"The problem
with censorship can be summed up into two words: who
decides" (Censorship 76).
The idea of censorship can ruffle feathers and make
people uncomfortable. The fields of psychology and
sociology continue to demonstrate the negative effect
upon a child’s formation of exposure to certain content
at too young an age, yet the American Library
Association censorship guidelines prevent libraries from
removing books in the children’s section that might
conflict with this same proven knowledge of child
development. Independent booksellers provide parents and
children with a great selection of Indie authors to
stimulate and challenge their reading habit, yet also
celebrate the reading of banned books and often
re-classify age designations into two broad categories
(children age 0-10, and young adult age 10-18), exposing
younger children to books whose advanced social content
may be inappropriate for their age. Meanwhile, parents
and teachers scramble to assist their child in making
good choices.
The difficulty in this becomes even more prominent with
gifted readers. Age-level books often do not hold the
attention nor stimulate the imagination of the child
with an advance reading ability. Yet reading books
intended for children several years older can expose
them to content inappropriate for their age. And the
parent is typically unaware of this exposure.
Litland.com addresses this and offers a viable solution:
family censorship. Just as a person has the right to
read, so do families have the right to decide as a
family what goes in and out of their homes. An important
part of family censorship is that each member in the
family shares their opinions about the books; if their
views are suppressed, this will merely create animosity
in the family. Discussing those views creates an
opportunity for children to learn values from their
parents, for parents to guide the child in their
discernment, and for reading to be an element of family
bonding. Thus, it is important that everybody
participates as a family and that all issues be
discussed together, as other forms of entertainment may
have less impact upon the child and are more easily
controlled by the parent. For example, while a child may
be watching a movie for an hour and a half, they will
possibly be reading a book for several days or more.
Clearly, should unaddressed subject matter come up, the
child will have many questions. Thus, before choosing
books to read, it is essential to establish the family
DO-RE-MI’s.
What is the DO-RE-MI of family reading? Think of the
song made popular in the movie The Sound of Music: DO, a
deer, a female deer, RE, a drop of golden sun. MI, a
name I call myself...etc. This aids parents and children
alike to remember their DO-RE-MI’s before choosing that
book.
DO:
Where
DO
your values lie?
RE: RElate
to what interests your child(ren) while also keeping to
the values you set.
MI: Enter
the MInefield—
where does your family stand on important and
controversial issues?
It is crucial for families to discuss
these topics before deciding what books the children
will read. Your family DO-RE-MI’s will then accompany
your child into the classroom, bookstore and library,
guiding them in their selections.
Litland is your
tool to good literature. Unlike most book reviews put
forth by publishers or individuals on blogs, our reviews
utilize a pre-set criteria supporting character
formation which illuminates the best of the best, while
doing so in an unbiased, objective manner. Elements from
the story that can be associated either positively or
negatively with family values are identified. Apply your
family’s DO-RE-MI’s to each book review when deciding if
this book is right for your family!
