Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme which asks a bookish question which you have to answer. This weeks question is:
In contrast to last week’s question–What do you think of censoring books BECAUSE of their intended age? Say, books too “old” for your kids to read?
Well I don't have any children and don't intend to have any in the future so I am not really sure I am the right person to be answering this question but I will give it a go. I suppose I think it's up to the parents to limit what their children read if that's what they feel is necessary, but I only think this applies to their own individual children. I don't believe in blanket bans or general censorship on anything and I do not believe anyone has the right to tell other people what they can or cannot read.
Personally my parents never had a clue what I was reading and it never did me any harm. I don't really think it's a good idea to censor something just because it is uncomfortable or difficult to explain, generally speaking openness and honesty is best.
That's all for now.
Good answer, openess and honesty is the best,the content of a book and age means a lot.
ReplyDeleteMy parents didn't pay much attention to what I was reading either.. but I feel that my own mind has payed for that in ways I can't really talk about here. I just have learned that kids need to be guided in all things.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were pretty clueless about my reading, too, and I accidentally ran up against some disturbing things. But, hey, it was good practice for life and I was better prepared having been shocked by fiction before real life events.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.joyweesemoll.com/
My mom was careful, but trusted my judgment when I was old enough. Here's my answer: http://thoughtsatoneinthemorning.blogspot.com/2011/05/booking-through-thursday-2-third.html
ReplyDeleteMy parents, not being readers, never censored me. However, When my boys were young, I was a SAHM and did watch as to their reading habits and if it was age appropriate.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great answer. I totally agree that if any censoring is done then it should be by the parents for their kid/s only. I'm definitely not for banning or censoring books wide-scale.
ReplyDeletethanks for stopping by!
I agree about that it should be an individual thing....thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteOpenness and honesty is so important.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I was pretty much the only one who read in my family, so I got away with reading things that I probably shouldn't have. My parents would check title and cover, and that was it. However, there was this one librarian who wouldn't let me borrow adult books, but I quickly found out what days she was off and borrowed them.
ReplyDeleteI agree totally. I think as long as my children are comfortable and secure enough to discuss anything they may have an issue with, learning difficult stuff through books is the best way.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. My parents had open book shelves. I read Gone With The Wind at 8 or 9. To be sure, a bunch of it was over my head, but it was more interesting than a lot of other stuff that was supposed to be "appropriate."
ReplyDeleteI agree, I don't believe in blanket censoring or banning of books.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't have said it better myself! :)
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ReplyDeleteI don't have children either, so it's difficult for me to say for sure what I would do. I think that I'd do what my parents sometimes did, which was read some of the same books. It usually lead to discussions about various topics covered in the books, instead of them banning me from something. I do know a mom who banned her children from reading the princess diaries because it discussed "inappropriate things like french kissing" (direct quote).
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