tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post5897668319022514355..comments2024-02-27T03:36:20.256-07:00Comments on Krista Van Dolzer: What I Think of the Latest Attempt to Ban John Green's BooksKrista Van Dolzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08830193414560232842noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-45932092481498784622014-12-03T11:28:42.937-07:002014-12-03T11:28:42.937-07:00Thanks for stopping by, Neha! It just goes to show...Thanks for stopping by, Neha! It just goes to show how subjective tastes are.Krista Van Dolzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08830193414560232842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-71396184752460057632014-11-24T10:32:40.401-07:002014-11-24T10:32:40.401-07:00I am a die-hard John Green fan. I've read all ...I am a die-hard John Green fan. I've read all his books so it was obvious I'm going to buy this one. I don't regret buying it but its not that great. It's really funny though.Neha Shayarhttp://shayaris.org/sms/friendship-shayarinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-35822012938336576942014-03-19T23:00:00.127-06:002014-03-19T23:00:00.127-06:00Rebecca, I think your kids' school does it rig...Rebecca, I think your kids' school does it right.<br /><br />Good point, Karen. Different themes and issues affect us at different points in our lives.<br /><br />Jessie, that's the kind of thing that really grates on me. I think students should be allowed to have principles, and I think teachers should respect them.<br /><br />To be honest, Kathleen, I'm not sure how I feel about banning books. I can see--and relate to--both sides of the argument. That said, I will always self-censor my own reading material. I'll never be old enough for some things:)<br /><br />Yes, Myrna, I thought THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE was the odd book out, too. One of these things is not like the others and all that. Perhaps the teacher's planning to read it for comparison purposes? In any case, I like the idea of giving students choices and respecting their decisions. I mean, we want our kids to grow up to be well-rounded adults who can think and act for themselves, right?Krista Van Dolzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08830193414560232842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-56046546723140364512014-03-18T00:42:26.276-06:002014-03-18T00:42:26.276-06:00Is it just me, or does THE LION, THE WITCH, AND TH...Is it just me, or does THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE look out of place?<br /><br />I had to read some really disturbing books for a particular class in college. I wouldn't have resented the teacher for it if he'd been willing to discuss the issues in class. But because we were at a religious university, he wanted to keep our discussions SAFE. He was one of the few professors I butted heads with. <br /><br />You're right. It shouldn't be teachers or parents who decide if a student is ready to read more mature content. The student should decide.<br /><br />One of my high school teachers gave us a long list of books to choose from. We just had to write a paper about each book after we read it. We also had books that we discussed and were tested on, but the more controversial ones were on the list.Myrna Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13534358757278599925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-2109981950038955832014-03-16T16:38:44.954-06:002014-03-16T16:38:44.954-06:00I am opposed to censorship of any kind. I am opposed to censorship of any kind. Kathleeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06087009456072956020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-59213268862758468562014-03-15T19:32:08.193-06:002014-03-15T19:32:08.193-06:00I had a hard time reading Catcher in the Rye in hi...I had a hard time reading Catcher in the Rye in high school because of the language. My teacher gave me a REALLY hard time about it. To the point where my mom came in and talked to her. And actually, my mom wouldn't have minded if I had read the book. She was just sticking by my choice. The teacher did give me another book to read in the end. But she was not my favorite teacher.Jessie Oliveroshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06232456334069794107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-64847578064221307702014-03-15T12:07:48.527-06:002014-03-15T12:07:48.527-06:00Interesting. I never thought not to read somethin...Interesting. I never thought not to read something for school. I've read several stories that still haunt me to this day. I even had to read and then teach Lord of the Flies. I know it is a classic and all, but I really disliked that one! That's just me. You are also right about how various stages or events in your life can really impact your desire to read certain material. Before I had kids, I just adored Poe. Now that I have kids, not so much. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04285505493802519119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-17036434265308689942014-03-14T13:29:54.461-06:002014-03-14T13:29:54.461-06:00I don't believe in banning books. But I do bel...I don't believe in banning books. But I do believe that parents (and kids) should have the right to opt out of certain reading material. Fortunately, with my kids' school, they are very upfront with what they are reading and in some cases even send home "permission slips" (with Flowers for Algernon, for example). It shouldn't be difficult for schools to be accommodating in this way in general. <br /><br />Rebecca Gomezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06842712720778708758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-4282120211738418262014-03-14T11:08:12.584-06:002014-03-14T11:08:12.584-06:00JeffO, I think your daughter's theater arts te...JeffO, I think your daughter's theater arts teacher had the right idea. It IS a lot of extra work for the teacher, but it's also respectful of other people's movie preferences. (Contrast that with the current issues teacher at my high school, who made kids sign up for movies without letting them research what those movies were about (or what they were rated). And I lived in a community in which 95% of the student body belonged to a religion that encouraged them not to watch R-rated movies. His mission in life seemed to be getting his students to sacrifice their principles.)<br /><br />Ryan, I love the idea of reading the same books your kids are reading in school. You could have great conversations about the books themselves, and it would also give you a chance to talk about standards with your kids in a real, practical setting.<br /><br />You're welcome, Jenni. And I run into the same problems with movies. There's usually a lot more information, though, about what's in a movie, so it's easier to make an informed decision. I rarely have to walk out of or turn off a movie because I'm already well aware of what's going to be in it. (For instance, are you familiar with kids-in-mind.com? Their reviews include an objective list of all the profanity, sex, and violence in a movie, which makes it much easier to decide if it's something I want to see.)Krista Van Dolzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08830193414560232842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-41546214647861102292014-03-13T22:18:48.448-06:002014-03-13T22:18:48.448-06:00Thank you for saying this. I, too, have had to put...Thank you for saying this. I, too, have had to put down YA books because of content. I am very sensitive to violence, and one of my kids is as well. Usually this comes up more with movies, but I like what you said about giving kids an opt-out clause with another list. Jennihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13139361928785566916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-46968603967615913792014-03-13T21:28:08.939-06:002014-03-13T21:28:08.939-06:00Well done. It's a sensitive issue, but I think...Well done. It's a sensitive issue, but I think your argument(s) make a lot of sense. You can bet ill be reading each one of the books on my child's list. :)Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17789434379917863100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250988928163509961.post-26912264992678312802014-03-13T20:06:23.263-06:002014-03-13T20:06:23.263-06:00My daughter was in a theater arts class where they...My daughter was in a theater arts class where they watched a number of movies of all different types. The teacher sent the list home, along with a note that if parents (or students) found a particular film objectionable, they could skip class the day it was being watched or discussed, watch a different film, and discuss it privately with the teacher. It's a lot of extra work for the teacher, but seemed likea method that could save everyone a lot of trouble.JeffOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07947660745120963286noreply@blogger.com