Meeting the Literature Challenge: A case study based on a true story

The Definition:

“A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others” (Censorship in the Schools).

The Scenario:

The Thomas Jefferson School is a public school servicing children in preschool through grade eight located in a small community in the New Hampshire Seacoast. The town is known for its liberal politics and relatively affluent population. It is a community where education is valued because it is home to the state university and many of the parents work for the university as professors or staff. The Thomas Jefferson School Library Media Center utilizes a cadre of parent volunteers to help with shelving and other non-professional tasks. One of the weekly volunteers at the school library media center is a professor at the university, a community leader, and very influential in town politics. The parent volunteer was browsing through the “Everybody” or picture books section to choose some books to borrow to read to his four year old. He happened to pick up The Amazing Bone by William Steig who is an acclaimed Newbery Award winning author and Caldocott Award winning illustrator (Awards). The Amazing Bone received the 1976 Caldecott Honor (Awards).

As a good parent should, he previewed the book before deciding to take it home. He was shocked at the contents of the book. Specifically, he had an issue with the conflict within the plot. The protagonist, a young pig dressed in a pretty pink dress and sun bonnet, is mugged by a band of robbers who point guns at her and threaten her with knives. The parent asked the teacher-librarian, who is a professionally trained and certified School Library Media Specialist, to take the book off of the shelves of the library because of the violent content. The teacher-librarian listened thoughtfully to his concerns and said she would review the book. The teacher-librarian immediately alerted the principal to the conversation and re-read the book in question.

A Synopsis of The Amazing Bone:

The picture book tells the story of a pig named Pearl who is on her way home from school. Instead of hurrying home she walks slowly, enjoying the day. She is sublimely happy and feels at one with creation. As she sits in the woods talking to herself, she hears a voice replying to her. She discovers a bone who can speak in multiple languages and imitate any sound. Pearl asks the bone if she may take it home in her purse. The bone is happy to be with Pearl. He finds it a pleasant change from the witch who he used to belong to. On their way home, Pearl is accosted by three robbers who want her purse. They point guns at her head and threaten her with a knife. Despite the danger, she refuses to give the robbers the purse because she does not want to part with the bone. During this encounter the bone hisses like a snake and hows like a lion. The robbers are frightened and run away. Not long afterwards, a suave but wily fox tries to kidnap Pearl so as to eat her for dinner. The bone tries to scare the fox away but he is not frightened. Instead the fox successfully kidnaps Pearl. The fox locks Pearl and the bone up while he prepares to cook her. At the last moment, the bone surprises himself and Pearl by uttering magic words which reduce the fox to the size of a mouse. Pearl and the bone escape and run home to her worried parents who are delighted to see their daughter and accept the bone as part of the family. The illustrations are done in Steig’s trademark cartoon style with beautiful light pastel colors.

Theme of The Amazing Bone

The School Library Media Specialist feels that The Amazing Bone is drawn from traditional literature and is a fractured version of Little Red Riding Hood. She feels the theme shows an innocent, strong, courageous and self-reliant girl who is able to save herself from two death threats through the help of her friend, the bone. She feels the book depicts a worthy message or theme. She understands that some sensitive children, especially younger children may be frightened by the conflict depicted in the book, but she also understands that not all picture books are appropriate for every child. Hence, each parent has the right to decide what books are appropriate for their own child, however, no parent has the right to decide what books are appropriate for every child in the school.

What’s the Verdict?
After reading the story, the teacher-librarian personally concluded that this book should remain on the library’s shelves. As a professional librarian she adheres to the American Library Association Code of Ethics. Point II states: “We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources” (Code of Ethics). She also adheres to the American Library Association Bill of Rights. Point III states: “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment” (Bill of Rights).

Next Steps:

Because challenges to materials occur frequently and can often generate a great deal of controversy and media attention, (and if handled poorly can cost the School Library Media Specialist her job) the teacher-librarian knows that she must have written policies and procedures in place which must be followed scrupulously.

