Oops, I hit "send" too fast. The responses I missed are at the top (without the >
symbols).
> I had many requests for "hits" on this. Here's what LM_netters said:
>
> ==========================
We had a big discussion in our state LMS listserv about whether or not
kids should bring in home copies, much less library copies. The consensus
was that kids can bring in books from home even if they are inappropriate
for that grade level, but that Twilight doesn't belong in an elementary
school library. Let the parents deal with that.-- Medfield, MA
We don't have it any of our elementary campuses and I don't have it at the 6th
grade campus. -- Waxahachie, TX
I have a K-12 library and have two copies of Twilight on hand (as well as the rest
of the books). I have several 4th and 5th graders on the waiting list for the
book. I don't think there's anything in Twilight that this age student hasn't seen
on Nick or the Disney Channel. If you already have a copy, why not just give it a
try. If the book is too hard, the kids will bring it back. -- Coppell, TX
We do not have Twilight in our elementary collection, nor do any of the media
centers in our very liberal, very anti-censorship county. We have made the
decision to leave some series for our elementary students to look forward to in
middle school and/or high school, and the Twilight series is one of those. I don't
think there's anything particularly "wrong" about putting the first book in an
elementary school (although many parents would not be crazy about the fact that
Bella has Edward staying in her room every night behind her Dad's back.) But when
you have the first book of the series, then students want to know why you don't
have the second - fourth books of the series. To be honest, I really don't believe
the intended audience is elementary students. The main characters are juniors in
high school, and I can't think of any other realistic fiction series we have in our
elementary school that features main characters in that age bracket. One of the
main themes is the p!
assion
between the two main characters, and that theme really isn't one I'd be that
thrilled to add to my elementary collection. --Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburbs)
>
> I don't have Twilight in my collection since I only go to 4th grade, but one of
> my 3rd grade girls is reading it right now. I think it would be too intense for
> under 6th grade. It does have a little graphic violence near the end, but not
> in great detail. – Kodak, Tennessee
> We do not have it in our collection although I have had a few students
> requesting it. I have no intent of getting it at this time.-- Grand Prairie, TX
>
> We are a 4 - 6 grade school. I do not have it in my collection. Several
> students are reading it and I have spoken to a few parents about the
> appropriateness. I am not discouraging students from reading it, but think it
> best serves older students. (It is probably no more inappropriate for 5th
> graders than some of the Lurlene McDaniel "death and dying" series as we call
> them.) But it is much like a Lays potato chip, You can't read just one. The
> first will lead to the others in the series and some of them, I know, are too
> old for my kids. Like you I have referred my kids to the public library,
> WalMart, or borrow from a friend. – Smiths Station, AL
>
> I just purchased Twilight and New Moon for my elementary library (K-6). I had
> been holding out on the purchase but had acutallly loaned my personal copies to
> a couple of students. My feeling about this is two-fold....the first two books
> in the series are really pretty chaste - the more mature themes don't kick in
> until book #3, and these kids (my 6th graders especially) would have access to
> them in their school library if they lived in a different neighborhood (our city
> has a mix of 6-7-8 and 7-8 middle schools). One of my friends in the district
> does have a separate YA/middle school section for her 5th and 6th graders (for
> check-out with parent permission, etc.), but I don't. – Eagle River, AK
>
> I do not have it in the collection and decided not to include it - only after
> reading the entire series. I have no problem adding the first or second - or
> MAYBE even the third. I would never consider adding the fourth, Breaking Dawn.
> I think the contents of Breaking Dawn are way too mature for a 10 year-old. I
> really had a hard time with the decision because I loved the series and knew
> several of my 5th graders would as well. My fear was the flack I would receive
> for only adding part of a series to a collection. There are bound to be parents
> on both sides of the argument who could really make your life miserable. If a
> child really wants one of the books, our district's union catalog could supply
> it. No child has requested Twilight - or the other titles in the series. If a
> child does ask me to get it for them, I would ask them to provide parental
> permission. – Livingston, NJ
>
> I do NOT. Don't plan to. Twilight is not even a middle school level book, but
> Young Adult. The author initially wrote it with the intention of publishing it
> for adults. Like many books that are made into movies inappropriate for kids, I
> just steer parents to a bookstore or public library if they want their 5th
> grader reading young adult books. I would give the donated copy back. Good luck!
> – Short Hills, NJ
>
> My thoughts are...Are 5th graders really mature enough to handle a love story? A
> true love story not just a "he's cute" story. I've read the books and think
> 8th-9th grade and higher. My daughter is a freshman and started them at the end
> of 8th grade and agrees. She's my "unofficial" reviewer. Ha I would say no to
> letting 5th graders read it. – Wichita, KS
>
> I didn't put it in my collection because I thought it was way too mature for 10
> yr. olds. The interpersonal situations in the book are way beyond their
> understanding. One of the questions my teenage grandaughter kept asking was,
> "Are they going to 'do it' or not?" That's not an appropriate question for the
> little guys to be pondering, but it's a driving theme of the book.
> Just my two cents worth.... --Lawrenceville, VA
>
> My library serves grades 3 - 5. I have had many fifth graders asking for the
> book but I have decided not to add it to the collection. I have read the book
> and don't think there is anything too inappropriate for fifth grade, but I know
> that they will ask for the second one and so on and I have decided not to go
> there. This makes the perfect opportunity to get them to go to the public
> library or put the book on their Christmas list. --Cassville, MO
>
> I don't have it in my k-5 LMC, although I am very much a Twilight fan (I have a
> Twibrarian shirt!), and I've only had 1 child request to ILL the book. I told
> him that I was happy to do that as long as he brought in a note from home saying
> it was OK. The thing is, it is clearly YA even though there isn't any real sex,
> there are scary parts (for elementary anyway) about the vampires that I just
> felt I needed to steer clear of for my community. – Geneseo, NY
>
> I bought a paperback book and read it. I was doing OK until the girl took cold
> medicine to help her sleep (that is drug use..) and the boyfriend started
> staying over even with no sex I didn't want to go there. The book is being
> passed around the teachers but no school stamp! – New Boston, NH
>
> I bought the first book for my 5th grade grandgirl And I think all the books are
> OK but the last one Is definitely not. So I will be interested to see if any
> elementary Schools offer it. I am K-4 – Waco, TX
>
> I've been struggling with the same thing. I bought the first two finally. I
> had 3 kids who've read the whole series. I read the first one last summer out
> of curiosity and didn't really see anything in it that would be objectionable.
> Started the second one, and pooped out--got a little long. The first grade
> teacher made it to the 4th one and she said Bella and Edward got married and
> enjoyed their honeymoon in great detail. So I'm not sure I'd want that one on
> the shelves of an elementary school. So I thought, I'll get the first two and
> then if the really avid readers want to finish the series they can go to the
> public library or purchase the book. I have lots of kids whose parents have
> bought them the books. 4th graders are wanting it too. I told them that might
> be a good one to read with mom. Right now the fifth grade are keeping my two
> copies tied up. – ???
>
>
> ================
>
>
>
>
> --
> Ronda Y. Foust, Librarian
> Hardin Valley Elementary School
> Knoxville, TN
> http://hveslibrary.wikispaces.com/
> http://thebookdragon.blogspot.com/
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