Re: Banned Books Week

["Irwin - Maureen S." <msirwin@umd5.umd.edu>]

I had a great day celebrating banned books with our 8th graders.  We are
an all girls, independent school and part of our missions reads "the
school
encourages self-discipline, independence of thought . . ." Each year that
I have been there I have put up a modest display similar to Jane's with
yellow CAUTION tape wrapped around some books, and posters with the
essence of Banned books week explained. This year I had the
opportunity  to work directly with the 8's, so I got a bit more elaborate.
I picked out challenged books that come from their summer reading list,
especially ones that they really like (Go Ask Alice,To Killa Mockingbird,
Summer of my German Soldier etc)  I  displayed them on the chalk ledge,
and then asked them to come a take a book they had read and enjoyed.  I
then went around the room and rather dramatically took each one away,
explaining why they
"shouldn't" read it.  The first class was flabbergasted.  By the fourth
section, they held on for dear life, sat on them, passed them
around--anything to keep me from taking them away.  Once I had them
adequately aroused we had a phenomenal discussion of the first amendment
(on an overhead) and the basis for our freedoms.  I distributed some of
the related quotes from the resource guide (ALA) and their websites for
small groups to discuss, agree, disagree, respond. We talked about who has
the right to choose for them, legitimate ways to request reconsideration
(I showed them our form), guidance vs. restriction, why books and certain
authors are frequently banned. I was blown away by their insights,
and will put their responses on a poster for  the middle school hallway,
along with the quotes.  It was noisy, but very stimulating and lots of
fun. During one section, I could see an upperschooler examining the
display in the main library and pulling that dreadfully subversive title
Teenager's Body Book
out of the tape.  What a hoot!

Maureen S. Irwin          **Any book you have not read is a new book ;)**
Middle School Librarian
Roland Park Country School
Baltimore, MD  21210
irwinm@rpcs.pvt.k12.md.us      or  msirwin@umd5.umd.edu (for listserv)

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