter on the kitchen floor. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a novel about a boy who copes with his abject situation on a reservation through pornography and masturbation. Queer 13: Lesbian and Gay Writers Recall Seventh Grade evokes the memory of a rape by a man in a public restroom. Reflections of a Rock Lobster describes first-graders meeting in a school bathroom to practice oral sex."Some of the material being recommended for use in schools by national gay-activist groups includes what I would consider Triple X-type material," said Candi Cushman, education analyst for CitizenLink. "These depictions are so extreme that you wouldn't expect to find them anywhere but a porn store."
Read more at Citizen
Anyone want to share what's on your child's reading list?
See also American Library Association peddles garbage to teens.
Posted in Public schools, Teens and Tweens | Permalink
Comments
And this would be why I homeschool! It is just one of many reasons, but it definitely makes the list. This material is so much worse than the stuff I'm currently reading on the college level and that stuff is not exactly family friendly.
Posted by: Rachél C. | August 3, 2010 4:03 PM
Hi Barbara -
4 of my 6 kids attend a Montessori School here in Massachusetts (2 graduated already). I have had a few times when I have objected to the books chosen for them to read (5th grade up),but it has never been anything as explicit as the ones in the article. They usually have been books with Gay themes disguised as anti-bullying books. This year the 7th and 8th graders read To Kill a Mockingbird, and that had some issues to deal with. Since it is required reading in practically all the private high schools, I figured we could read it in the "safety" of our Montessori environment. Our school librarian put out the following list for summer reading - thought you might like to see it - the school teaches from 15months- 8th grade.
https://www.inlyschool.org/ftpimages/47/download/summer_final.pdf
Thanks for bringing this issue up. Unfortunately I have more issues with the books/teaching in my daughters catholic all girls school than the younger grades. Sad.
Kristin
PS - Our librarian blogs at: http://sommerreading.wordpress.com/
I think you would like her blog
Posted by: Kristin | August 3, 2010 4:25 PM
I can't even write out what was on my high schooler's reading lists. And two of them were in Catholic schools where one would think that there would be some more screening of the books and films. Some parents, including myself, brought up these issues, and were told that these books were added slowly, far more slowly than the public and independent schools of the same academic quality. The decision to add these books is because not to have read them could be of disadvantage to many of the kids applying to some of the top colleges in the country. They would be hit full in the face with these sorts of books there. By introducing them in high school and treating them to a well rounded discussion, there is the hope that thess subjects and this literature can be addressed from different viewpoints than these kids will get from college.
There are religious schools that ban these book and anything that touches on inappropriateness. The question becomes where to draw the line. In this area, there is evidence that our kids are dealing with some of these themes in their lives and/or will be.
We always watched movies with borderline scenes in them before letting our kids watch them when they were under 17. We would then discuss some of those scenes and situation before and after the child saw the movie. Still we restricted most R movies until they were juniors in high school.
I cannot even begin to discuss the themes these books cover. Precious, She Came Undone (in an all boys' school no less!), Bluest Eye, Color Purple, Middle Sex, Portnoy's Complaint...the list goes on.
When and how and who should bring up these things to our children? I, for one, would love to get some ideas. We live in a fast track area where every contraband is within easy reach in the Big Apple.
Posted by: cath young | August 3, 2010 6:39 PM
As a high school English teacher I must STRONGLY AGREE with Barbara on this issue. Parents need to be aware and involved in what their children are reading. I have a huge bookshelf in my class full of lots of different books with lots of different topics and maturity levels but there are books I don't put out, books I myself have read and see value in, even, but I am not willing to be the person that puts them in a child's hand. Further I tell my students and their parents that while I have the books I do, that all books should be discussed with parents before and during reading. My experiences with reading lists and required readings has been varied as I have taught in several school districts and two states, I've gone to school in a great deal more. Here's the thing, what a kid can handle and should handle is very much a matter of the child... and therefore should be a matter of the parent! I had a situation where I assigned a school reading book to the class, "A Separate Peace" about boys in boarding during WWII dealing with the inevitability of their service in the armed forces. The book does involve the accurate description of boys language and issues at the time. It is a book frequently referenced on SAT and AP exams. A parent who was also a teacher at the local elementary school (and in the same county) wrote me a scathing email about my literary choices and included literally pages of school code as to why I was a horrible person and forcing his child to be perverted. I immediately apologized and said he didn't have to read it (no one does) and asked if the parent had an idea for an alternative text... he replied, and I quote, "Oh, well, I trust your judgment." This is the problem. No parent should. Many teachers are good and aware and for lack of a better term, moral (hopefully myself included) however many are not all three of those things... Further, as I said, different kids are in different places and are reached (positively or negatively) by different works. Parents should be the ones who know their kids and should know what their kids should and can handle... This involves proactive parenting. Barbara's story about Sam illustrates how unaware parents are. Sam, another parent, had to make them aware. As a teacher I tell "my" parents what their students will be reading and I make available the information (and texts) to them if they would like to look further. It kills me how few if any check... "I trust your judgment." Is flattering, but it's not responsible. There are lots of books, that are not about homosexuality, that are great books, but have some really adult issues in them. Parents need to be involved and aware. To Kill a Mockingbird is in my opinion one of the greatest American Novels, Of Mice and Men is in the top ten, both are middle and low high school novels. For all that I think they are great, they desperately need parent involvement. Romeo and Juliet, standard ninth grade fair, REALLY needs parent discussion. You may not be a big reader, your child might not be either (especially if you aren't) but there are so many resources so that you can know what they are reading. Spark-notes, E notes, Wikipedia, Book-spoilers, etc. As a final illustration, let me leave you with this. Clan of the Cave Bear, evolution issues not withstanding (I always read it as fantasy) is an excellent book. However, it has a very violent rape in it. I found my mom's copy when I was in 3rd grade. I read it. The repercussions of that exposure have been with me for years. What we read and when we read it matters a great deal, especially in young minds. Parents need to be involved. Never assume ANYTHING is OK.
Posted by: Sandy | August 3, 2010 8:41 PM
The images that we make in our minds while we're reading, I think, are even more powerful than the ones we see on television and in movies. This is one of the big reasons we homeschool.
Posted by: Shannon M | August 3, 2010 9:38 PM
I have picked up a few of my 7th graders library books and found these general themes, homosexuality among young teens diguised as no bullying stories ,abused children usually by a male , and the constant theme of the single mother I do not believe my child has come across any novel where a child had two married opposite sex parents.My 12 year old neice arrived for the summer with 4 novels to read and 3 of them had hohsexual behavior in them.
Posted by: karen | August 4, 2010 2:31 AM
Between the ages of 12-14 1/2 I lived in California. I read a lot and read a lot of junk. Because I was reading my parents didn't care and I was allowed to read anything. I read a lot of romance novels which were soft porn at best. I read a lot of books about teenagers on drugs, with anorexia and suicide tendencies. Not surprisingly when I was back to Brazil those were some of the issues that we as a family had to deal with.
Today I am saved (Praise Jesus!!!) and we homeschool. My oldest (7 y.o.) is reading and reading a lot but I am carefully choosing her books. She is reading way above grade level and that keeps me on my toes trying to find good and safe materials for her to read.
Even the children's books are full of politically correct junk. Many times we have started a book and stopped and said "This one is no good." When the kids ask "why?" we explain that there are inappropriate stuff in it, that we need to keep good things before our eyes and they are satisfied.
I know that a time will come when many things will need to be explained and I am praying for wisdom and the right timing. I want to be there for my child when they find out certain information. I don't want it to be a lonely, scary and tempting thing like it was for me.
Posted by: tereza | August 4, 2010 8:11 AM
