We have His Dark Materials in our middle school, 2 or 3 multiple sets.
The first book in the series we have in the bookroom (set of 5) for use
in literature circles, purchased by the district for classroom use in
MS. SLJ and English Journal reviews are for 5th or 6th grade up.
One point to make: those that cry most loudly about this series (or the
author's own beliefs) being non or anti-christian and therefore should
not be on the shelf or watched (in the case of the theatrical
production) are basing that opinion on their belief that Christianity
should be the standard used to judge books. It is a narrow, constrained
view of the world, not looking at the variety and richness of human
imagination and thought. We have Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist,
Atheist,Agnostic, Secular Humanist, and that's the short list students
in our school; why would it be wrong to have a book discussing any of
those points of view as right or wrong on the shelves? MS is a time to
explore and think and gain an understanding of a world growing large
with possibilities with each new bit of knowledge or idea.
Phillip Pullman has written passionately on child_lit list and in the
British Times Literary supplement over the years.
From the child_lit list:
Philip Pullman /Sun Nov 15 10:19:56 EST 1998/
<snip> If you recognized an allusion that I put there, good for both of
us. If I put one there and you didn't, one of us has missed out. If you
recognised one that I didn't put there - what then? Your experience of
the text is richer, so you win, I suppose. <snip>
As for research, my method is always to read as much as I find
interesting, and then stop; and when I need a fact, to make one up. The
function of research for a novelist is to enable him/her to invent
convincingly. 'Allusions, imagined"
<https://email.rutgers.edu/pipermail/child_lit/1998-November/005121.html>
Robert Eiffert
Librarian, Pacific MS Vancouver WA
pac.egreen.wednet.edu/library beiffert@egreen.wednet.edu
Librarian in the Middle Blog: www.beiffert.net robert@beiffert.net
"A government consultant with close ties to the civilian leadership in the Pentagon
said that Bush was “absolutely convinced that Iran is going to get the bomb” if it
is not stopped. He said that the President believes that he must do “what no
Democrat or Republican, if elected in the future, would have the courage to do,”
and “that saving Iran is going to be his legacy.” Seymour Hersh 'The Iran Plans'
NewYorker 17-4-06 <http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/060417fa_fact>
>I am embroiled in a nasty book challenge!! Boy, I could have done
>without this!! The parent is a fanatic who attends every board meeting
>and rages about something! That being said, he is still very dangerous.
>We are trying to pass a 2nd vote on a levy and he is not above extortion
>to achieve his goal. The book is The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman.
>He has since decided that all three books have to go--he's read none of
>them. Over spring vacation, he finally decided to file the proper
>complaint papers. This was after a particularly unpleasant phone call to
>me followed by a lengthy email to district administrators, etc. in which
>he impugned my character threatening to go to the police to charge me
>with child endangerment by providing an unsafe environment for
>children...yada, yada, yada.
>Needless to say, all the right people have voiced their support and
>we're on the challenge with the committee and the procedure, etc. It's
>just that I never guessed it could be so nasty and ...personal! Whew.
>I fear this is only going to get worse as the trilogy is being made into
>a movie and with the rather "anti-Christian" slant that can be
>interpreted, all the fundamentalists will come out of the woodwork.
>--sigh
>
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