Minors and First Amendment rights

The focus on my discussion this week was spurred by three readings relating to minors’ access to information:

The first is a memorandum from the ALA titled Minors’ Rights to Receive Information Under the First Amendment, which was shared by our professor for this course, Mary Ann Harlan. Since I work in a law office, I really enjoyed reading about the case law behind censorship in schools and libraries. From what I can discern, the case law leaves a lot of room for interpretation as to what material is constitutionally protected when it comes to minors. While the task is slightly easier for school librarians, who must determine if something is “educationally unsuitable,” public librarians are constantly in the precarious position of making judgment calls without such clear guidelines. If a minor asks for a website to be unblocked, how does the librarian determine whether or not to do so? Does a picture book about a child with homosexual parents belong among the general population of children’s books or does it belong elsewhere? Unfortunately, I don’t believe the job of librarians when it comes to minors and questionable material will ever get any easier, since definitions of obscenity will always be subject to individual interpretation.

Second, in response to the professor’s post, a classmate posted this article from the Contra Costa Times reporting that Bastard Out of Carolina was pulled from an AP English class in Fremont, California.

Bastard Out of Carolina was not assigned reading for me until college and it was still very challenging for me to read. (The lead character, Bone, is a young girl who faces physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of her mother’s husband.) Unfortunately, the hardships which Bone endures are a reality for too many people. But reading is an avenue for learning about lives outside of our own sphere, even if it is difficult for us to swallow. Whenever a person reads a book about experiences different from their own, they are increasing their awareness, empathy, and understanding towards others. I can understand the AP teacher’s motivation behind assigning this challenging yet powerful book and do not think it should have been removed from the curriculum. Interestingly, the Fremont Unified school board has adopted a policy of not reconsidering banned books for two years…

Finally, over at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy, blogger Liz B recently posted a discussion on the removal of a LGBT children’s book from library shelves in Burlington County, New Jersey.

First, I should preface by stating that I have not personally read Revolutionary Voices, the controversial book in question. However, I find it highly doubtful that any middle or high schooler (or even young child, really) who might come across this book would be shocked or traumatized by its contents. The reality is that many queer youth need to hear that they are normal and can be empowered and inspired by hearing from teens like themselves. Frankly, I am quite appalled that a public library in 2010 would deem such a book so outrageous that it needs to be removed from even the adult non-fiction section.

Whew, I certainly have an increased respect for young adult librarians this week! My professional experience in a public library has mainly focused on the children’s department, where the issue of appropriate versus inappropriate is much more straightforward. With the developmental stages of tweens and teens being so varied, it is difficult for librarians to know what is appropriate to recommend. I think the role of school and public libraries is summed up nicely in the 1969 Court decision in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (which is quoted in the ALA article discussed above): “In our system, students may not be regarded as closed-circuit recipients of only that which the State chooses to communicate.”

Indeed!

M magazine (June 2010 issue)

Part People and part Seventeen, M magazine combines fashion with celebrity gossip for the tween set. An explosion of glossy celebrity photos helps readers dissect who is dating who, who wore what where, and who really is the cutest Jonas Brother of them all. And, of course, every issue includes the requisite Justin Bieber/Joe Jonas/Taylor Lautner foldout poster.

On the fashion side, M offers advice on which type of bathing suit is best for which body type and the newest accessories and products for summer. While some parents may object to this blatant celebrity worship and obsession with fashion and beauty, there are more innocent parts of the magazine to balance out the commercialized side. For instance, readers can take a quiz titled "What Pet is Best for You?" and tear out a sweet poster of a puppy in a basket.

Still unsure whether or not M is appropriate reading for your tween? For a frame of reference, I instantly labeled M as the Tiger Beat for a new generation. As I'm sure most of us remember, such magazines are mostly a tool to aid in the innocent fun of room decorating and giggling with your girlfriends.

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

Although it has been compared to the Wimpy Kid series, Nate and his mischievous ways really are in a class by themselves. Nate’s brilliant cartooning, hilarious lists (like nicknames for his teacher, Mrs. Godfrey), and attempts to avoid detention will keep readers entertained on every page. Those tweens whose reading level is “in between” will appreciate the book’s hybrid style of traditional novel and graphic novel.

