The Unexpected Battleground

Censorship.

It's an ugly word for an ugly variation on what seem to be the constant twin human companions of ignorance and intolerance.

As a teacher, a mother, a book lover and someone who is slowly, slowly trying to inch professionally into the world of children's literature, censorship feels like glass shards beneath my bare feet--painful, inexplicable and one would think unavoidable.

But maybe not.

My censorship rant today was triggered by children's author Kate Messner, whose new book is the newest in a long line of censorship victims.

Messner's book, The Seventh Wish, is about a middle school girl named Charlie who, like so many kids her age, is trying to navigate between the  worries and joys of preadolescence, and the struggles of dealing with drug addiction within her family.  

Kate Messner, a former middle school teacher and author of countless wonderful, award-winning middle-school books, found herself staring directly into the  eye of censorship this week when a school in Vermont cancelled her author visit less than 24 hours before the event, and sent back all their ordered library copies of The Seventh Wish.  

The school had arranged for Messner to visit back in January, and had received a copy of the book at that time as well.   They had a full six months to read the book, to consider the subject matter and perhaps reach out the Messner to discuss themes in the book.

And yet they waited until less than 24 hours before her visit to cancel and return the books.

I can tell you the "why" of this very easily.

The school  most likely announced Messner's visit and shared the title of her new book.  A concerned parent (or parents) discovered the subject matter in the book, bristled, perhaps gathered together other like-minded parents and took their concerns to the librarian or principal.

My rant is not about parent rights, or about dismissing parent concerns.  Parents have the right to guide their own children as they see fit whether I or anyone else agrees with them or not.

My rant is about exploring the path increasingly less-taken.
The path of reason, logic, tolerance and reality.

As Messner eloquently says in her blog post,

"We don’t serve only our own children. We don’t serve the children of 1950. We don’t serve the children of some imaginary land where they are protected from the headlines. We serve real children in the real world...And whether you teach in a poor inner city school or a wealthy suburb, that world includes families that are shattered by opioid addiction right now. Not talking about it doesn’t make it go away. It just makes those kids feel more alone."

It is a huge mistake--and a pointless exercise--to try to build a world for our children that only reflects one reality.   The real world is there and whether we like it or not as parents and teachers, far, far closer to our children than we probably know.  

But we aren't powerless in the face of the real world.  We have, if we choose to use it, the powers of discussion and empathy.  And we have books to open us up to using these powers.

Part of the lexicon of children's literature uses the analogy of "windows" and "mirrors".   Children and young adults need both.  Sometimes they need mirrors--reflections of their own lives that break down feelings of isolation and trigger self-reflection, discussion and at times change.   Other times they need windows--explorations into worlds that are not their own, so that they can open their hearts and minds up to the people and situations around them.  

Which brings us back to the question of whether or not Messner's newest book is appropriate.

I would say yes.

Is it appropriate for all readers?

Well, I'd have to answer that question with another question:  Is any book appropriate for all readers?  Of course not.  Not all readers are Harry Potter fans.  Not all readers are Judy Blume fans.  And not all readers will pick up The Seventh Wish  and feel an instant connection.    But then again,  some young readers may need to read this book--as a window or a mirror--and not know it.   Just as some 11-, 12- or 13-year old girls (or boys)  didn't know they needed to read Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me Margaret until after they had read it.  

We are treading a dangerous line in censorship where the demands of the few are starting to overpower the needs and rights of the many.  Our current politics are fraught with this poisonous mind-set, so it is no surprise that it is trickling into other areas as well.  

I fully support a parent's right to decide what they want their child to read and not read.  But that decision needs to apply to their own child.   Teachers and librarians are almost always willing to move heaven and earth to offer an alternative reading choice.  

The students at the school in Vermont that refused Messner's book may continue onward in their young lives without reading The Seventh Wish.  Concerned parents will feel vindicated.

And students for whom Messner's book would've been a mirror  into their own lives will continue, possibly feeling alone, ashamed and/or overwhelmed.  And students for whom Messner's book would've been a window into the life of perhaps friends or family members will continue in their own lives, feeling worried and confused.

And the difficult, challenging topics that parents, teachers, students and all of us need to open up to the light of reason, logic, tolerance and reality will all be shoved a bit further into the dark.

Thanks censorship.
Thanks a lot.






You can read Kate Messner's original blog post here at: http://www.katemessner.com/the-seventh-wish/