[CASL-L] book fair

[Fitzgerald, Joy]

Actually, we had almost the same exact problem about 20 years ago with a highly recommended book, geared for middle school readers, or at least grades 4-8, with a COVER of a Blond woman in a white, Marilyn Monroe type white dress, painted on a WWII Bomber Airplane, I can't remember the title.   It was actually on the cover of the SCHOLASTIC BOOKFAIRS FLIER that year.  And it was about a boy who watched for planes along the coast and had a relative in the service.  

We had a Principal who objected and called scholastic and told them to not send us those fliers and told them to remove that title from the book fair selections before sending the book fair out to them.   

The book content was totally appropriate.  The cover while a little risky, was not inappropriate, as it accurately depicted the image that they painted on those airplanes at that time. 

  "Our" incident happened in a K-5 school, in our district, where there wasn't and never has been a Certified Teacher Librarian.  I, as the H.S. Librarian, found out after the fact.   I agree with Cathy, this is a teachable moment.  I understand how people may feel about symbols and slang or names.  But does the parent really want schools and libraries to white-wash everything so that students are not taught about history, so they won't repeat history?   I don't think that the world should destroy every book that was published in the past that might offend someone.   I think those artifacts and symbols are just something to understand they were part of the past.  They are not appropriate to use to label people or use to instill fear in people.   They are there to learn from. 

     Best of luck.   Get a policy in place to protect and ensure the right to read and freedom of information through appropriate level reading.

     Joy

Joy Fitzgerald
Librarian Media Specialist, 21st Century Skills Teacher
Rockville High School Library  /  70 Loveland Hill Road  /  Vernon, CT 06066

"Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one."       --Neil Gaiman

860-870-6050 ext. 4030 or 4021 (Library Desk) / Open: 7:15 a.m. To 3:00 p.m. / Hours are during school year
________________________________________
From: CASL-L [casl-l-bounces at mylist.net] on behalf of Cathy Andronik via CASL-L [casl-l at mylist.net]
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2017 12:05 PM
To: CASL-L at mylist.net; hedenberg at sbcglobal.net
Subject: Re: [CASL-L] book fair

This question intrigued me, so I looked the book up, since I've been out of the middle grade world for a while.  Positive reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, PW, and SLJ, with recommended grades of 5 or 6 through 8.  If I remember correctly, the Holocaust is generally part of the grade 5 or 6 curriculum, and students read fiction as well as nonfiction.  Also, as kids learn about that era, they have always devoured novels on the subject.  This one sounds unusual, as it deals with Ukrainian work camps rather than death camps like Auschwitz.  Assuming your school has a selection policy and accompanying request for reconsideration, it's more than likely this book would fit the criteria for purchase.  And if it can be in the library collection, I'd say it can be offered in the book fair.  If the issue is the swastika, I'm assuming other books on Hitler and Nazi Germany have swastikas depicted on their covers.

I'm wondering what grade the student whose parent complained about the flyer is in.   This may be an opportunity for the parent to talk about the power of historical symbols with his/her child, how the swastika is an ancient symbol that was adopted by one terrible political group and has been hated since.  To see it on a book cover means that there is probably suffering and hardship, courage and survival,  depicted in the story, not that the book is glorifying Naziism.

My district is talking about opening K-8 schools, and this is the sort of question I can see coming up here as well, since the libraries will serve ages 5 through YA.

Cathy Andronik
Teacher Librarian
Brien McMahon HS
Norwalk
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On Fri, 3/3/17, hedenberg at sbcglobal.net <hedenberg at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

 Subject: [CASL-L] book fair
 To: "CASL-L at mylist.net" <CASL-L at mylist.net>
 Date: Friday, March 3, 2017, 11:32 AM

 Hi!
 We're having a Scholastic Book Fair in 2 weeks.
  Flyers went home and on the last page, under Middle
 Grades, is a book called Making bombs For Hitler.  The
 cover has a swastika on it.  I had a student tell me
 his parent was very upset and felt it was inappropriate for
 it to be on the flyer and sold at the book fair. Has anyone
 had this issue, now or in the past, with a book fair item?
  I haven't heard from the parent directly but am
 anticipating a conversation at some point.  We are a
 K-6 school.
 We
 don't have a library policy in place yet...something I
 have to work on with the admin and board.  But not sure
 a book fair item would even be covered any way.
 Thanks for any thoughts and
 suggestions.
 Laura
 Laura
 HedenbergLibrary
 Media SpecialistBarkhamsted
 School

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