Censorship of Children's Books

Paper Summary:

The focus of this paper is to discuss the censorship of a Newberry Medal children's book, "The Highest Power of Lucky," by Susan Patron. More specifically, the writer questions whether the word "scrotum" should cause a Newberry Medal children's book to be banned from libraries. The writer also discusses whether librarians have the right to ban a book because it has a word or phrase that relates to sex. The writer maintains that the censorship of books is wrong, especially when the book is being banned due to one word or phrase.

Outline:
Looking at the Book, "The Highest Power of Lucy"
Why the Author Used the Word
Censoring Children's Books
Censorship Creating Problems with Educational Staff
The Problems with Censorship

From the Paper:

"Only at the end of the book does Lucky trust her guardian to ask the meaning of the word. Lucky is similar to many students today who have single parents in their lives. Lucky can also be compared to many latchkey children who fend for themselves while their parents are at work. Many of these children learn words and actions that are not appropriate, but it is a part of their every day life. Reading about Lucky will not reveal words that these children know anyway."
"When deciding to ban a book, the librarian should consider the purpose of the book. Why has the author created this book? What is the main purpose of the book? These questions should be considered before deciding whether the book is inappropriate. The themes of the book center on Lucky becoming a grown-up who needs to learn about language and body parts. If Lucky does not learn the meaning of words from her guardian, then more than likely she will learn about different words from her peers. Children will learn the definitions to different words whether they do it through parents, friends, or peers. Would it be better to learn different words from parents or peers?"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bosman, Julie. "With One Word, Children's Book Sets Off Uproar." The New York Times (Feb. 2007): 1.1.
• Carver, Lisa. "Talking Truth to Kids: Controversial Children's Books Are Good for Them." Chicago Sun-Times (Mar 2007): B. 3.
• Erion, Chuck. "Freedom to Read Week Supports a Worthy Cause." The Record. (Mar. 2007): W. 13.
• Godbout, Neil. "When Difficult Words Meet Great Children's Books." Prince George Citizen (Feb. 2007): 13.
• Holtzclaw, Mike. "Widely Banned Children's Book Hits Local Libraries." Knight Ridder Tribune Business News (Feb. 2007): 1.

More papers on Censorship of Children's Books:

• Analytical Essay # 132813 : "The Censorship of "The Higher Power of Lucky"
• Term Paper # 124887 : "Children's Literature"
• Argumentative Essay # 7663 : "Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House"

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