October 25, 2006

Censorship Updates; Website Updates

Just a few quick notes of interest. AS IF comments in their usual spot-on manner on a newspaper article reporting a Minnesota parent's complaint about newspapers being made available at her daughter's elementary school. Apparently, "giving students open access to the papers would be 'like leaving a loaded gun on the table.'" Sheesh! It's a newspaper. It's information. It's not as though it was a tabloid being distributed to kids, or Fox News being played in the classroom.

AS IF recently reported on another interesting article, too--this time about a battle over censorship of a book that is challenged due to alleged factual issues. I definitely suggest perusing this one. Very thought-provoking.

Lastly, via Big A little a, the November edition of The Edge of the Forest is up. I'm pleased and proud to announce that I contributed reviews this month--to the middle grade and young adult sections, which I'll post teasers of on Readers' Rants. Please take a look--there are great articles from a variety of YA/kids' lit bloggers, including author interviews and a look at humorous books for kids.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's not just that the mother was complaining that her kid was reading the newspapers. That wasn't enough for her. She had to complain that all kids in that school were being subjected to the newspaper and for some reason, one mother vs. the town wins again. I never understood the power behind these soapbox parents. Shouldn't each kid have to fall in line with what their parents deem suitable? ... At any rate, I wonder how many kids were actually reading the paper. I feel bad for them. They have to trade in their ink spotted fingers for an unlimited supply of fresh and clean internet news. Welcome to the future.

WORD.
www.readandwriting.com

Sarah Stevenson said...

Exactly! (And, of course, the internet news is soooo much more trustworthy, and Wikipedia is the endless fount of all knowledge...)

tanita✿davis said...

Hey, yay for you, AF, for your pieces for The Edge of the Forest! Look forward to reading!

And WOW -- I recall how heavily I leaned on Newspapers In Education as a great source of teaching 4th-5th graders how to use information sources and to determine the 5 W's from an outside source... Granted, I usually had them study the weather and sports and the occasional Weird News section, and I was a little leery of them choosing "mayhem" and all, but it was their choice... if they chose mayhem, so be it. I tried to discuss it intelligently. Sometimes it wasn't very nice; several times we had discussions I ended by telling them to discuss it with their parents if they wanted more information. It wasn't always easy...

But a loaded gun?!

And you do wonder how ONE parent can bring down a whole school or district... It's like there's a hysteria clause in some parent's heads; it's like if ONE person sees it, then maybe A.) I am not watching out well enough for my kid, and B.) I'd better let this smarter/better parent help out my kid.

It's just the fear talking. As usual.