Things that make you go hmm.....

[dorihbutler]

I had a great school visit today...well-prepared, enthusiastic kids...great staff. There were paw prints all over the school announcing my visit, and a group of fourth graders had put on a little skit last week for the rest of the school to get them excited about my visit (I asked if they'd perform it for me today and they did...it was wonderful

Comments

Wow!

[kelcrocker]

Dori, I'm filled with a mishmash of feelings after reading your eloquent post. Your visit sounds so fun and wonderful, I'm sorry that it also included dealing with The Truth About Truman School banned from sale. (I LOVE that book, by the way. Soooooo good.)

I understand a bit about where the librarian is coming from. I haven't faced censorship myself, but having seen the reaction you received recently was bad enough. And yet it makes me want to fight even harder to protect our American right to read! You're absolutely right, of course, about the value of class discussion--and this is a PUBLIC school. it should prepare kids to face the world as it is. The US is built upon the ideals of multiculturalism and diversity. If someone doesn't like that, maybe they shouldn't have their kids in public school.

Moreover, one person should not be dictating what an entire class--and subsequent classes and other classes across the school and the district--reads. People need to stand up for books, the right to read, and intellectual freedom. To do so, they need huge amounts of support. I wish this librarian felt that she had that. We all need to stand up for these elemental American values.