User:Jtc79/sandbox

To bolster the section on controversy and censorship (but not specific cases):

The banning of books in school districts for homosexual and other taboo themes is becoming more and more common. Schools are beginning to explore the inclusion of review boards for educational materials. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., is one leader in this movement, as he has introduced legislation in Congress that would require parent councils to review new books added to the curricula and school library [5].

Teachers have spoken out about not being able to discuss the book in class, even though the subject matter is may be of educational value to the student’s. Many times teachers are not educated on the policy for the introduction of new materials unless the district has recently dealt with a scandal. This can create doubt, second-guesses, and agony in the mind of a teacher about whether or not a work is considered “safe”. Self censorship cannot be accounted for in school districts or by parents because the decision is not in public domain. [3]

Another possible explanation for teacher resistance to this and other texts in the curriculum relies on a view of adolescence as a "fiction" [7].

“Now, I feel like I've betrayed everyone because I planned on killing myself today. I was so ready to swallow the pills and just let my heart give out, but reading your book gave me a reason to not kill myself. It made me think about everything.” [1]

“I heard an expression a long time ago that I thought was very beautiful that says that ‘he who saves a single life saves the world entire.’” [1]

Specific Case:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower has been critically acclaimed for its candid treatment of teenagers, touching on topics such as suicide, sexual abuse, homosexuality, masturbation, and drug use. These topics have also led to widespread challenges of the book, frequently putting it on ALA’s annual list of the most challenged and banned books. In Wallingford, Connecticut, Jean Pierre Bolat, parent and now a Board of Education member, filed a formal complaint petitioning to have [the Perks of Being a Wallflower] removed from his son’s freshman class after having a conversation with his son regarding the book’s inclusion of themes such as homosexuality, masturbation, sex, and what he calls, a “glorification of alcohol use and drugs.” A review committee decided to keep the book as part of the reading list, but Bolat appealed the decision. In February, Superintendent Salvatore Menzo removed the book from the curriculum, and he has stood by that decision despite opposition. [4] A Connecticut news source that has been following the ban, spoke with Chbosky, who is offended by Bolat’s attack on his book: “The entire book is a blueprint for survival. It’s for people who have been through terrible things and need hope and support,” he explained. “The idea of taking two pages out of context and creating an atmosphere as perverse is offensive to me — deeply offensive.” Eventually this was overturned and documented by the National Coalition Against Censorship. As the NCAC stated in its letter to the Wallingford school board, the decision to remove the book absent any educational rationale was “both educationally and legally suspect,” and it flew in the face of the district’s own guidelines: “While the Board of Education upholds the right of all parents to assess and evaluate their own children’s educational materials, it will resist any attempt to censor materials used by others.”

Final Draft:

Opener to the New "Censorship" Subsection:

Censorship is the suppression of literary materials deemed unacceptable or inappropriate by a government or organization. Because of its unique insight into young adult life, Perks is commonly challenged due to topics included in the novel such as homosexuality, drug use, and sexual activity. This novel has been censored on more than one occasion, but it has been challenged many times. Perks appeared on the American Library Association (ALA) list “Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books” in 2004, 2006 - 2009, and 2013 - 2014. A challenge of a book is defined as any formal complaint or protest filed against a specific work, even if it is not successfully passed.

Teachers have spoken out about not being able to discuss the book in class, even though the subject matter is may be of educational value to the student’s. Also, many times teachers are not educated on the policy for the introduction of new materials unless the district has recently dealt with a scandal. This can create doubt, second-guesses, and agony in the mind of a teacher about whether or not a work is considered “safe”. While much of the censorship cases and challenges are documented, self censorship cannot be accounted for in school districts or by parents because the decision is not in public domain.

