Scrotum! Time to ban another book

MrBishop

MrBishop

Well-Known Member
An award-winning children's book has been banned from some US schools and libraries because it contains the word "scrotum".
Susan Patron's The Higher Power of Lucky, which won this year's prestigious Newbery Medal for children's literature, has incurred the wrath of teachers and librarians over a passage on the opening page in which a character describes where a rattlesnake has stung his dog. Schools in several states are refusing to stock the book, which is intended for readers of nine to 12 years, and the controversy has unleashed a flurry of debate on scholastic and literary websites.

Writing in the industry magazine Publisher's Weekly on February 15, Patron said she was "shocked and horrified" by the attacks on her book.
"I'd be appalled that my school librarian had decided to take on the role of censor and deny my child access to a major award-winning book," she wrote. In an interview with the New York Times Patron, who is herself a public librarian in Los Angeles, went further, arguing that the process of growing up and discovering new words is one of the central themes of her book.

Yet many have disagreed. "This book included what I call a Howard Stern-type shock treatment just to see how far they could push the envelope, but they didn't have the children in mind," wrote Dana Nilsson, a teacher and librarian, on the librarian mailing list LM_Net. Frederick Muller, another school librarian, commented to the New York Times that "I think it's a good case of an author not realising her audience. If I were a third- or fourth-grade teacher, I wouldn't want to have to explain that."

The controversy looks set to intensify, with defenders and opponents of the book refusing to give an inch over the question of its suitability for children. The fact that The Higher Power of Lucky received the Newbery Medal has only served to heighten the debate, as the award leads to virtually guaranteed sales to schools and libraries across the country.

For librarians like Nilsson, the decision to stock the book is "very sad". For Patron and her supporters, this level of censorship is an unwelcome and heavy-handed restriction of young people's reading choices. What's more, she argues, the opposition is counterproductive: "If I were a 10-year-old and learned that adults were worried that the current Newbery book was not appropriate for me, I'd figure out a way to get my mitts on it anyway."

Attempts to ban children's books thought to contain provocative content are not unusual in the United States. According to the American Library Association there were 405 known attempts to remove books in 2005 with JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, which has been accused of endorsing witchcraft, the most high profile case.
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Scrotum

I wonder if they'll ban the dictionary next; After all...it not only has the word scrotum in it, but also penis, testicles, breasts, buttocks, anus, vagina and :eek5: Homosexual :eek5:

If you'll pardon me, I'll be over in the corner reading my copy of Fahrenheit 451.
 
So, while this is ridiculous, it is worth asking...couldn't the snake have bitten the dog in the LEG???? Why the scrotum? Sounds like a publicity hound to me.
 
My friend "explained" to his 4 year old son why the cat was going to the vet.

The next day, the boy told the entire class during show and tell that he was worried about his cat. Cause the poor kitty was going to the vet to get his balls cut off cause they were dragging on the floor. Teacher called in fits of laughter.

:eyemouth:

Anyway. Back on topic. If there's gonna be scrotum in a book, it's maybe better that it's dog scrotum.

I'd have to read it to find out if there's a reason I guess, but do I wonder why on earth the dog had to be bit *there* specifically.

I can't see any reason so far why children shouldn't be reading it, or any reason why it shouldn't be in the libraries. However, I do understand why teachers wouldn't want to have to read it aloud/do book studies on it with 3rd graders. They're what? 8? 9? I believe that the term of reference at that age right now is sack, and I betcha that's the only term many of them know. I know I wouldn't wanna hafta explain it to other people's 8 year olds.

And in closing, I have to disagree with the Patron person. No matter what adults said, nothing on this green earth would have incited me to read a Newberry book of my own volition when I was ten. Snooooooooooore.
 
Legs don't swell up in quite the same way, and it doesn't fit the rest of the story.

As for publicity - the book didn't get the award (the #1 award for children's books) because it would be considered controversial, but because it is a really well written work.

The controversy came from the over-reaction of the librarians and most likely one parent who got 'er knickers in a twist over it.

It's a word - not even a swear word. It's the correct word to use and any 10 year old that isn't familiar with the word and it's correct definition/usage should have his parents' heads examined.
 
...
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
Lucky, age ten, can't wait another day. The meanness gland in her heart and the crevices full of questions in her brain make running away from Hard Pan, California (population 43), the rock-bottom only choice she has.
It's all Brigitte's fault — for wanting to go back to France. Guardians are supposed to stay put and look after girls in their care! Instead Lucky is sure that she'll be abandoned to some orphanage in Los Angeles where her beloved dog, HMS Beagle, won't be allowed. She'll have to lose her friends Miles, who lives on cookies, and Lincoln, future U.S. president (maybe) and member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. Just as bad, she'll have to give up eavesdropping on twelve-step anonymous programs where the interesting talk is all about Higher Powers. Lucky needs her own — and quick.

But she hadn't planned on a dust storm.

Or needing to lug the world's heaviest survival-kit backpack into the desert.

Review:
"Patron's poignant Newbery-winning story about a girl who fears being abandoned by her legal guardian — and her only semblance of a family —sails along with believable childlike rhythms and kid's-eye-view observations. Listeners will especially appreciate Campbell's subtlety and smooth, comforting delivery in a heartbreaking scene in which 10-year-old Lucky recalls, with gentle support from her best friend, her deceased mother's memorial service. On the remainder of the recording, Campbell remains a welcoming guide to Lucky's world—populated by eccentric friends, the quirky townspeople of tiny, struggling Hard Pan, Calif. — and Brigitte, the guardian she desperately wants to keep, maybe with some help from a Higher Power. Campbell appropriately gives recent Parisian transplant Brigitte a French accent, though it's thankfully never overplayed. By program's end, listeners will be rooting for Lucky and Brigitte to remain together forever. Contains an interview with the author, in which Patron says she is working on a companion novel. Ages 9-up." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
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Oh...My...Flying...Spaghetti...Monster....

