Book Challenge

Several weeks back, I read a post on the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association www..ala.org/yalsa) electronic list regarding the recent book challenge to Brent Runyon’s, “The Burn Journals.” One school library had received complaints from parents (of 14-year old students) regarding their children’s teacher’s selection of this book for a class reading assignment. The teacher sent home a permission slip with the students informing parents of this book’s slection. Conseqently, some parents objected citing the book’s content as too mature and controversial. It was taken a step further and it was demanded that the book be removed from the school library shelves. Being a parent and librarian, I wanted to know what the fuss was about.  Okay, the book is a bit tough to take; however, if faced with this same situation, I would not have objected. The book is a tough read (it is a true experience of Mr. Runyon’s personal life); however, many of the issues Mr. Runyon shares with readers (feelings of loneliness, helplessness, isolation, self-destruction) are not unlike what many teens and young adults experience today. Also, the language and thoughts of sex seem a fair depiction without gratuitous elaboration. I’m not understanding how parents would object to the content, and forbid their child’s access to it. Why not use this opportunity to talk with their child about some of these issues? Kudos to the librarians for seeing the value of this and other “controversial” books and keeping them available for the benefit of all readers’.