[Publib] That book they are talking about

[Bruce Bumbalough]

Tom,

Yoiu're giving this nonissue more credit than its worth.   The book is
something kids will love.   Its the adults that have a problem with
anatomically correct terms.   Maybe they are unsuree of their own
sexuality.

Bruce Bumbalough in a cloudy Grapevine, Texas


>>> "Tom Kemp" <thomas.j.kemp at gmail.com> 2/23/2007 2:42 PM >>>
Perhaps we should just describe the language as: tasteless.

Why in the world would the author or anyone else think that this is an
appropriate story for anyone of any age? Like so much of day-time TV
...
it's low brow. But, our airwaves, media of all types are filled with
low
brow content. Look at what passes for news these days.

There are more than 60,000 books published annually.
Why was this title given a prestigious national award?
What are we doing?

Of the thousands of books published ... this was the best? the award
winner?

Bury this "dog" book in the backyard like a bone? No.
Honor it? I wouldn't do that either.

And we wonder why the public relies on and uses libraries less and less
each
year.

Tom


On 2/23/07, Eric <eric.brasure at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I am a current MLS student and I happen to be taking a children and
YA
> class this semester. I can tell you that there was no one in my
class
> that came down on the side of thinking "scrotum" to be a dirty word
> and no one entertained the notion of censoring the book.
>
>
> On 2/23/07, Connie Jo Ozinga <cjo at elkhart.lib.in.us> wrote:
> >
> >
> > I would hope that you are as dismayed as I am over the brouhaha
> regarding
> > the recent Newbery winner "The Higher Power of Lucky" by Susan
Patron,
> due
> > to the fact that it contains the word scrotum.  This is the correct
name
> for
> > a body part.  How is it a dirty word?
> >
> > I was even more dismayed when a staff member who is working on her
MLS
> told
> > me that at her class the other night she was the only student in
the
> class
> > who would keep the book in a children's collection, and the rest of
the
> > students were appalled by the use of "dirty words" and would never
allow
> > such a book in any children's collection for which they might be
> > responsible.
> >
> > Are we failing to teach our MLS students the basic principles of
> > intellectual freedom?  I find their reaction very troubling for
the
> future
> > of our profession.
> >
> > Connie
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Connie Jo Ozinga, Director  cjo at elkhart.lib.in.us 
> > (574)522-3333  www.elkhart.lib.in.us 
> > Elkhart Public Library Elkhart, IN  46516
> >
> > The Elkhart Public Library provides access to resources which
inform,
> > educate, enlighten and entertain our diverse community.....Books
are
> just
> > the beginning.
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Publib at webjunction.org 
> > http://lists.webjunction.org/mailman/listinfo/publib 
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> "Why are the machines so sad?"
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