Meeting has started. Introductions all around. Steve Troen is explaining the process and the complaint.
Each side will get fifteen minutes to present. The mother, Ramona DeLay, will present first. Melinda Martin, elementary media specialist, will go next.
Ramona is presenting. She is a 3rd grade teacher with three kids. She says she loves books and providing them for her children. She is upset about smoking, gambling and drinking depicted in the Bone books.
History of Bone being given. Explaining how Bone was sanitized by Disney a bit. Bone wasn’t created as a childrens book and the author has said so. She keeps calling it “Bones”.
Is upset that library books give messages that conflict with DARE classes. Mentioned that movies and games have rating systems but books do not. Asks that books be removed from elementary school shelves.
Giving examples of other parents who were upset about Bone. Kids are learning to say they are “gambling and drinking”. Not adding a lot of detail here, but is admitting that she did choose to continue the fight against these books after learning that she could keep her kids away from the books without banning them. Has not mentioned other parents views.
Seems entirely certain that she knows what is best.
District response now…
Low battery, post the rest later.
Librarians base selections on district standards, reviews, and other sources. First amendment rights are considered strongly as well as cultural and family backgrounds.
Bone is nationally renowned and recommended. Inspired by Walt Kelly’s Pogo.
Professional opinions being given that support the importance of graphic novels in building literacy.
The author himself has discussed the reasons that graphic novels are valuable in building a number of skills.
Discussing selection versus censorship. Selection and censorship are different chiefly on whether they are part of a considered opinion with consideration of all facts, or based on personal preferences. It won’t work for one parent to make the decision for others.
A parent should restrict books for their own children, not for other children.
Author sent a letter to the group here. He says Bone is about courage, conviction and loyalty. Characters are not rewarded for bad behavior. He depicts bad behavior as having bad results. The heroes of the stories do not participate in the bad behaviors. There are no sexual interactions, as claimed. Millions of children love the series.
End of presentations.
Begin committee discussion:
Roz Benci… Freedom of choice is important, and even negative things portrayed in a book provide an opportunity for discussion with kids.
Amy Lemiuex: Read the books and showed to her kids and didn’t see that the setting really gave a bad message. Felt that the message of the book was that large numbers of people could be tricked into doing the wrong things by fear.
Lori Hertzberg: adults have different views than kids because we have different life experiences. We see things the kids don’t.
Amy Lemiuex: Our society allows kids to enter restaurants where alcohol is consumed and, a few years ago, smoking . Why ban a book that shows things that happen in regular life.
Tori Holtz: Thinks that parents should be involved like this and that it’s a good thing that this mother was engaged in this.
Nancy Schueller: Bone was well reviewed by a local 4th grader. Gave example of another parent who didn’t want it removed.
Michelle Moe: impressed by the story line of the books. Pointed out that Star Wars also is in bars and has violence.
Melissa Loe: She is saying that you couldn’t provide a realistic context to the stories without the drinking and smoking because they are in a medieval setting.
Phillip Monsen: Read all the series and found the plot too advanced. Isn’t sure that this is the best that can be presented to the kids. Didn’t find the books funny. Thought the books might be too complex for kids to get the message of the books. Also, wonders about whether it’s appropriate to have books with all adult characters. Seems to think that the books may give too much exposure to adult thinking for young children. Is afraid his son might be reading the books to “get his jollies” even though there he admits that there is nothing more than light innuendo in the first book and it tapers off. Thinks this isn’t the best choice that can be made with thousands of other graphic novels available.
Lynn McGrane: As a fourth grade teacher has found that her students are drawn to the Bone family and sees them as kids, not adults. She was a literacy trainer and was told by an expert to be careful what they choose to not out in the classroom because we cant know what will help a kid develop literacy. Some kids might start with Captain Underpants, then that is OK. The more variety, the better the odds that what you are presenting will appeal to somebody.
Nancy Schueller: Addressing Phillip, saying that he is letting his opinion influence other parents but we need to select for a wide range of backgrounds, maturity levels, etc. Also telling him that a child will bring something to their parents attention if ere is something that bothers them. If they don’t mention something, it probably means it went over their head.
Roz Bencivenga: Reiterating that what kids read and understand is entirely different than what we read and understand and also that it differs from kid to kid.
Melissa Loe: Is this the best literature that we can provide our kids? Didn’t like reading this, but suggests at if we used that criteria there wouldn’t be much in the library
Lori Hertzberg: Little house on the prairie, Pa smokes a pipe, somebody else is a drunk, do we ban that?
Amy Lemieux: Pub, smoking, gambling, adult characters, would wipe out a lot of other books. Star Wars, Little House. Characters make bad choices in almost all books because that is what makes the plot.
Phillip: If we were choosing from scratch, would we choose this book?
Nancy: Librarians don’t go into anything cold. If we voted based on how we felt, he library would be the Nancy Schueller library.
Tori Holtz: Kids need to get excited about reading. Graphic novels encourage a variety of reading strategies.
Lori Hertz… Internet, computer, vying for attention. Getting kids to read is a challenge. Should encourage that.
Westview school administrator: Goal is love of reading. Not going to be the same for every kid. Selection versus censorship. Our job is to help kids develop reading, we do that by giving them a variety of things to read.
(Ramona is keeping pretty neutral expression through all this even though it seems her side is losing)
Steve Troen: asks if there are any more comments
Angela Grace: Mentions that young smoking was mentioned as a concern by Ramona. She thinks that the presence of smoking in the book might actually be something that could be a good thing because it stimulates some discussion. Does not seem to think that it conflicts with DARE. Believes that a variety of exposure to ideas strengthens kids. Also, the main female character is a strong character that might inspire young female readers, which is unusual. Feels the books are appropriate at en elementary age.
Melissa Loe… ??? Did not see the protagonists engaging in the risky behaviors. Does not see cause and effect between reading about smoking and drinking and doing those things.
Now they are going to vote. Ballots will be collected and read. Anonymous voting. 11 voting members.
Votes collected, being read:
10-1 in favor of keeping the books. Yay!!!! Bone survives.
I gotta say, I’m happy with the way this was handled and I’m glad I attended.
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