Meghan Cox Gurdon is concerned with the content of Myracle's novel.
By now, most of you probably know that Meghan Cox Gurdon sparked a controversy in the Wall Street Journal* by writing about the “explicit abuse, violence and depravity” present in today’s YA literature.
The gist of the piece is that violent and disturbing behaviors in teen novels have the potential to “help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures.”
The most-quoted line from the essay concerns the B-word. Gurdon writes: “In the book trade, this is known as ‘banning.’ In the parenting trade, however, we call this ‘judgment’ or ‘taste.’”
Surprise, surprise: YA authors and fans of YA fiction did not like this essay one bit—and responded en masse via the Twitter hashtag #YAsaves. (As for me, I think the thesis of the essay is just . . . eye-roll inducing. If I had a teen daughter, I’d give her Lauren Myracle’s Shine over violent video games and movies—or, you know, the nightly news—any day of the week. Not to mention there are plenty of light and fluffy YA books out there—even many of Lauren Myracle’s other books! If teens want to read about romance, adventure, fantasy or any other topic, a good librarian or bookseller can help point them toward lots of great books that don’t involve blood, guts or self-mutilation.)
Besides following the Twitter hashtag, I’ve been keeping notes on a few of the most thoughtful and interesting responses to Gurdon’s essay, for your reading pleasure:
- Roger Sutton, editor of The Horn Book, thinks “the books and the kids are all right.”
- Linda Holmes of NPR’s Monkey See blog writes: “Banning is banning, not guidance.”
- Cecil Castellucci (author of Rose Sees Red) argues that “YA books with hard topics and uncomfortable subject matter do save lives.”
- The oft-banned (and oft-reviewed in BookPage) Laurie Halse Anderson writes: “Great young adult literature connects us. It bridges the darkness. It saves lives.”
- Debut novelist Veronica Roth writes of why the article didn’t make her angry—but it did make her “heave a huge sigh.”
As a parent, teacher, librarian or simply as a reader: What was your reaction to Gurdon’s essay? Do you agree that today’s teen lit is in a disturbing rut—and that’s a dangerous trend? Should kids be able to read whatever the heck they want?
Let us know in the comments.
*The cynical side of me thinks she also made her editor verrry happy with this click-baiting piece of writing. Not since Amy Chua’s “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” have I seen so much commentary and outrage concerning an article about a book!
I am a bookseller at B&N and I also am the children’s manager in the store. I am an avid reader of YA Fiction of all kinds! Upon reading this article this was the response I posted on my Facebook page:
Being the YA Lit lover that I am, I of course had to put my two cents in….if I offend…..I’m not sorry….just so you know….
This article enraged me! The reporter first and foremost must get her facts straight. The Young Reader Genre was not dubbed that until the 1960′s maybe but the “genre” has been around for quite some time…
http://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/024children.html
…….to call any type of literature “appalling” is inexcusable. I work with children everyday that have seen horrors much darker than what is dealt with in these books. These children have seen the darker sides of human existence and most of it has been dealt to them by their parents. The rest is offered by our wonderful society who would rather forget they exist. Children are smarter than most of you give them credit for. They do understand that most of the time they are reading for entertainment or to gain knowledge…these darker teen titles were never put out there as “how to” books…..I mean how stupid is this reporter really! Most of what is dark and viscous in their worlds is what the adults and caretakers of this world have created. Yes teens cut themselves….starve themselves….and sometimes kill themselves….yes they are capable of becoming drug addicts and alcoholics….but they also are sometimes abused….mistreated…..ridiculed…..and thrown away as trash…..and most of the time this is done by the most trusted adults in their lives…there are those dumbfounded people who believe that if we take this type of literature away from the teens and children that they won’t think of these things…..WRONG!…..these horrors will not stop…..who will they identify with then….upon reading these type of titles some of the teens will finally meet someone just like themselves….some teens are moved to the point of action when reading this type of fiction…..they become confidants to their fellow troubled teens…or they become inspired….inspired to be creative themselves or inspired to be a stronger humans….or GASP! they read this type of fiction for pure escapism…..this article truly shows the ignorance of adults today….bravo to the authors who take the chance and actually “go there”…..and bravo to the excellent minds who create such fantasy that contain vampires and fairies and incredibly fantastic worlds! Bravo to the authors who give us an insight to the troubled minds of teens who are facing their inner demons….and shame on you adults and close minded people who want to just lock the darkness in the closet….shame on you for not facing the realities and darkness of our world today…..and shame on you for wanting to keep our youth of today ignorant and blind and not prepared for the real world….. #YAsaves
I’m a longtime teacher of middle school students, and believe that the more they read, discuss, and try to understand how (or why) people act, they will be able to make better choices for themselves. I am reminded of the quotation by Benjamin Franklin: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” And I am fearful of people who believe that taking away words will make us better. Ignorance is not bliss. That other quote, by ?, “if you think education is expensive, try ignorance,” also seems pertinent.
Students need a balance in their reading. When kids choose their own books, they are more motivated and their reading improves. According to reading expert Kelly Gallagher, school reading should be about 50% choice, and 50% whole-class novels. Most schools overwhelm students with books that they are not ready to process effectively, while those same students are, ironically, hungering to read!
Two blog posts for your consideration:
First, this from one of my junior students last year: “Does school ruin reading?”
http://fremdamericanstudies.ning.com/profiles/blogs/does-school-ruin-reading
Second, my blog post “But What If We Try?” about how we added student choice to my sophomore classes this year: http://whatsnotwrong.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/but-what-if-we-try/
As a middle school librarian I see students everyday who do not hesitate to stop reading and return a book they deem inappropriate. They have no problem voicing their opinions either!
We need to educate kids to think for themselves; once that happens they will censor themselves and read what coincides with the values they’ve been taught at home. A big part of helping our children grow-up is instilling our morals and values to them so they can make good decisions on their own. Part of that lesson should include choosing, or not choosing, to a read a book based on your own personal interests and sensibilities and not stealing those same books out of the hands of kids who may need them, which is my definition of banning.
I agree with the four previous comments. Let them read what they want, if it encourages them to READ! They will find a way to read what they want anyway. Perhaps this reporter needs a copy of Ray Bradbury’s “Farenheit 451″.