I am a teacher of young minds. Most of the time, I cannot figure out what those young minds might be thinking of or whether I am actually reaching them as a teacher.
I am also a mother of a child who remained challenging up until the time he grew up, which was probably when he was in his late 20s. Although I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on and was never told a book was not good for me to read or that I was not allowed to read it, I could never convey that to my kid. He can read and does. He has an excellent vocabulary and when he has a conversation, you would think he was college educated. He isn't, although he makes almost as much money as I do at his job. He did, however, love music. Especially the kind that I disdained as noise, the new (to me) groups that rapped. He was fascinated with them and when one of them, 2 Live Crew was set to perform in Hollywood, he still remembers them cancelling the show because the group was vulgar. He also remembers his stepfather saying at the time, "Sure, make them even more popular by not allowing the kids to listen. That makes sense." How right John was. This story is from 2010 on the 20th Anniversary.
The book at the top of the page is on several banned book lists because it is the story of a young, immigrant girl whose mother ends up in a detention center. She is Haitian. I guess some people do not like the way the government is portrayed. I had a wonderful student who is an immigrant from Haiti, begin this book today. Her reading scores on these infernal tests are low. I bet if I can get her reading and improving her vocabulary, her scores will go up.
I enjoyed this book tremendously and had to read the articles several times before I could figure out what the heck these parents were talking about for banning this book. Teens love this book. The story is universal except it takes place on an Indian reservation and the character is gay, although I never really got that from the story. I could not keep enough copies of this book in my classroom and even today, had to order another one for a student who asked to read it.
One of my favorite books, although I saw the movie before reading it. I have disagreed every time this book is in the news for an inappropriate book. The story is a great story and students love the story. They understand it was written in a time period when language was accepted, not that it was right. They understand the accused charge of rape and realize this also happened. They truly don't see Atticus as a white savior, but as Scout's father. They are much more interested in Boo Radley than the language used.
The above book, has never been banned but has been challenged due to the content of an angry young man who fights against the status quo. It was ridiculous then and it never happened again. It still made the way to my classroom and several years of students along with several other books by the same author. At the beginning of the book, Mr. Villsenor chastises teachers he had along the way and the treatment he received as a Mexican immigrant student. Although he was born in the United States, he stuttered, so he was bullied twice. It is an excellent story and my only regret is I could never raise enough money to have him come and speak to my kids.
This book could have been banned in several school systems due to content, but I have never heard of someone challenging it. That is a very good thing. The book has gangs, murder, poor people, medical treatment inequities due to race and money, and street kids. It is a true story and one of my students recommended it to me. I read it and have had several of my classes read it. I always keep at least 2 copies in my room for my students. Mr. Moore is now running for governor of Maryland. It is an excellent book.
I have always had a rule for my life. If it is in my home or in my classroom, you have permission to read it. If I don't have what you want to read, I will try and get you a copy. Any book you take, enjoy it, tell someone else about it and keep it to pass it on. My students' reading scores should go up. At least if the Florida legislature will STOP trying to limit what I can and cannot do or say in my classroom.
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