In order to professionally move through a challenge, a school needs to have both Collection Development and Challenged Materials policies and procedures in place. Collection Development policies are necessary to determine how instructional, informational, and recreational materials are selected for use in the school and who is ultimately responsible for their selection. Challenged Materials policies and procedures provide step by step guidance and protection of school staff. Both Collection Development and Challenged Materials policies and procedures should be formally adopted by the school board and should be scheduled for periodic review every three years.

Although the Collection Development and Challenged Materials policies and procedures are in place at her school, the policies are scheduled for a review this year. As part of the review process, the School Library Media Specialist obtained the Collection Development and Challenged Materials policies and procedures from three different schools: Henniker Community School (K-8), North Hampton School (PK-8), and Winnacunnet High School (See Appendix). The Collection Development and Challenged Materials policies and procedures outlined below are an amalgamation of these district’s policies and procedures.

Collection Development Policies:

…should promote intellectual freedom through a recognition of the value of information in a variety of formats. Materials should reflect the cultural diversity and pluralistic nature of contemporary American society. The policy should include the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and other appropriate intellectual freedom statements from professional associations such as the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, International Reading Association, National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Council for the Social Studies. (Hopkins)

It is part of the Library Media Specialist’s job to select materials and literature appropriate for the curricular needs of the school including the instructional, informational and recreational reading needs of the students. The School Library Media Specialist selects materials that are highly regarded, but may not be appropriate for every child or every family. Obviously in a prekindergarten through grade eight school, there are going to be a wide range of books and other materials with a range of content and messages. Traditionally, picture books are written for children up to age eight, but that thinking has changed over the past decade. Currently, picture books are published for tweens, teens and even adults as the intended audience. Therefore, although The Amazing Bone is shelved in the “Everybody” or picture book collection, it may be more appropriate for elementary grade readers rather than for the youngest students in the school.

After reviewing all three of the collected school districts’ polices regarding collection development the School Library Media Specialist found they were very similar. They all indicated:

• That the Superintendent of Schools or the School Board designates professionals within the school district to select appropriate materials, yet the Superintendent or School Board is ultimately responsible for the selection of materials used in the school.
• Responsibilities for actual selection rest with the appropriate personnel such as the School Library Media Specialist or administrators.

As a School Library Media Specialist materials are selected which:

• Enrich and support the curriculum and are of interest to students
• Are appropriate for the subject area and for the age, emotional development, ability level, learning style and social development of the students
• Present opposing sides of controversial issues
• Are representative of diverse religious, ethnic, and cultural groups and show their contributions to society
• Depict in an accurate and unbiased way the cultural diversity and pluralistic nature of society.

Collection Development Procedures:

A review of the three districts’ Collection Development Procedures showed that the procedures were also very similar. The procedures indicated that the School Library Media Specialist selects materials by consulting reputable professional selection aids. Often this means that the Library Media Specialist chooses books or other materials that have at least two favorable reviews from well regarded sources such as School Library Journal, Booklist, or Horn Book or titles that are included in Wilson’s Catalogs or other best books for children guides. This way if a book or other material is challenged, she can point to at least two favorable reviews to defend her selection. If the material does not have two favorable reviews from well regarded journals, the teacher-librarian may choose to include it in the collection if she has personally read, viewed or examined it herself although this is a more risky collection strategy because it is less defendable.

Challenged Materials Policies:

Often Challenged Material Policies include a statement embracing the principles of intellectual freedom promoted through the American Library Association Bill of Rights and Code of Ethics. These documents as well as the American Library Association Freedom to Read and Freedom to View statements are the basis of well written Challenged Materials Polices (Click on the links to read these policies in their entirety). Challenges often come from an individual parent but can also come from organized groups or even from the staff of a school, including the principal. With these documents in place, the American Library Association can be a helpful resource in navigating a challenge.

