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 Banned books 
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Do you believe that children should not be allowed to read banned books? Why or why not?
I think that the class should be allowed to decide as a whole. The teacher could send a letter home to the parents asking for their permission before the class reading. I have enjoyed reading some of the banned books and do not understand why some of them were banned. :D

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Jessica Peters


Tue Sep 21, 2004 11:44 am
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I don't believe that banned books should be used inside the classroom with younger children. I think if the parents want their children to read these books then it is up to the parent. I think it is ok to look at these books in high school or college, but the student then has the right to decide whether they want to participate in the discussion.

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Melissa Cooke


Tue Sep 21, 2004 4:13 pm
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My opinion varies about the banned book idea. I mean you have books that have been banned that are good for them to read and you have books that are being read to children that shouldn't be apart of their selection. Recently a child was asked to read a book to a preschooler. The book was called "Just say no." The child was reading this book to the younger child and at the end it talked about a little girl and an uncle taking off their clothes. The child that was reading the book was so upset because they felt like they had to read it, but decided that they shouldn't. Those are the kind of books that parents should be worried about especially at such a young age. It should go by the age level of understanding.

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Elizabeth Cooner


Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:46 am
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I'm not sure about banned books, but I don't think we always need to attack the issue. There are MILLIONS of books out there to choose from, so why pick a book that you know will cause problems? Maybe this is a cop-out, but as a future English teacher, I’ll probably be using this technique a lot, just to stay out of trouble.

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Mary Carmichael


Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:29 pm
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I agree with Mary. Why pick a book that you know is going to cause problems within the classroom? There are lots of books out there that get the same point across but in a better way. If the children are wanting to read a book then that is up to the parents and that child's decision on if they can and want to read. Even putting a letter out to the parents about reading certain books isn't going to work in my opinion. The parents may not knwo anything abotu the book and may also feel that their decision may affect something the rest of the class wants to do. I feel that banned books should be read when older when the choose can be well thought out.

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Kimberly Winecoff


Sun Sep 26, 2004 3:44 pm
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My opinion varies on the subject of banned books. There are definitely some books that should not be read at school that deal with issues that should be talked about at home. But then there are many books that i don't understand why they are banned, and many that people want to ban. I know that Harry Potter has been a big issue with some schools, and I don't really understand the issue with that book. I think that if the teacher chooses to use a book in the classroom that may cause controversy, they should send a letter home to the parents to let them know.

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Lindsey Evans


Sun Sep 26, 2004 4:59 pm
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Everyone has touched on my opinions in some form or another. Some books don't need to be banned while others make me greatful for a banned books list! I think age should determine a lot of what banned books are used...i wouldn't read something with mature ideas to a young student, but this material my be significant to older students. There are tons of books to choose from and I believe that the teacher must know their limitations and understand what's really important to them. :D

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Ashley Huskins


Sun Sep 26, 2004 8:53 pm
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I think we should look at why certain books are banned. Who decides? Who draws the line and where does it stop. One person's offense to a book maybe another person's love. I think sending a letter home to the parents could build a strong bridge of communication between teachers and parents. You could inform mom and dad your objectives along with a thorough debrief/discussion of "the book." If it is material you feel strongly about, it's worth the try.

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susan meadows


Sun Sep 26, 2004 9:05 pm
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i feel that the students should absolutely have the right to read banned books. Maybe i wont agree with what the book is about but i feel that the student has the right to be able to read any book that he or she may want to read. Reguardless of wether someone elses opinion has made it a "banned" or "unbanned" book. :D

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Telena Snyder


Sun Sep 26, 2004 10:30 pm
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I am very much against censorship of any kind, and i find offensive that any book could be banned because someone else finds it innappropriate for me to read. If any thing a work that says something offensive or controvercial should be read and discussed widely so that we could understand its context, and what the author is trying to say. Certainly i think that censored mateiral may not be appropriate in certain classroom situations, but that is up to the teacher who has a better understanding of the maturity level of his or her students. I also feel that discussion between parents students and teachers is very important in regard to this issue, parents should know what their kids are reading, and try to understand why.


Mon Sep 27, 2004 2:12 pm
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Censorship is a topic we have been talking about alot in a few of my other classes... I think the best way is to provide a unit that includes multiple books that students choose between. Who says the whole class has to read the same book at the same time?! By allowing the students to choose the book, they can choose against the book that is held in questions - - and it covers your back when parents start to question.

I think it is very important to evaluate the books that you choose for your classroom. It is not always necessary to choose a book from the censorship list - I do think it is imporant to evaluate your reasons for wanting to include the book in your unit - - and to have that answer ready and available when students start to ask questions.

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Kate Padgett


Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:06 pm
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I think that using banned books is accectable if parents agree with the use of the books. But just as Mary said, there are millions of books out there and why cause a problem when you can just pick another book!!!

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Abby Hancock


Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:50 am
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Coming from a parental point of view, I intend to raise a child openly, teaching them, not sheltering them. I want them to know the true answers to the questions they pose to me. Anything about sex, war, guns, religion, violence. And ya know, at a young age they will not always understand the truth about the world, but telling them that things are the way they are for a reason is all there is to it, and one day they will understand what we understand today in our 20's, 30's, whatever. What is an important point that I intend to hammer home is the difference between what is real and what is not real, true, and fictional. Maybe people think I will be raising some scared, unruly kids, but I know that it works. There is no reason to hide literature to a child.

NOW, in a classroom, if a book is banned from the school, I do not intend to fight it unless it is truly a hot debate and my English collegues are up for the fight. i would only encourage a curious mind to buy the book, rent it from another library, and/or talk to their parents/guardians about it.

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Nina Pinto


Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:17 pm
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