Took off early yesterday so I could take my two older daughters to their school's bookfair. I got them out of their classes and we walked in wonderful Spring weather to the building where the fair was being held.
Each girl was allowed to choose 2 paperback books. Then I realized that that would be unfair to Miss Independence since she wasn't there to choose. So I picked out 2 for her. One about Spiderman (which she adores) and the other was Miss Spider's Wedding. I only now realized that there seems to be a theme going here.
When I handed the books to the PTA mothers supervising the store. One grabbed Miss Spider's wedding and paged through it quickly. She said, "READ THAT PAGE... To yourself." I asked was there something wrong with the book, and she said that another mother had pointed out that page, and I really needed to read it myself. So I read the book (to myself) and read again. I read it one more time. I'm still unsure what was so offensive about the page. The author used the word cad but I don't see how that could be offensive. The mean spider talked about grinding his rival into dust. Really, I'm usually much better at seeing the offensive stuff. As many know my mind resides frequently in the gutter.
Well deciding that if that was the most offensive page in the book I was going to take it. I handed the book back to the woman and told her, "I'm going to take it." Her reaction was quite comical for she gave me permission to buy the book! Her remark was, "It's okay to buy the book. I wanted you to know about that section." Inside I laughed thinking this woman felt like she needed to tell me or was it herself that it was okay to buy the book. I don't know. But I did tell the woman that I am a librarian. So I suppose she went home and told her husband about that liberal librarian who bought the off colored book.
Later last night I showed the book to Passionfruit. He looked through the book and didn't see anything risque. He did read me the little poem that was quoted at the beginning page before the story, that talked of love and had the word penetrates in it. Now that, I could see might be offensive if one lived in the gutter and had a dirty mind. Passionfruit thought the story was kinda scarry but felt that it was a wonderful precautionary tale.
I'm really not worried about what this chick feels about me. I'm rather proud that I stood my ground in front of my children. I think I showed them that it is okay to differ with people, and you don't have to be rude about it either. So as librarians not only do we fight the censors professionally but we must fight in our personal lives as well. So rock on librarians, we're here for each other.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Don't you wish you could come up with some kind of phrase that sounds pleasant but later, when she really thinks about it, she'd slap her forehead and recognize the insult?
Here's what I came up with:
"We just don't get enough censorship these days, do we?"
"I love the way you imposed your belief system on me! I've got to remember how you did it so I can emulate you."
"Was there anything else you think I shouldn't have my kid read. Because your opinion is important to me. It really is."
I had to look up this book on Amazon.com -- Miss Spider's Wedding. The reviews are Very interesting. Apparently, there are other such librarians with similar potty minds. Which I find offensive.
I LOVE adjective queen's responses!
Gosh, if some of us didn't have dirty minds, we'd have no minds at all. Maybe it was Miss Spider's (ahem) hairy legs she objected to.
Post a Comment