Peirce, L. (2010). Big Nate: In a Class by Himself. Harper Collins: New York, NY. ISBN 97800619944345

An article review: Teens & Social Networking in School & Public Libraries

Professor Harlan posted a link via Twitter to a YALSA handbook titled Teens & Social Networking in School & Public Libraries: A Toolkit for Librarians and Library Workers (read the full text here), and the topic instantly caught my interest. One of the key tenets of librarianship is to provide open access to information for all. But librarians, and especially children’s and young adult librarians, are often asked by parents, administration, and the community to step into the role of monitor or gatekeeper when it comes to younger patrons. Should libraries provide open access to social networking sites on library computers? If a minor comes across something inappropriate while using a library computer, who is to blame?

In this handbook, YALSA argues that the benefits to teens using social networking sites far outweigh the potential dangers. By allowing them to develop social networking skills, they can be more connected with their teachers, peers, and parents. Further, libraries can become more connected with those teen patrons who might not visit the physical library, but will instant message questions to the librarian and search online databases. I really liked the suggestion of having social networking workshops in the library, where teens can assist adults in setting up a Flickr account or creating a blog.

The handbook also lists several examples of schools and libraries successfully integrating social networking in creative ways. I might be behind the times, but this was the first time I had looked at a custom social network, created and managed by its members. I second YALSA’s recommendation to check out Rock Creek Academy’s Ning site.

For me, this handbook demonstrated once again that the preferred platform for social networking may change (from Myspace to Twitter to Facebook to blogging), but social networking will continue to open doors for connections between teens, schools, and libraries. As long as children and teens are educated about the potential dangers of having an online presence, librarians and teachers should continue to advocate for social networking as a successful learning tool.

Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff, by Jennifer Holm

Many graphic novels are presented in the classic comic book style: thick, black lines, action heroes, and each scene presented in a series of frames. While author Jennifer Holm is a master of the typical graphic novel style (as seen in her Babymouse series), she experiments with a different form of graphic novel in Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff.

As the title suggests, the reader learns about main character Ginny Davis' struggles with friendship, family and getting the lead role in the ballet recital through the minutia of Ginny's everyday life. It's as though the Davis family has gone out to dinner and the reader is left to rummage through homework assignments, instant message screens, hand-written poems, and refrigerator post-it notes. Tweens anticipating their middle school years will laugh when Ginny accidentally colors her hair pink right before school picture day, and will lament with Ginny as her older brother gets into increasing trouble with the law. Readers will devour Holm’s work to find out if Ginny actually survives all the ups and downs of seventh grade, including eating the dreaded cafeteria meatloaf.

This not-so-novel is perfect for those readers who are unwilling to pick up a 200 page book. With Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf, they may not even notice they actually (gasp!) reading!

Holm, J. (2007). Middle school is worse than meatloaf: a year told through stuff. New York, NY: Antheneum Books. ISBN 978-0-689-85281-7.

Olive's Ocean, by Kevin Henkes

“The world was changing before Martha’s very eyes, and she hated it.”

Martha, the heroine in Kevin Henkes’ Newberry Honor Book, is in many ways a typical twelve-year-old girl. She complains of being the middle sibling and is embarrassed by her parents’ constant bickering. In the summer before seventh grade, however, she finds herself in a not-so-typical situation. Olive, a student who arrived in Martha’s class late in the previous school year, dies suddenly in a tragic traffic collision. Although Martha and Olive had barely spoken, Martha soon learns that she unknowingly shared a connection with her late classmate. During her family’s annual summer trip to visit Godbee (Grandma Boyle), Martha is able to unravel the meaning of this unexpected connection. Henkes subtly conveys the message that changes in life may occur suddenly and without one’s approval, but we must accept and grow from these transformations.

While some of the subject matter in Olive’s Ocean could be considered heavy for some readers, Henkes presents the tougher subjects side-by-side with Martha’s new aspiration of becoming a writer and her crush on her grandmother’s neighbor. This balancing of subject matter keeps the novel from becoming too grave, a possibility when dealing with the loss of young life. Martha is a multi-faceted character with which many tween girls can relate. They will also admire Martha for her courage and candor.

Henkes, K. (2003). Olive’s Ocean. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0-06-053543-1 / 0-06-053544-X

an introduction

Hello, and welcome to Tweens and Reads! I am a student at San Jose State University, in my last semester of the MLIS program. This site was designed for a course titled Materials for Tweens. Here I will be providing my thoughts on all the books, magazines, websites, movies, and television shows aimed at tweens that I come across during the semester. I will also be posting my thoughts on tween-related articles and other professional literature. Whether you have a reluctant reader who can never find the right book or a voracious reader who can never get enough books, I hope you will find something here to guide you.