2013 - Glen Ellyn, IL:

In 2013, two parents of an eighth grade student at Hadley Junior High in the Glen Ellyn school district submitted a complaint against Perks to the school board. Their complaint cited inappropriate language and sexual content that they felt was not fitting for their child to be reading about. When the community learned of the request, many educators and concerned parents rallied in protest calling the complaint censorship. "They're young adults and we can't keep them in a bubble. If they want to keep their kids in a bubble, that's fine, but they shouldn't be telling me what to do," said local parent Anne Blyth. "They can exercise their choice not to read it, but don't take away ours." Upon hearing the community uproar and reviewing the request for the novel’s removal from the curriculum, the school board assembled a committee of parents, teachers, administrators, and school officials. According to the minutes, the group found that the novel was only given to selected students to read as independent study. The committee ultimately decided that the book demonstrated educational value and recommended that the piece remain as independent reading for eighth grade students and not be removed from the curriculum entirely.

New "Response to Censorship" Subsection:

Amid the uproar of communities against controversial books such as Perks, multiple methods on how to ensure that school curricula are appropriate for children have risen in conversation. One of these methods is to have members of the community and the school screen the materials. Rep. Walter Jones, of North Carolina, is one leader in this movement, as he has introduced legislation in Congress that would require parent councils to review new books added to the curricula and school library.Using this method, the chance of complaints being filed against the school is much lower if parents know that the books have already been evaluated by other concerning adults.

When author Stephen Chbosky wrote The Perks of Being a Wallflower, he did not anticipate the controversy that resulted. He has spoken out many times over the years against these cases of censorship, arguing that the banning of the book prevents his work from achieving its original purpose. This original purpose he states, is to connect with as many troubled and misguided youths as possible. In an a speech he gave that was documented by the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, he talks about a letter he received from an anonymous fan. The letter, written in 2009, chronicles her life and explains how her father had recently died, she is not one of the "cool kids" at school, and she recently started practicing self-harm to deal with the stress of it all. She goes on to say that she was preparing to commit suicide until she had read his book, and it gave her a sense of belonging and influenced her to take on a more positive outlook on life. After reading the crowd the letter, Chbosky offers this insight, “I heard an expression a long time ago that I thought was very beautiful that says that ‘he who saves a single life saves the world entire.’”

Minor Edits:

I removed all use of the Amazon review citation, even one instance when it was wrongly used after a sentence from the School Library Journal. The sentence "Francisca Goldsmith of the School Library Journal said the novel 'cleverly' makes the readers the recipients of Charlie's letters, and it 'will engage teen readers for years to come.'" is actually from the article "The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Other Tales of Teen Angst and Alienation", not an Amazon review. I then added a new citation to give the article its recognition.

I also added the sentence "Perks has even been placed at number 15 on NPR's list of the "100 Best-Ever Teen Novels", behind the likes of the Lord of the Rings series, the Harry Potter series, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, the Catcher in the Rye, and other legendary titles." to give the section "Publication and reception" more reliable sources rather than an overwhelming amount of young adult media sources.

Final Bibliography:

Chbosky, Stephen. "Banned Authors Speak Out." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Doyle, Robert P. "Frequently Challenged Books." Banned & Challenged Books. American Library Association, 31 Oct. 2016. Web. 25 Nov. 2016.

Fleishhacker, Joy. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Other Tales of Teen Angst and Alienation." School Library Journal. N.p., 31 Aug. 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.

Gomez, Betsy. "Author Responds to Connecticut Ban of The Perks of Being a Wallflower." Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. N.p., 3 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

MacPherson, Karen. "Attempted Book Bans Now Focus on Gays." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 24 Sept. 2005: n. pag. Democratic Underground. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

“100 Best-Ever Teen Novels." NPR. National Public Radio, 7 Aug. 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.

Placek, Christopher. "Dist. 41 Debates Reinstating 'Perks of Being a Wallflower'" Daily Herald [Arlington Heights, IL] 29 May 2013: 3. Access World News. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.

Sarigianides, Sophia Tatiana. "Tensions in Teaching Adolescence/ts: ANALYZING RESISTANCES IN A YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE COURSE." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 56.3 (2012): 222-30. JSTOR. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.

Truong, Quan. "Glen Ellyn D41 Removes 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' from School Shelves." Chicago Tribune. N.p., 13 May 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.