How Low Can You Go?: What to do when young students want to read ‘The Hunger...
Our fourth and fifth graders (and a few third graders) have been asking for The Hunger Games. I love the novel, but it’s not in our elementary school’s library collection because it’s a YA book. I...
View ArticleWhat To Do When Kids Aren’t Allowed To Read Digital Books in School | Scales...
Parents who visit our library’s children’s room have told me that ereaders have encouraged their kids to read. My son is a struggling reader, and he was very excited when I bought him one. But then we...
View ArticleMum’s the Word: What to do when a pushy principal has questionable principles...
In addition to reading your column, what’s the best way to keep up with news about censorship? Start by checking out the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom...
View ArticleOh, Mama!: What to do when a parent wants to narrow her child’s reading...
As I was preparing a library card for a new student, she handed me a two-page list of books that her mother won’t allow her to read. Then later on, her mother called and told me she expected me to...
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Childproofed: When Your School Has Inflexible Filters | Scales on Censorship
A parent of a middle schooler has complained that her son can’t complete a social studies assignment because our district’s computers have such strict Internet filters. The boy’s father lost his job,...
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A Formal Challenge Process Provides Teaching Moments | Scales on Censorship
A children’s librarian in a small public library, I announced a monthlong storytelling festival for school-age children. A parent of a third grader complained that the program involves fairy tales....
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Give Children a Choice: Advocating Open Access to Materials | Scales on...
I’m the manager of a small branch of a large library system. I don’t have a children’s librarian on staff, but the children’s librarians at the main library choose the books for the collection. A...
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Foster Stronger Schools by Supporting Reading Freedom | Scales on Censorship
A third-grade teacher in my school has Nancy Farmer’s The House of the Scorpion in her classroom library. She told her students that they could read the book if they got written permission from their...
View ArticlePrincipals and Policies: What to do when your boss wants to ban banned books
Our new elementary school principal, who comes from a fairly conservative private school, doesn’t want our library to have any banned titles. He recently told me that he’d personally check our catalog...
View ArticleAddition by Subtraction: What happens when Accelerated Reader books aren’t...
The district just told us that we can’t use any upper-level Accelerated Reader (AR) books in our elementary school reading program because the topics may be too mature for our students. We think...
View ArticlePreventing Cyberbullying | Scales on Censorship
Who’s responsible for teaching kids how to behave online? Our community has had several unfortunate incidents of students involved in cyberbulling. I’d like to work with our middle schoolers on this...
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Challenge-Ready: Using Thoughtful Leadership to Promote the Freedom to Read |...
I teach freshman Honors and Pre-AP English in a college preparatory school. A parent recently challenged The Catcher in the Rye because she didn’t think it appropriate for ninth grade. Do you have any...
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SLJ Columnist Pat Scales Addresses Censorship Concerns in Libraries
SLJ columnist Pat Scales. I’m a collection development librarian for a very large public library. It’s our job to order books for the entire system. One of the bookmobile librarians is extremely...
View ArticleKeeping Kids’ Library Records Private| Scales on Censorship
The central district administrators in my school district have developed an app for parents that includes all kinds of K–12 student data (grades, lunch balance, library records, etc.). I can see how...
View ArticleShould ‘Girl’ Books Be Labeled? | Scales on Censorship
I’m a teen librarian in a small public library. We have had so many challenges to YA literature that the library director has suggested that we merge the teen and adult collection. She thinks this may...
View ArticleParochial Thinking | Scales on Censorship
A Catholic high school gives chick lit series the old heave-ho A parent of a fourth grader recently asked if it was appropriate to have Judy Blume’s Blubber in our collection. I was totally shocked....
View ArticleWhat’s Going On | Scales on Censorship
Has there been a sudden surge in the number of book challenges? When I was in high school, I don’t remember anyone ever challenging the books we read in English class. Why has there been a sudden...
View ArticleThe Good War | Scales on Censorship
If we don’t fight the perils of censorship, we can’t win Every year, the PTA sponsors a book fair at our middle school. Lately they haven’t been pleased with the selections they’ve received from the...
View ArticleToo Much Information? | Scales on Censorship
Philip Pullman is opposed to putting age recommendations on books I read that Philip Pullman and many other children’s book creators have taken a strong stance against publishers putting recommended...
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Value Judgment | Scales On Censorship
SLJ columnist Pat Scales This year, I questioned the company I contract for book fairs as to why Raina Telgemeier’s Drama was labeled “Mature Content.” The company responded that they didn’t want...
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