What's Worth Censoring in Children's Literature? Beyond Misdirected Piety

Some readers of this blog may be aware that I write a blog on children's language and literacy learning - 'Literacy, Families & Learning'. I also have a long-term interest in children's literature and have published widely in these areas. I have been seeking for many years to reconcile good secular scholarship, my theology and writing on Christian education. This is challenging. I don't always agree with the things I see written by Christians in the field of education. It seems far too easy to use a shallow form of piety or offer up appropriate theological language to dismiss ideas in the field of education without thinking biblically about the myriad decisions we make daily as teachers and parents. As I have shared in previous posts on censorship (here) and Tedd Tripp's views on physical punishment (here), I'm puzzled at times by the views of some of my fellow Christians hold when commenting on education. One area of ongoing bafflement, which I suspect is symptomatic of different biblical application, is the children's books that are banned or challenged by parents.  While Christians aren't the only people to object to some children's books, many have questioned some of my favourite books, including 'Where the Wild Things Are', 'Bridge to Terabithia' and 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'. Lists of frequently challenged children's books (here) contain a number of books that I value highly, or would use, as well as some that I wouldn't want my children to read.

It is clear that in the last twenty years authors have pushed the boundaries of appropriateness for the child reader. This alone should be reason enough for any Christian parent to be very careful about the things that their children read, and even the books that might be set for study at school. But while many parents complained when Susan Patron's book 'The Higher Power of Lucky' was published in 2006 with the word 'scrotum' on the first page, few seem to complain about books that promote other topics like nationalism, militarism or versions of humanism that many Christians. Nor do some Christian parents question the view of the world promoted in many TV teen dramas, videos, musical lyrics, teen magazines etc.

Nicholas Wolterstorff, Professor of Philosophy at Yale University, offers some wisdom on this topic in 'Educating for Life' (p. 43):

There is rampant in our Reformed community, as I guess there is in most Christian communities, the belief that the great dangers in literature are obscenity and profanity. Thus, we wage strong campaigns to keep the eyes and ears of our children from "filth" as we call it. We have not the slightest compunction in allowing our children to read paeans of praise to nationalism, to financial success, to humanism, to militarism - just provided they are "clean"...What the Christian school absolutely must do is educate its constituency to these issues. It must teach them to be discerning as to the message of literary works. And with them - not against them - it must face up to the issue as to wherein lie the really serious threats to the moral and religious life of young children, and adults as well.

I hope that Christian readers of this blog do not misunderstand what I am saying. I am not against censorship and in fact managed to ban a number of televisions shows, teen magazines and the odd book when my children were growing up, but much more of my time was spent talking to them about the things they read, viewed, listened to etc.  And if I had an objection (as I did have to Dolly magazine), why did I hold it. In the process, I was helping them to apply their growing understanding of the purposes for which God had made them and his expectations for the life that he had given them. This is surely one of the most fundamental challenges for parents and Christian teachers, and is one of the true 'basics' in Christian education and parenting.

Censorship

Censorship is a topic that polarizes people. Most Christians believe in censorship, certainly for children, and also as part of their own self discipline. We try to avoid books and films (in fact anything) that we judge will make it harder to be "imitators of God" (Eph 5:1). Hence, over the years Christians have played their part in arguing for censorship of specific books, films, art, stage productions etc. Some have suggested that censorship was invented by Christians, but this is an overstatement. Censorship is an important topic and so Christians need to think about where they stand on such matters - for personal reasons, as parents (and teachers of any kind), and for apologetic reasons. The latter has many dimensions; people 'read' the way Christians challenge ideas, the way we pro-actively argue our position, the reasons we give in defense or attack and the manner in which we engage with public issues.

Parents and teachers will frequently face situations where they need to decide if a book is appropriate for their children. One of the most recent debates has concerned the book "The higher power of lucky" by Susan Patron (Simon & Schuster), with many parents and librarians wanting it banned. In a recent video interview the author provided an overview of the book and her reasons for writing it. In spite of some opposition, the book won the coveted Newbery Medal that is awarded each year to the book judged to be the best work of fiction for children in the USA.

The book tells the story of a 10 year old girl in Hard Pan (California) a town of just 43 people. She aspires one day to be a scientist and her curiosity leads her to eavesdrop on a group of people meeting in the local museum who share their life stories of addictions that were turned around with the help of a Higher Power. On the very first page Patron writes:

“Sammy told of the day when he had drunk half a gallon of rum listening to Johnny Cash all morning in his parked ’62 Cadillac, then fallen out of the car when he saw a rattlesnake on the passenger seat biting his dog, Roy, on the scrotum.”

While this is an unusual opening for a book written for 9-11 year old readers, would it lead you to stop your children reading it? I don't think it would lead me to remove the book from my child's reading list. But in reflecting on this, I wondered what things would lead me to consider censorship

What issues should lead me to challenge the appropriateness of specific titles on school reading lists? Or to suggest that my child should not read something? It is interesting to consider the American Library Association's list of the 100 most challenged books (1990-2000) for adults and children. This list contains some child and adolescent books that I certainly wouldn't challenge as a Christian if the books were read by the right age group. For example, "Bridge to Terabithia" and "The Great Gilly Hopkins" (both by Katherine Patterson). There are some that I would stop specific age groups reading (e.g. Judy Blume's "Forever"). What are the things that would excite me into action? And on what basis would I do it?

As a Christian I did censor some of the books that my children could have read. But as a parent of young children I always had more problems deciding about films, magazines and television programs. I'm sure parents today would add the Internet and electronic games to my list.

As well as dealing with such matters within the family, we will (at times) feel the need to enter public debate. The way we present ourselves to the world on such matters, is even more difficult. How do we take such stands, and on what authority do we do it (hopefully the Bible is the foundation informing our wisdom). When Christians enter public debate about censorship, our worldview is displayed and judgements are made about Christians and Christianity (rightly and wrongly).

Once again, should I be concerned about the use of the word "scrotum" on the first page of a book meant for upper primary children? I don't think so, I'd take it as an opportunity to teach some basic anatomy - well vocabulary, because at age 11 the terms 'penis' and 'vagina' would have been understood and discussed before. But I would get excited as a parent of young children when blasphemy was evident (e.g. in music video clips), when I saw immoral behaviour presented as acceptable, when texts sought to present as normal that which the Bible taught was not normal or was wrong, and when there was evidence of exploitation (e.g. the way women were portrayed).

This is a complex topic on which there are many views inside and outside the church, I'd be interested to know what others think about the various issues I have raised and how they have dealt with them at a personal level as well as in roles where you have had responsibility for children.