Gifted Readers and Book Censorship

Banned book lists became a personal reading list for this gifted high school student. And it turned out to be a "good" thing.

While researching the article, Gifted and Accelerated Readers , I came across a variety of references to banned and censored books , discussions regarding appropriate content not only for readers, but to be taken into consideration when choosing books for inclusion in school libraries as well; for a take on censorship from the perspective of young adult authors, visit As If! Authors Support Intellectual Freedom. I know that when I came across my first list of banned books it quickly became my personal, and top-secret high school reading list. After high school, I sought banned book lists whenever I was in need of a "good book." These lists introduced me to Stephen King, J. D. Salinger, Toni Morrison, Ernest Hemmingway, V.C. Andrews, Mark Twain, William Golding, Ray Bradbury, Maya Angelou, and John Jakes, whose books I "borrowed" from my Grandmother during a hot summer vacation in Tucson. Thus a reader was born.

As my own children became readers my interest in banned books was rekindled. And I discovered that books my own kids were reading, like the series "Goosebumps" by R. L. Stein, and titles by Shel Siverstein, were on lists of banned books. I read the books before my children did - when they are young, this is easy - and found that, guess what, R. L. Stein's books were scary, and, the poetry of Shel Silverstein was fun to read aloud and served as catalysts for a lot of great conversations between my husband and I and our children.

In my opinion, stories and books, banned or not, are translators between the thoughts and concerns of children and the paths we want to guide them toward. A path that is safe for a thirteen year old boy is most likely too dangerous for a four-year old. But that doesn't mean that the path should be bulldozed closed. The choices are yours to make.