*Slaps forehead repeatedly*


Speaking of school libraries: The other day I was going through ours for some books, and came across a poetry book for kids. Flipped through it, and.. I quote, in Norwegian:

"Mamma og pappa puler
Og jeg må være stille
For ikke å skremme bort
Det som skal bli Pernille"

Loose translation:

Mommy and daddy are fucking
And I have to be quiet
So I don't scare away
What is going to be Pernille

There were a couple of more verses, growing belly etc, but the poem ended with surprise over "Pernille" turning out to be a baby boy...

Ha-hum. At least no scrotums were mentioned.
 
and maybe it'd be nice if Romeo and Juliet lived happily ever after?

why?

At the very least it is a slippery slope, chcr!
 
chcr said:
Well that's alright then.

I'm with Gonz though. While it is ridiculous, couldn't the dog have been bitten somewhere else?
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A pet dog bitten in the leg is a dark tragedy.
A pet dog bitten in the scrotum is a light-hearted tragedy. Something which will somehow hurt less. (though not for the dog)
 
Damn it... now I have that song stuck in my head...

Scrotum... scrotum... it's my wrinkly crinkly sack of skin...
 
chcr said:
Given the general priggishness of Americans though...
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Tell me about it: I tried to post on the American Literary Association web-site a commentary on this banning - with a comment similar to waht I posted here: I wonder if they'll ban the dictionary next; After all...it not only has the word scrotum in it, but also penis, testicles, breasts, buttocks, anus, vagina and Homosexual.

and received this as a pop-up reply

We're sorry, but we do not allow comments that contain HTML code, expletives, and certain terms common in spam. Please try editing your comment.
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:rofl:
 
:rofl3: :rofl3: :rofl3:

Bish's email to the American library:



subject: Scrotum

I wonder if they'll ban the dictionary next; After all...it not only has the word scrotum in it, but also penis, testicles, breasts, buttocks, anus, vagina and Homosexual
If you'll pardon me, I'll be over in the corner reading my copy of Fahrenheit 451.



:rofl3: :rofl3: :rofl3:

Over sensitive these spam filters ain't they!
​
 
WASHINGTON (The Onion) -- The Department of Health and Human Services issued a series of guidelines Monday designed to help parents curtail their children's boundless imaginations, which child-safety advocates say have the potential to rival motor vehicle accidents and congenital diseases as a leading cause of disability and death among youths ages 3 to 14.

"Defuse the ticking time-bomb known as your child's imagination before it explodes and destroys her completely," said child-safety expert Kenneth McMillan, who advised the HHS in composing the guidelines. "New data shows a disturbing correlation between serious accidents and the ability of children to envision a world full of exciting possibility."

The guidelines, titled "Boundless Imagination, Boundless Hazards: Ways To Keep Your Kids Safe From A World Of Wonder," are posted on the HHS website, and will also be available in brochure form in pediatricians' offices across the country.

According to McMillan, children can suffer broken bones, head trauma, and even fatal injuries from unsupervised exposure to childlike awe. "If your children are allowed to unlock their imaginations, anything from a backyard swing set to a child's own bedroom can be transformed into a dangerous undersea castle or dragon's lair," McMillan said. "But by encouraging your kids to think linearly and literally, and constantly reminding them they can never be anything but human children with no extraordinary characteristics, you can better ensure that they will lead prolonged lives."

Although the exact number of child fatalities connected to an active imagination is unknown, experts say the danger is very real. According to a 2006 estimate, children who regularly engage in imagination are 10 times more likely to suffer injuries such as skinned knees from mythical quests, or bruises and serious falls from the peak of Bookcase Mountain.

One of the HHS recommendations emphasizes increased communication between parents and children about the truths behind outlandish fantasies. "Speak with your children about the absolute impossibility of time travel, magical powers, and animals and toys that talk when adults are not around," reads one excerpt. "If this fails to quell their imaginations, encourage them to stare at household objects and think clearly and objectively about their actual, physical characteristics."

The HHS also discourages aimless playtime activities that lack a rigid, repetitive structure: "Opt instead for safe activities like untying knots, sticking and unsticking two pieces of Velcro, drawing straight lines of successively longer lengths, and quietly humming a single note for two to three hours."

But even these relatively safe activities can become imaginative, experts warn, without proper precautions. "Do not let children know that, for example, sailors and pirates untie knots," McMillan said.

Although no cure has yet been developed for childhood imagination, preventative measures can deter children from potentially hazardous bouts of make-believe.

"Many of the suggestions are really quite simple, like breaking down cardboard boxes or sewing cushions to couches so they cannot be converted into forts or playhouses," McMillan said. "Blank pieces of paper, which can inspire non-reality-based drawings, should be discarded unless they are used in one of our recommended diagonal folding and unfolding activities. And all loose sticks left lying in the yard should be carefully labeled 'Not a Sword.'"

Unfortunately, removing everything from a child's field of view that could stimulate his active young mind is extremely time-consuming, and infeasible as a long-term solution, McMillan acknowledges. "To truly protect your children, you must go to great lengths to completely eliminate their curiosity, crush their spirit of amazement, and eradicate their childlike glee. Watch for the danger signs: faraway expressions, giggle fits, and a general air of carefree contentment."

Added McMillan: "Remember, if you see a single sparkle of excitement in their eyes, you haven't done enough."
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CNN
 
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