Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Book Banning

 Hi, all!  How are all my bloggy friends this almost-autumn-Wednesday morning?  I am doing well — had a lengthy bout of aFib yesterday so doctor changed my meds, I feel tip top today.  This will all get sorted out — still healing — it is a process and I think I am doing well.  

In recent months we have had an issue here in our community concerning book banning.  Parents want certain books banned from the school library — some I understand, some I feel are an overkill.  So, a young woman (age 16) was talking to me about a book she had to read for school.  She goes to a private Christian school where you feel like the standards might be different than public schools.  The book is called “Unwind” by Neal Shusterman.  I hadn’t heard of the book, much less read it, but the girl seemed to be a bit disturbed by it so I decided to check it out.

I won’t go into the book here since I haven’t read it — yet — but I have bought it and intend to read it.  The synopsis, however, is disturbing.  I will probably not get through the whole book, we will see.  Is is dystopian in genre and involves some pretty grisly story lines.  I don’t generally enjoy dystopian novels and I have read a few but really not my preference.  This one is part of a series and I doubt I will get past the first but, if you decide to look into it, just know there is more than one.

Has anybody read this book?  If so, opinion?  

I have never believed in public book banning.  I feel like it is up to the parents to know what their children are doing, watch, reading, etc.  I mean, whose place is it to decide what I let in to my life other than me. I know, controversial view point.  Your thoughts? Is banning a good thing or a bad thing?  Who should be allowed to make that decision and where do you draw the line as to what is banned — i.e. The Holy Bible.  Does banning squelch our kids ability to make proper choices?  It is a sticky wicket for sure.

Anyway, as I read the book I will post again to let you know how I feel about it.  It looks icky, to be honest but we will see.  

3 comments:

Granny Marigold said...

I'm a great believer in filling our children's as well as our own minds with things that are good and deserve praise. Yes the world is full of ugliness but do we have to read about it? Bad enough to know that it exists.

Pom Pom said...

Hi BB! I think book banning causes more people to read the banned books. When I taught eight grade language arts I told the parents to watch carefully to make sure they knew that sometimes the people who write books for young adults are not people who love kids, so keep an eye on the book choices. I hope they weren't offended.

Boyett-Brinkley said...

Granny and Pom Pom — I am reading this book now and it is making me very uncomfortable. I just hope that the school that required this book to be read notified the parents beforehand and gave them a heads up — I wouldn’t allow my child to read it.

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