I have to comment on this book. First, I've read it and have 3 copies in my high
school library. The students who have read it have compared it to Hopkins'
Identical or Pelzer's A Child Called It. Yes, it's graphic, but it's realistic.
Does anyone remember the recent, almost identical incident in Missouri with 2 boys?
I had a very difficult time reading this novel, just as I did with Identical. I
haven't read A Child Called It, despite all the kids telling me it is the "very
best book." I haven't wanted to read about abuse since I read Sybil in high
school. Unfortunately, not everyone grew up in my Pollyanna life where I never met
anyone different from me until I went to college. So, in that respect, it's all
the more important for me to understand that these horrible incidents occur, and
just like Frank's America, to recognize there are kids out there who suffer the
abuse we read about in novels. Ask the kids, they will tell you there are kids in
your schools who are in worse situations than the protagonists in the novels. This
was brought to my attention after I read (and suffered through, I might add!)
Saphire's Push. Every girl who checks this out comes to have a discussion with me;
most of these girls know others who either are in similar situations or who have
suffered such abuse. It horrifies me that some of our kids live in such dire
circumstances!
Also, Living Dead Girl ended the only realistic way it possibly could.
Lynda N. Short, LMS
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
1600 Man O'War Blvd.
Lexington, KY 40513
859-381-3546 x 2122
FAX 859-381-3549
lynda.short@fayette.kyschools.us
________________________________
From: School Library Media & Network Communications on behalf of Porschet, Christine
Sent: Tue 1/27/2009 9:20 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: HIT on "Living Dead Girl" by Elizabeth Scott
Thank you to everyone who responded. The overwhelming response was to
not include it on the shelves and that it belongs more in the public
library. These are some of the responses:
"I'm a 9-12 librarian, and I was ok with the book until the very end.
Perhaps I'm an immature reader, but I was hoping for a positive outcome.
I never expected "Alice" to not survive, and I really don't understand
the point of that ending. Shock value perhaps? I'd have added it to my
collection IF she had managed to survive. The book could have generated
thought-provoking discussions on the methods people use to gain power
over others, "Alice's" survival mechanisms during her ordeal, clues
about the origins of Ray's twisted thinking, the role of others (people
like you and me) in Alice's life (neighbors, Barbara, etc.), and all
kinds of themes. But if she's just going to get killed with Ray at the
end, what's the point of any of it? She's become evil like him,
corrupted beyond redemption, and needs to be exterminated?
THAT's not a message I want to send kids!
I do think the author wrote in detail about a horrific situation in a
well-crafted manner. I admire the ability to perfectly capture the
horrific nature of the experience without the use of profanity and
explicitness. That was one of the reasons I was willing to consider it
for my collection, until the end."
"Recently I heard a book talk on this particular title given by some
public librarians and found it extremely disturbing. I am in a middle
school and of course would not purchase this but would also never
purchase this if I were a High School librarian. These librarian
presenters were quite knowledgeable and did not tell the audience to
purchase or not purchase any particular titles but they did strongly
caution school librarians about this particular book."
"I also read "Living Dead Girl" and found it extremely disturbing. It
made me very uncomfortable and was depressing. However, I did put it in
my library because it is very well written and has been reviewed for
High School Campuses. We have other books with disturbing material,
such as "Identical" by Ellen Hopkins, that are actually quite popular
with the students."
"I even had one of our English teachers read it to make sure I wasn't
being too judgemental and she was horrified with the book. It went into
the box I give to the public library's book sale."
"I found this book really disturbing and just couldn't put it on the
shelf. We have all the Dave Pelzer books (A Child Called It, Lost
Boy...), but I thought this was much worse and just couldn't imagine
students reading it. I think it was too dark and didn't seem to provide
any hope. I have been nervous as I have been reading how it is on the
short list for several awards. I can't imagine encouraging HS students
to read it. Let me know what you hear from others."
"I only started to read this book. I could not spend the time to finish
it as there is so much that I need to read. I know I would never
recommend it to anyone. I am sure there might be a use for a novel on
this theme but I am at a loss to think of on."
cporschet@mwcsd.org
Christine Porschet, SLMS
High School Library
Marcus Whitman Central School District
4100 Baldwin Rd.
Rushville, NY 14544
(585) 554-4865
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