This is Banned Books Week. Thanks to Sheila at Book Journey for bringing together a group of bloggers who are writing on this important subject this week. Feel free to pop over to visit her site.
Many years ago, while browsing in an indie bookstore in Albuquerque, a book nearly fell on my head. It was Sherman Alexie’s The Lost Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. I loved the book as well as the movie made from it, Smoke Signals. Sometime later in Houston, Alexie spoke and held a book signing, and I was one stuttering, tongue-tied lady as I handed him my books for signing.
So I was surprised to find The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian on the Frequently Challenged Books List, and it seemed like a good one to investigate.
A semi-autobiographical account of Alexie’s younger life, the book follows the story of Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, who decides he wants to go to school off the reservation. As he deals with bullying, culture clashes, family alcoholism, and violence, he keeps his sense of humor by drawing cartoons (Ellen Forney provides the illustrations).
Why is it a controversial book? Several reasons are listed, including violence, profanity, alcoholism, and slurs about mental disabilities. It’s also considered by some to be anti-family and anti-Christian.
However, I suspect one of the big reasons is, Junior masturbates. Oh, dear! Of course, our children would NEVER think of masturbating if it weren’t pointed out to them (*sarcasm*).
In spite of the controversy, Alexie has received numerous letters from students who understood the depression and despair in the book, who felt they were helped by Alexie’s words.
Alexie writes, “I went to high school with a bunch of extremely conservative Republican Christians (in other words, the kind of people who generally seek to ban my book) and let me tell you–those conservative Christian kids and I were exactly alike. I was publicly inappropriate, they were privately inappropriate. All this stuff that is controversial is stuff that kids are dealing with on a daily basis.”
As someone who came to parenting late (I married into a family with twins who were high school seniors), I haven’t had to face concerns about what my kids are reading. There are definitely some difficult and challenging themes in Diary. To me, though, it’s an opportunity for discussion…not censorship.
Ohhh Nadine, I am SO with you about reading banned books. The book, Huckleberry Finn, is banned because they use the “N” word. No, I don’t approve of that language, but we can see what the mindset was in that era. I was always shocked that my mother used the “prohibited N terminology” but she believed those were the appropriate descriptions. I was taught to use the term “oriental” for people of Asian descent. A few years ago my children told me that saying “oriental” was in proper terminology. Times change, as does language. It is important to LEARN!! We… Read more »
I wish they would, too. I don’t think there’s an easy answer to this dilemma, since it’s an ongoing problem. But we can hope for better!
Reading = increased empathy and understanding of others’ lives = a more tolerant society. Banning books = closing off experiences and creating “the other”: people not like us. I’m all for understanding and tolerance!
You’re exactly right. Well put!
I’ve heard of this one. I don’t agree with banning books. It should be up to the parents to determine if the book is appropriate for their child or not.
I agree…what parent has the right to tell me what my child should or should not be exposed to?
I completely agree! Books can and should generate discussions…and no book should be banned. Choice is important, and those who oppose a book have the choice to avoid reading it. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for visiting! I took a peek at your website…the book looks good!
Amazing and yet scary the books that have been banned, books that I’d certainly never have dreamed of. Some of the reasons why a book has been banned are quite frankly bizarre.
Indeed. I can see why parents might have an issue with Alexie’s book, but to me the censorship is over the top. When I think of books like To Kill a Mockingbird, I’m just flummoxed.
It floors me that people cannot seem to get over the idea that books that deal with the reality of life are something that should be embraced and discussed, not banned.
Yes, some people might have an issue with Alexie’s book – but they also need a dose of reality that says “You can’t shelter your special snowflake all their lives. You have to let them see reality at some point.”
Absolutely! Well said.