'Arthur' Book Facing Ban Over This One Wacko Complaint

[Jilly_in_VA]

A lone parent filed a complaint to a Florida school district that a book in the Arthur series—yes, the same Arthur from the beloved PBS animated show—contained references to Spin the Bottle, and now it’s possibly on the district’s chopping block.

A member of the Clay County School District community, based in Green Cove Springs, filed the challenge on July 12 to Marc Brown’s Arthur’s Birthday, a children’s book geared towards students in kindergarten to sixth grade. District spokesperson Terri Dennis told The Daily Beast that it was among 45 challenged titles now “pending oversight committee review.”

On Wednesday, the district provided The Daily Beast with the stack of challenge forms the school district had received for July. At least eight book challenges filed that month were submitted by a local conservative activist named Bruce Friedman.

Arthur’s Birthday details the title character’s upcoming birthday and how it falls on the same day as another party for a classmate, who happens to be a girl. Arthur wants all of his friends to show up, and figures out a plan to combine the parties together. At the end, Arthur receives a “Spin the Bottle” present from one of the girls.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/arthur-book-facing-ban-in-florida-over-this-one-wacko-complaint

More TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY!

[patphil]

1. I think any time a book is challenged, it should be voted on by the group that would be reading it.

Or, in the case of children, by all their parents.

People who aren't going to read it anyway shouldn't have a say in banning it.

[murielm99]

3. They should not have ANY authority to ban books!

They are not library professionals or teachers. They can censor their own children's reading, but not anyone else's. They do not have the right to have this kind of power.

[patphil]

4. I agree, but I also see the library as a service to the community, using tax dollars for funding.

My implication was that if people who read, and have or would read a certain book find it offensive, then it truly must be. I seriously doubt anyone who actually reads books would find that any book the librarians chose would be in that category.
My intent was for the community to be engaged in the process of fighting back on the whole concept of banning books.
The people who are all-in on banning books don't really read them.

[murielm99]

5. Libraries have a system in place already.

It is called a selection policy. It includes the American Library Association's Freedom to read statement. The ALA helps local libraries who are being pressured by these nasty groups. The library board and the library director have a procedure in place to manage challenged materials. Selection policies are written carefully and updated from time to time. Learning about selection and about censorship is part of our education.

Did you know that Frank Zappa was a frequent speaker at library events? He received a posthumous medal from the ALA for his stance against censorship.

[patphil]

6. Thank you, that does clarify things.

[murielm99]

7. My daughter is a library director at a community college in California.

She is involved with the ALA on a national level. She feels that the current ALA is not doing enough at the present time to help beleaguered libraries. It is part of their job to help!

[patphil]

9. I too would like the ALA to have the ability to do more, but they can only issue guidelines.

The problem is with school boards and library boards that don't respect the librarians or the ALA.
They have the real power, as long as they are in office, and can threaten librarians and teachers who try to do their job in an impartial a-political, non-religious way.
They can fire librarians, and even close school libraries.
It's a really bad situation when a single person can effectively censor books.

[murielm99]

10. Yes.

Years ago, I quit a job because the board did not respect me.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. These nut cases are scary

[murielm99]

8. My husband and I go to a library board meeting in a nearby community every month.

A few of our friends attend also. We don't speak, we only provide support. The Moms for Liberty and the Yaffies attend as well. These nut cases have driven the library director out of his job.

These people are scary indeed. They have allies who are not above violence and intimidation.