Embedded Files
So this topic came up in my young adult literature class this week with our discussion on whether we would include certain books in a young adult library collection. The books in question were Crank by Ellen Hopkins and Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. Here's what I had to say.
Let me begin by saying that I have always supported students’ right to have access to information, and that I believe it is far better to be able to read about difficult topics in school and discuss them with a knowledgeable adult than to live in ignorance or read such materials secretly and be unable to interpret them because such discussion is prohibited. Reading is a safe way for young adults to explore situations, lifestyles, and perspectives that differ from their own without actually going out and experiencing such things. I am also very much in favor of free voluntary reading, particularly because it allows the reader not only to pick what they read, but also to decide, “Hey, this book isn’t really my thing,” put it down, and walk away.
That being said, the decision to include a book in a collection is still very complicated. The librarian must consider the rest of the collection, the needs of the patrons, and the type of environment the library is trying to create. Certain things that are considered unacceptable in books in a school environment are commonplace in public libraries, and there are even exceptions in schools when the message of the text outweighs potential problems.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is one of these exceptions for me. In spite of frequent profanity, multiple homosexual characters(controversial for some people, even though it’s not for me), and a scene that takes place in a porn store, I believe that the overall message of the book is one teens need to learn: acceptance(of others and oneself), appreciation, the uncertainty of being a teenager, and being able to ask for help when you need it. The profanity is not really any worse than what most teenagers hear from their peers on any given today, even though we do try to discourage the use of profanity in school. Teenagers swear, which means that the language used in this book also helps to make the characters more realistic.(I will admit, however, that “b****squealer” was new to me, and not something I would ever tolerate from a student, regardless of who they were talking to.) As for the inclusion of homosexual characters such as Tiny Cooper, will grayson, and Gideon, well, the wishes of those who would object to such characters are not as important as the need of LGBTQ teenagers to see themselves reflected in books. Even the porn store encounter ends up not being all that concerned with porn, but more with the sense of rebellion that most teenagers feel at some time; Will doesn’t even look at or keep the porn mag he buys, instead, “...I see a black plastic bag on the sidewalk, fluttering in the wind. Mano a Mano. I leave it, thinking I’ve probably just made someone’s tomorrow.” Other potentially objectionable parts of the books are treated in ways that seem realistic and do not encourage following the characters’ examples. For instance, Tiny and Jane convince Will Grayson to get and use a fake ID, but this only causes him problems when he still ends up unable to illegally attend a concert(I’d cite a page number but I read the ebook and the numbers don’t line up with the print book). Similarly, will grayson’s experience with online relationships proves to be a cleverly constructed lie, showing that people are not always who they say they are and that conversing with people you have never met on the internet should be done with caution.
This book may contain all of these potentially controversial topics, but it is more about accepting who you are, accepting your friends for who they are, and letting people know you appreciate them, even when they drive you crazy.
Again, in the case of Crank, there are aspects of the book which, though clearly controversial, are outweighed by the book’s message. Yes, Crank deals with drug use, rape, and teen pregnancy, but in no way does it glamorize any of these subjects. Instead we see Kristina’s life spiral out of control: her grades drop, she gets arrested at one point, she loses her family’s trust, and she worries that her baby will suffer birth defects because of her drug abuse. Several times throughout the book we see her going through detox or withdrawal, with all the symptoms described in detail. None of these things would inspire someone to go out and try meth.
So, yes, I would include both of these books in a YA collection, even in a school library. They contain controversial subject matter but it is dealt with realistically, without glamorizing self-destructive behavior. Therefore, these books can show teens realistic alternate perspectives and lifestyles in a safe environment where they don’t have to deal with the consequences that experiencing them first-hand entails.
5/10/2015
Well, it’s been a long and difficult time, but I just wrapped up my second semester of library school, despite two hospitalizations and technical difficulties that disrupted several assignments. Now I’m enjoying the week and a half I have off before summer term starts (to be fair, enjoying doesn’t usually include an endoscopy), and thinking about what I could have done better this spring. I let a lot of things slip while I was sick, and in the mad scramble to get caught up I focused on my assignments to the detriment of my own interests. So before summer term gets here I have a few resolutions to make:
I need to make this blog a higher priority. The last time I posted on this blog was over six months ago. That is unacceptable. I need to post on a weekly basis, even if I’m just ranting about school. Beyond that, I know this website is not necessarily easy to find. I need to start cross-posting to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ every time I update this blog.
I need to catch up on my reading. Academically, I let a few readings slip while I was scrambling to get all my assignments done, especially textbook readings, so I need to go back and read those. Slightly more daunting, a good friend who recently retired from library work gave me a couple years of back issues of professional library journals, and I've barely put any time into reading those. At the same time, my personal collection has reached the point where it no longer fits on my bookshelf, and that’s just the physical books I haven’t read yet. My Kindle is equally packed with unread books and everything I have read is either archived (Kindle) or in storage (hard copy), waiting for the day I have an apartment with room for more shelves.
I need to make more of an effort to get involved with student and professional organizations. Being an online student can make participating in student organizations difficult, but that is no reason not to try. Though I can’t make it to campus meetings, I can keep up on the website and social media with what is going on. The same thing is true for the professional organizations I am paying membership dues for. ALA offers a number of “round-tables” that I can participate in online, and discussion boards and email chains make it possible for me to participate in other organizations, despite being too broke to travel to most conferences
This has nothing to do with school directly, but I need to make an exercise schedule and stick to it. I’ve spent most of the spring semester tired, sick, and stressed, and I am done. Exercise seems like the best way to get healthy again and work out my stress, but I know if I don’t have a specific set schedule for exercising it will never happen.
11/4/2014
As many of you probably already know, November is National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo for short. The challenge, first begun in 1999, is to write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel in 30 days, around 1,667 words a day. Participants sign up at www.nanowrimo.org and track their progress throughout the month, focusing on quantity versus quality, since they are encouraging to postpone all editing until December . Resources for writers are available through the website and through programs at a number of libraries across the country. In my own city of Charlotte, the Mint Hill Public Library is offering 6 different “Write In” sessions, and the Matthews Branch Library is holding 4 similar sessions.
Several popular published authors have joined the effort, either by taking the challenge on themselves or by inspiring others through “pep talks.” This year’s pep talkers include Jim Butcher, Tamora Pierce, Kami Garcia, and Brandon Sanderson. In the past, James Patterson, Lois Lowry, John Green, and Brian Jacques have all contributed to the effort to inspire and encourage NaNoWriMo participants. NaNoWriMo has also been the catalyst for several best-selling novels, among them The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, and Wool by Hugh Howey.
Image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month.
NaNoWriMo is also available to younger participants through the Young Writers Program. This program allows writers 17 or younger to set individual word goals that are reasonable, yet challenging. The program also provides resources for educators, allowing teachers to bring NaNoWriMO into the classroom. While some grades may not be ready to write towards a word-goal, this is still a great opportunity to emphasize the importance of storytelling.
I will be honest: even though I am an amateur writer myself, I have never managed to complete the challenge. Something always seems to come up with work or school that prevents me from reaching 50,000 words. This year, I didn’t even sign up to try. Between graduate classes and substitute teaching, I just don’t see myself having the time to write over 1,500 words each day. Still, there is something fascinating about the idea of drafting an entire novel in just a month. I have partially-written novels on my computer that I have been working on for almost a decade that are only half-finished. Is it really possible to write an entire story in 30 days? The 300,000+ participants who did so last year seem to answer that question quite clearly. Will you join them?
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