Challenged Materials Procedures:

In reviewing the Challenged Materials Policies and Procedures obtained from the various districts, it was noted that all the policies and procedures were quite similar. Based on carefully considering all three policies, the following is a compilation of the best of all the features:

• The challenged material remains on the shelves and in circulation pending a review however, if the challenger requests, the challenger’s children will not be given access or taught the material in question
• The building principal is immediately made aware of a challenge whether the challenge is in writing or made orally through a personal conversation
• The building principal contacts the challenger to discuss the complaint and attempt to resolve it informally
• If the challenge is not resolved informally the challenger will be given a Request for Reconsideration Form to fill out along with school board policies regarding a challenge
• If the Request for Reconsideration Form is not returned within two weeks the case with be considered closed
• If the Request for Reconsideration Form is returned, the principal shall acknowledge receipt of the form and explain to the challenger the procedures and steps taken to review the material.
• The Principal shall convene a Reconsideration Committee consisting of:
• The Principal
• The School Library Media Specialist
• The Curriculum Director
• A Faculty member
• A School Board Member
• A community member
• The committee shall meet to make a recommendation and prepare a report on the challenged material keeping in mind the rights of intellectual freedom. Within one month of receiving a written challenge the committee shall:

· Thoroughly examine the challenged material

· Determine professional acceptance by reading critical reviews of the material in question

· Consider the material as a whole rather than passages pulled out of context, and weigh values and faults of the materials

· Discuss the challenged material in the context of the educational program

· Develop a written report which includes the process undertaken by the committee and documents used by the committee in its investigation and the decision reached by the committee. This report shall include the majority and minority opinions.

· The committee shall submit its report to the Superintendent.

· The principal shall notify the challenger of the decision in writing and shall include the written report and notification of the appeal process.

· If the challenger appeals the decision, the School Board shall make a final determination in a written report. The School Board may seek assistance from the American Library Association and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

· The Principal shall notify the challenger in writing of the School Board’s decision.

· If materials have been reviewed and upheld, the same material may not be subjected to further reconsideration for three years from the date of the decision report.

• The School Library Media Specialist shall notify the American Library Association of the written challenge and the outcome of the challenge.

Back to The Amazing Bone Challenge:

Given the oral nature of the challenge, the School Library Media Specialist met with the principal and relayed the conversation she had with the parent. She also provided the principal a copy of The Amazing Bone for his review. The principal solicited the School Library Media Specialists’ opinion about the book. The principal also read the book and decided that he agreed with the School Library Media Specialist to leave the book in the stacks. He asked the School Library Media Specialist to invite the parent to speak with him about the challenge. Prior to that meeting, though, the principal asked that the School Library Media Specialist prepare talking points for the book including her understanding of the theme of the book, an explanation as to what a fractured fairy tale is, information about the author’s reputation, and the parameters of the “Everybody” or picture book collection.

What Happened?

The School Library Media Specialist spoke with the parent the next week when he came in to volunteer and invited him to meet with the Principal. At the meeting, the Principal used the talking points provided by the School Library Media Specialist and complimented the parent on being conscientious about selecting appropriate materials for his four year old child. The parent felt that his concerns had been address by the School Library Media Specialist and the Principal and chose not to pursue the challenge further by submitting a formal complaint.

Conclusion:

And they all lived happily ever after because intellectual freedom was preserved.

Works Cited

"Awards." William Steig. 2008. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 10 July 2009
.

“Bill of Rights.” American Library Association. 23 Jan, 1996. 10 July 2009

<http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm.>

“Censorship in the Schools.” American Library Association. 2009. 10 July 2009

<http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/ifissues/censorshipschools.cfm.>

"Code of Ethics." American Library Association. 22 Jan. 2008. 10 July 2009
.

“Freedom to Read.” American Library Association. 30 June 2004. 11 July 2009

.

“Freedom to View.” American Library Association. 10 Jan. 1990. 11 July 2009 <http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/ftvstatement/freedomviewstatement.cfm.>

Hopkins, Dianne McAfee. "School Library Media Centers and Intellectual Freedom."
American Library Association. 2009. 10 July 2009 .

Steig, William. The Amazing Bone. Toronto: Collins Publishers, 1976.