Borillar
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posted on August 30, 2001 10:54:08 PM new
donny: Try Vonnegut's Sirens of Titan for a starter it you prefer science fiction. Vonnegut writes social satire and Sirens is his most Sci-fi - and a gut-buster!
Joesph Heller -- not Helms! What was I thinking of? Thanks Helen!
BTW: speaking of books and whatnot, wanna hear a goody about Bush? You know that he has for many years stopped to read to children everywhere, even as governor. But were you aware that he always reads from the same book? Yup! It's never a different book -- just the same small children's book. I forget the exact name, but it's about a catapillar that eats to excess and hibernates and becomes a butterfly. Apprarently, Bush likes this one so much that he takes it around with him everywhere he goes and reads it to children at the drop of a hat. 
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bunnicula
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posted on August 30, 2001 10:57:01 PM new
That would be Eric Carle's "Very Hungry Catepillar." Actually, I don't blame Bush for sticking to it. It is a tried & true favorite with young children. I use it often in preschool storytime, sometimes using the book, and sometimes using a special flannelboard version that was made for me as a gift several years ago.
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Shadowcat
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posted on August 31, 2001 01:24:52 AM new
Hunh. Harry Potter makes the list but not the "Chronicles of Narnia", which also has references to witches and magic.
Why in the world was "A Wrinkle in Time" on the list?
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xifene
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posted on August 31, 2001 05:49:51 AM new
When I was in high school, I told my folks I was stayin' with a friend (who told her folks she was stayin' with me) and we snuck off on a road trip to Tallahasse (some three hours away) so we could see the wonderful Kurt Vonnegut speak. *swoon*
It was lovely. I've enjoyed all his books though, imo, his best have already been named here.
Someone mentioned Shel Silverstein's A Light In the Attic. I'm not sure if that's the book -- but one of his books used to contain a poem about selling your sibling to the Gypsies. It was later changed to something else. It may have been that reference that got it banned/challenged.
--xifene--
http://www.auctionusers.org
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Hjw
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posted on August 31, 2001 05:53:31 AM new
According to the University of PA site, Wrinkle in time was banned for promoting mysticism and curiosity about the occult.
It's very interesting because many other reasons have been involved including nihilism and new age content and surprisingly, a problem with the separation of church and state (based on Christian religious content).
My children all read it and they survived.
Helen
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Hjw
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posted on August 31, 2001 06:49:58 AM new
Borillar
That was a good story about Bush! I'm happy to know that he has found a book that he can read well.
Remember his ideas about reading?
"Reading is the basics for all learning."—Announcing his "Reading First" initiative in Reston, Va., March 28, 2000 (Thanks to Carl LaRocca.)
"We want our teachers to be trained so they can meet the obligations, their obligations as teachers. We want them to know how to teach the science of reading. In order to make sure there's not this kind of federal—federal cufflink."—At Fritsche Middle School, Milwaukee, March 30, 2000
endquote
Helen
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saabsister
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posted on August 31, 2001 06:59:39 AM new
Would that federal cufflink be something you could buy in The Museum Shop?
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Hjw
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posted on August 31, 2001 07:22:31 AM new
Saabsister
Very probably someday in the near future.
Helen
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uaru
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posted on August 31, 2001 07:33:04 AM new
Harry Potter makes the list but not the "Chronicles of Narnia", which also has references to witches and magic.
I've never read the Harry Potter books so I plead ignorance on them. I can assure you that my child will have all the Narina books. The writer C.S. Lewis is one of my heros.
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bunnicula
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posted on August 31, 2001 07:37:58 AM new
Shadowcat: The Narnia books are spared for two reasons: the author was a famous Christian theologist & philosopher, and the books are Christian allegory.
The Harry Potter books, which I assure you are far from "satanic" also have the added black strike of "encouraging" rebellion against parents & guardians (Harry's aunt & uncle treat him like crap, so he essentially goes his own way).
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jamesoblivion
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posted on August 31, 2001 07:53:23 AM new
Yes, it's a terrible model for abused children to read about someone being similarly treated by his parents/ guardians. Abused children should think that they're the only ones in the world with that problem and have no recourse but to accept it. Damn those Harry Potter books.
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Shadowcat
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posted on August 31, 2001 03:39:33 PM new
I wasn't criticizing the Narnia books but the inconsistency of the people wanting to ban books for some reason or another while not mentioning books that have the same topics in other books that are considered "acceptable".
Does that make sense?
What I've never understood is if someone doesn't like a book for whatever reason that they have the right to decide that no one should read that book. I would imagine these same people would have screaming hissy fits if someone tried to dictate what they read.
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gravid
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posted on August 31, 2001 05:59:56 PM new
I would really like to WRITE a challenged banned book! It would be nice to generate that much emotion.
I remember though once I bought a used copy of Lolita and it was so very tedious and boring I could not finish it.
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Hjw
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posted on August 31, 2001 08:14:57 PM new
Gravid
I had the same disappointing experience with Lolita. Madame Bovary by Flaubert and Anna Karenina by Tolstoy were much better and I don't think that they were banned.
As for banning childrens literature, I think that it's really silly. What is a child going to read in a book that he doesn't experience on the playground or see on TV. Children should not be raised in a vacuum.
Helen
to remove duplicate word
[ edited by Hjw on Aug 31, 2001 08:16 PM ]
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