Do we, as caring parents, overly censor what our teens read?

I have been following with great interest the debate raging over the last month about Ted Dawe's book Into the River. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bernard Beckett’s blog bernardbeckett.wordpress.com and the comments from people with their views about the book. 

Having worked in the book industry for most of my life, and being an avid reader, I have come across many books that have disturbing content - and spoken to many adults concerned about what their young charges may be reading. We all want the very best for our children, to teach them right from wrong and shelter them from 'the bad stuff'. But the bad stuff is out there. It's real. It happens. And forewarned is forearmed.

Many books aimed at the teen market contain 'life lessons' covering subjects such as sex, drug use, alcohol, abuse and violence. Sadly all issues in today's society. These books give youth the opportunity to face or encounter, from a safe distance, what others have gone through.

Throughout history there have been many books that have been disapproved of; challenged or banned for moral, military or religious reasons.

I remember in the 1980's the ‘Give Noddy a Break’ campaign when the Noddy books were challenged because Noddy slept with Big Ears (must be gay) and having Mr Golly as a gollywog was considered racist. They removed the Mr Golly character, made him white and renamed him Mr Sparks...hmm.

I remember when The Snow Goose was challenged as a breach of national security by the British government…yes really.

Some teen titles that have been ‘challenged’ over the years include – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon and I distinctly remember the controversy about Blue Lawn by William Taylor when it hit the shelves in the 90's.

Into the River is the winner of the New Zealand Post Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and the Young Adult Fiction category. Judge Bernard Beckett says Dawes book is “a truly marvellous and indeed moral book" and encourages all to read it and contemplate the messages it contains.

Posted by Cookie Fan