The Golden Compass

The only element of surprise for me, upon hearing that Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass was being targeted in a series of IF challenges, was that it took as long as it did. I figured that once the movie came out, conservatives would "discover" the book and begin their attack (I've decided to forego neutrality, since apparently it's not a requirement for this blog).

I read very little children's or YA fiction, but I devoured Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy the summer before last after reading an interview with Pullman in The New Yorker. I loved the series, especially Book One (Compass). I did think at the time, though, that religious conservatives would find much more to object to in these books than in Harry Potter. Pullman himself has been quoted as saying his books are "far more subversive" than Rowling's. Several Catholic schools in Canada have pulled the books from their library shelves.

So hooray for ALA President Loriene Roy, who had this to say:

"This week, the movie, The Golden Compass, based on the first book in Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy entitled His Dark Materials, will debut in theatres across the United States. The movie has triggered a boycott campaign sponsored by conservative religious organizations that believe the movie and the books are an attack on Christianity and the Catholic Church. The groups are urging parents not to see the movie or purchase the books."

"The call to boycott the filmed version of The Golden Compass has inspired a parallel effort to remove the novel and its companion volumes from libraries and schools. Much like efforts to ban the Harry Potter books, fear and misinformation are driving the effort to deprive students and library users access to Pullman's critically praised books, which are recommended by both religious and secular critics. "

"It is one thing to disagree with the content of a book or the viewpoint of an author; it is quite another thing to block access to that material because of that disagreement. Removing a book from a school or library because the author is an atheist, or because a religious group disagrees with the book's viewpoint, is censorship that runs counter to our most cherished freedoms and our history as a nation that celebrates and protects religious diversity."

"We encourage librarians, teachers and parents to resist the call to censorship. Censorship results in the opposite of true education and learning. Young people will only develop the skills they need to analyze information and make choices among a wide variety of competing sources if they are permitted to read books and explore ideas under the guidance of caring adults."

"We realize, of course, that not every book is for everyone. Parents know their children best and should guide their children’s reading. If parents think a particular book is not suitable for their child, they should guide their child to other books. But they should not impose their beliefs on other people’s children."

"By resisting the call to censor and boycott The Golden Compass, we send the message to young people that in this country they have the right to choose what they will read and that they will be expected to develop the ability to think critically about what they read, rather than allowing others to do their thinking for them."

And Tango Makes Three

I thought I'd start off this blog by writing about ALA's most challenged book for 2007. The number one book on ALA's list last year was And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. This award-winning picture book relates the true story of two male penguins in the Central Park zoo who fell in love and started a family, incubating an abandoned egg and raising the chick together. The book was challenged for "homosexuality, anti-family, and unsuited to age group" ("And Tango Makes Three" tops ALA's 2006 list of most challenged books).

And Tango Makes Three is a lovely book, sweet and charming. I found it personally to be very well suited to its intended audience (ages 4-8). The illustrations are wonderful and match the story perfectly. The book tells the story of its unusual penguin family, gently making the point that there are many kinds of families.

(It's almost impossible to discuss this issue and not include my personal opinions, but I will strive for objectivity in this blog as much as I'm able.)

The ALA website says: a challenge is "defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school, requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. Public libraries, schools and school libraries report the majority of challenges to OIF" (The Office for Intellectual Freedom).

In the case of And Tango Makes Three, some parents of elementary school students in Illinois wanted the book moved from the school library's children's section to a more "mature" section, and even suggested requiring parental permission before the book could be checked out. Jennifer Filyaw, the district superintendent, declined to move the book. "My feeling is that a library is to serve an entire population," Filyaw said. "It means you represent different families in a society -- different religions, different beliefs. That's the role of a school library." (boston.com/news)

In Southwick, Massachusetts, a school librarian reported that she feared losing her job after a reading of the book to a group of second-graders. Johanna Halbeisen, a library media teacher in her 11th year at Woodland Elementary School, received a letter from the principal threatening her with "suspension and/or termination of employment" if she didn't "refrain from disseminating information that supports alternative styles of living." While the principal did appear to back down from her threat of suspension/termination, she suggested that the book might be removed from the library shelves and relegated to a guidance counselor: "I’d love that to be available for counselors that work with families that maybe have this situation. But in this society here, in this town anyways… I don’t know if it’s our job to expose [children]." (schoollibraryjournal.com)

Halbeisen noted "the irony that her school’s Tango challenge has occurred in a state where marriage between same-sex couples has been legal since 2004."