Monday, November 16, 2009
Editorial: The perks of having a book review
A panel of librarians came up with a sound recommendation for a controversial book.
From the RoundTable blog
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The Roanoke County librarians who reviewed a book flagged as inappropriate by a parent reached the correct conclusion: It is suitable for high school juniors and seniors.
That might not satisfy the parent, who has the right to appeal the panel's decision. Should he do so, and the appeal panel confirms the librarians' ruling, the decision could fall to the school board.
If that occurs, each board member should set aside an evening to read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" before passing judgment.
Jerry Canada said as much to a fellow school board member who disagreed with the librarians' decision on moral grounds.
"If you really, really want to know what that book is about, I challenge you to read it cover to cover and see if it changes your mind," he said.
Good advice to anyone concerned that county schools are stocking library shelves with books about sex, drugs, smoking, alcohol and coarse language, all of which can be found within the covers of Stephen Chbosky's novel.
Yet, as the librarians note in their report, these "are realities which all American teens face. That realism is one reason the book connects with the modern reader."
There is nothing voyeuristic or gratuitous in the presentation as the characters chart their way through high school. Nor is bad behavior rewarded.
Mostly, the book "offers hope that one may survive under the worst of circumstances," the librarians wrote.
The librarians were charged with determining whether the book should be returned to the William Byrd High School library and, if so, for which age groups.
They made an appropriate determination, finding that while the book is suitable for juniors and seniors, it should be restricted to freshmen and sophomores with parental permission. This is not a unique position carved out for this lone book, as the county restricts other titles until students reach an appropriate age.
If anything, the recommendation and review show that great care and judgment are exercised in evaluating books. That's a far preferable process to relying on word-of-mouth or lifted excerpts.
