Summer Reading - Should 'Part-Time Indian' be Banned?

best way to get a kid to read? Tell them they can't. Banning books has done more for teen-reading than any other program... keep it up parents, pretty soon every 12 -14 year old would have read this book. (And Catcher in the Rye AND Dangerous Angles) The book I most loved when I was 12? "Cat's Cradle" yep, I read it in secret.

I agree for the most part. Kids mature at different levels so age is not just a number. My daughter is 11 and I am certain she could read this book without negative impact; however, not without me reading it first and the two of us having a discussion about it afterward. I know many 14-year olds who might not be able to handle it.

We allow our children to watch movies with themes deemed innappropriate by others, so long as they watch with us and we then have conversations about it. They see that we can see someone else's story and not copy it.

I read some explicit books as a middle schooler, and flipped through porn magazines left out at someone else's house while I was babysitting. Guess what? I didn't mimic anything I read or saw.

Well, I love Sherman Alexie and would let my teenager read any of his books and would encourage it. I'm glad my parents did not censor my reading and let me read anything I wanted, yes I went through a phase of reading books with adult material, but since no one objected it did not last long and it did not influence me in a negative way.

Its ok to read something before a child who's 11, but not a kid in high school. even 8th grade. Dooes the one parent realize what HER son thinks on a daily basis? Girls. How to get them and what to do with them, b/c thats what kids think about. I mean, some kids are realized differently, maybe the lady's kid doesn't know things of a sexual nature to the degree that the book went into. Thats a result of how sheltered a kid is, and also just their personality. But the odds are, he lady who opposes the books kid, is possibly doing the things that are described in them book. And even more so, thinking about them, as is usually more the case. just b/c you read a book doesn't mean your gonna do those things. kids like the thought of doing things, but they are actually really inclined to wait b/c thats how they feel at that age, they just like the thrill of the opposite sex and how they look. You can't protect your kid forever, and whether the lady succeeded in sheltering her kid form the book and throughout middle school.. come highschool, and being up their ass in an effort to protect them from literature and dirty movies on the internet and doing things with the opposite sex is pretty much out of the picture, especially after the first two years.

I live up the street from a middle school. When I walk my dogs around 8:00 AM, or noon, or 2:45 PM, I hear the most vulgar language from the 12, 13, and 14-year-old children passing in front of my house. The scream every foul curse word I've ever heard up and down the street at the top of their lungs. Not one of them is carrying a library book. I am quite sure that not one of them has learned that vulgarity from Sherman Alexie. I think Sherman Alexie learned it from them. Oh yeah, he was writing realistically, wasn't he?

"I don't mind if a character has sex and then deals with the negative consequences of that choice"

Could you clarify this? It sounds as though you would prefer that your child fear sex and think it is unnatural. Not all sex has negative consequences - although I would agree that it shouldn't be taken lightly and can certainly be complicated.

Hey Karen , here is a thought........................ Try using this book as a chance to talk to your kids.

Putting one's head in the sand and ignoring books because they are "vulgar" will not serve your children well.

Ignorance is very sad!

I agree it's important to monitor what our kids are reading. Censoring is not the answer. Reading what they're reading and then having a discussion about the book is quite important.

I have never censored my children's book reading, and that included allowing them to read comic books. If there was something questionable in a book, I encouraged my children to come and talk it over with me, allowing them to give their views and opinions and offering mine. It was a way to educate my child on how cruel or graphic the real world can be, by giving them many views into it. My daughter now is heading into her second year of college at OWU, with a 3.97 GPA, got nominated to travel to Germany, and is very well spoken and opinionated on a great many topics. And she's an upstanding member of society. Go figure!

Well good to know that you're an overbearing parent who likes to play at child psychologist without actually having anything to back it up. Welcome to the real world. Population: everybody except you, apparently.

I began reading novels on my own when I was in fifth grade, and almost all of them contained some measure of violence and sexuality. Sheltering your child from these things is not going to improve the quality of their lives, nor will it negatively impact their emotional or mental development.

And presenting "Vulgar language and explicit sexuality are not necessary" as an absolute is easily one of the most disgustingly ignorant things I've ever heard. I bet you're one of those people who thinks Catcher in the Rye shouldn't be read in school. Just because you're afraid of the real world doesn't mean that everyone who disagrees with you is "wrong" and that every book that actually bothers to accurately portray real life is "unnecessary."

So Karen's only okay with sexual content if the main character suffers because of it? Karen's kids are going to grow up to fear sex, sexuality, and especially those boys and girls they are sexually attracted to. Why should a child's first exposure to stories of a sexual nature have to be filled with negative consequences? What a lesson we're teaching.

If I were to place any criteria on the books my kids read, I'd want them to read about people who have sex responsibly and when in love with their partner. And that's about it. We don't need to encourage kids to have sex when they're not ready, but neither should we teach kids that sex is a terrible, awful thing that will surely do them harm. As much as our culture promotes sex, we don't do a very good job of promoting it as a natural, wonderful part of life. And those few lucky kids who do get that message grow up to have very happy spouses. Just sayin'.

I believe that these parents are being overprotective, to say the least. As a student who participates in our school's summer reading committee, allow me to share a realization about reading that many parents fail to realize.

THEY DON'T WANT TO READ!

You wonder why? Because parents and teachers force students to read and discuss books that have been carefully examined to make sure they achieve several aims.

