I started reading it and couldn't stop. I understand the book was banned in some places, but I loved every bit of it as a woman with a daughter. Even now, in a crisis, I sometimes whisper to God, "Are You there God? It's me, Donna."
It's our little joke.
And now it's going to be a movie. I can't wait until some streaming service picks it up.
I decided to find out why it was banned back in the 70's, and here are the reasons:
1. age inappropriate:
2. religious views
3. It made Christians look bad.
It made Christians look bad?? We Christians have been making ourselves look bad for years; I probably make Christians look bad at least once a day! (And for those of you who are thinking I do it far more often than that, just keep your thoughts to yourself.)
Religious views? The whole world is a mix of all sorts of religious views, and if you think reading a book is the only way you'll see that, something is wrong. If you live in this world, you will see a lot of religious views totally different from yours. The whole world around us is a cesspool, and you think a book someone wrote that was meant to let young folks know they are not alone in their thoughts and feelings will ruin their lives?
Age inappropriate? I believe any child who can pick up that book and understand it is ready for what they will read.
I had to learn about the birds and the bees after Sunday night church from three girls whose mothers had explained to them how their bodies would be changing; while the parents stood inside the church and visited with one another, we girls went and sat in someone's car and they all compared notes on what they had learned. I only listened, because nobody had told me anything. My mother felt that if you told children about those things too early on, it would make them develop sooner and they'd get into all sorts of trouble.
Mother meant well, and I survived, so I was fine. We moved to the city, and when I was 12 years old, the school nurse gathered us girls in a room and tried to explain everything to us... although it just confused me more, I think. She may not have been the best person for the job.
I can't wait for the movie, though. You'll find the review of the book HERE. I read about why it was banned HERE.
All the book banning now makes me so sad because they're going after important literature with very worthwhile messages. I don't know if I've ever read that book--strange with a name like mine. :)
ReplyDeleteI read a very good review of the movie this morning.
ReplyDeleteI loved that book. I think those folks banning books don’t even read. They’re copying Adolph Hitler. It’s one of the first things that happens with a dictator. Makes me sick.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I were just having this discussion last night and I pretty much said the same things as you. If they are interested enough to pick up a book and understand it, they are old enough to read such things. They probably already have been talking it over with friends on the playground. I also don't see how some books like this one you talked about, 1984, Of Mice and Men and several others that I have read also made the list of banned books in school.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't think that should give writers and librarians carte blanche to write anything they want to and to put it prominently on display in the school library. I think our public school has a review team of parents and teachers who read through any book brought to their attention and make a democratic decision and it has worked well. My kids went through a private religious elementary school so there wasn't any issues at all about what books they had access too.
I think banning books is very inappropriate. People, even kids, can decide what they want to read without some "authoritative" person making that decision for them. And this is Margie from Margie's Musings...not Anonymous!. .
ReplyDeleteI could hug you. "Christians have been making Christians look bad..." Yes.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand people regulating what their children read. I mean, there is plenty of reading material out there that requires someone to be reading along and discussing, but banning age appropriate material because it might make your child ask questions or begin to form his/her own ideas...well. Isn't that what books are SUPPOSED to do?
I remember when my youngest daughter was nine or so, she got caught up in Harry Potter. Her Sunday school teacher told her that she would go to hell for her choice of reading material. Literally. We found a new church.