1) They have to communicate some sort of social message. G-d forbid someone throws a good old novel on the table.
2) They cannot have any swear words. This of course, limits the selection of books to those that are as dry as the Sahara Desert.

So parents, I speak now to you: Get off your pedestals here and realize that your children will lose their saintly innocence at some point. Better it be in school in a controlled environment than through the media. Oh, and for the record: summer reading is meant to be enjoyable. That way, it ENCOURAGES reading.

Come on parents, are you kidding me? Do you not realize what our kids are facing in today's schools? It is a far cry from a little vulgarity and sex. Shall we say Sex, Drugs, and Rock-N-Roll? It isnt much different than when we were in school. Just alot of parents tend to turn a blind eye to what is going on and are quick to point a finger at the teachers and school board. Wise up parents and let's raise men and women, not the little heathens that are coming out of schools nowadays that are afraid of a little hard work and sweat. It should be a learning experience for them to read about these kinds of things in a positive form.

And may I add, I have kids. A 19 yr old girl that started having sex at the age of 14 when she went to see her dad for the summer. I have a 15 yr old son that I know is exposed to a lot of, shall i say, "different" ideas, but is the most pleasant young man for any adult to be around. And then our youngest that is 8 and just like her daddy (me), through and through. I raised the other 2 from the time they were 9 and 5, so I do know a thing or two about raising kids for those that are thinking I don't know what I'm talking about.

I have five children.I have given them very few restrictions on what they may read and it has nothing to do with language or sexual content.One of our favorite things to do is to discuss what they are reading at the time and I have ALWAYS read to them.We began reading the classics as a group on long trips &still do. Reading has helped to educate them in so many areas that they may otherwise never have shown interest in. As a result each one of them could carry on intelligent conversations w/adults from early on and now all have all A's and a love for reading that is ensatiable.
We have to realize that as parents,it is our job to teach &guide themm in the right direction.If we do that, then reading a few words in a book will not hurt them in any way.It seems to be the children that are the most sheltered that go the most wild, either now or as sooon as they can get away from you(and they'll want to do that must faster).Everyday they have to deal with seeing pregnant girls around them in school,as young as eleven in some cases.Don't fool yourself into thinking that they don't know how it happened!If they don't read it at home and 'thou doest protest too much',then you might just find that book hidden away in their lockers,etc,but they WILL get to it! Wouldn't you rather they know what was going on around them and use it as an opportunity to teach them what was wrong about it,talk about it. In the case of the little boy suffering sexual advances &running away,I would rather they be able to know what a kid that had gone through that needed in a friend to help them through it.I have always felt as a Christian,that those who protest books because of every little thing and use their kids as an excuse,are the same ones that keep people from coming to church because of gossip or they don't feel they should be allowed in,etc.
In the long run teach your children to talk to you, teach them to love the gift of reading,and they will love doing both

I have a few points to make about this article and the comments that have been posted:

1) Alexie's novel should "absolutely" not be banned. The choice of language and content of the book is not gratuitous and is relevant to the overall themes of the book. I think it's reasonable for a parent to say, "This book is not appropriate for my child at this moment", but the decision to ban a book from a school library or summer reading list is an encroachment of our Constitutional rights. A good teacher will have a rationale for teaching the book, will talk to parents about their concerns, and have an alternate book assignment available that touches on the same themes.

2) Whether you like it or not, Karen's response to young adult lit represents a moderate view of the subject. I think that it's great that a parent is so aware of what their children are reading in and out of school. However, it has been my experience as a secondary language arts educator that too often parents will simply skim through a book and hastily slap the "inappropriate" label on it when they see "bad words" or content that makes them uncomfortable without reading it in full or reflecting on the purpose that it served before making a judgement.
On the other had, YA lit is a cash cow these days and there is some smut out there. I think that parents need to set limits, but they also need to allow their children to practice making decisions for themselves. Reading books is a safe way to experience the world around them. I think that the parent is the best judge for elementary students, but that middle and high school students should explore this realm on their own.
3) Although Alexie has never confirmed or denied the autobiographical similarties between the events in the book and his own life on a reservation, the language and content expressed in the book adds the element of realism to the novel. Reality is that our kids swear, consider trying drugs, experiment sexually, have eating disorders, etc...I had a thirteen-year-old student on home instruction last year because she was pregnant and on bedrest. The truth is that many students benefit from reading books that tackle "adult" situations. If you have an doubts about this, please read what students wrote about Laurie Halse Anderson's novel Speak, which deals with the issues of rape, depression, and survival.
http://www.amazon.com/Speak-Anniversary-Laurie-Halse-Anderson/product-reviews/0142414735

I am a high school student and in my English class we had the opportunity to read The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-time India, by Sherman Alexie. After finishing his novel, I came to the conclusion that the book should under no circumstance be banned from the shelves of any public libraries or schools. Alexie does incorporate some sexual references, inappropriate language, and racial stereotypes. However, have any of you heard teenagers talk to their friends at a high school cafeteria, or locker-room, or in the hallway? Since I attend high school at the moment, many discussions are similar as how Junior presents himself, such as sex, alcohol, and sometimes jokes relating to racial slurs. Whether Alexie uses the word, "Masturbation" or "Boner", it does not influence a teenager to have these sexual thoughts, since they already experience these types of behavior each and every day. Next time you interfere with either your child life or peers life, don't think about what would be "good" for them, think about the essential message a book can portray and how it could impact their lives.