If challenging a book for it's content doesn't work, just decry its writing style! Lauren Myracle's
ttyl is written entirely in text message format. The book has been challenged for sexually explicit content. As I've talked about before, sex in young adult books really shouldn't be such a shock considering how often they say the average teenage male thinks about sex. It's part of growing up, really. Myracle stated that "The book's dialogue about sex and alcohol is frank but the characters criticize those who engage in those behaviors." The majority of YA novels I've read are critical and sensitive about sex and rarely contain sex simply for the sake of titillation (though there are certainly exceptions.) Some people who haven't been able to get the book removed for its content are saying that the book is grammatically incorrect. Show me a text message conversation that isn't, in some way, grammatically incorrect! Sometimes the reasoning is just lame.
Have you encountered a book challenge for a reason you thought was funny or just weird, let me know in the comments section.
Author: Myracle, Lauren
Title:
ttyl
Publisher: Amulet Books
Challenged, but retained at the John Muir Middle
School library in Wausau, Wis. (2009) despite a parent’s request that the book be removed because of sexually explicit content. The author said, “The book’s dialogue about sex and alcohol is frank but the characters criticize those who engage in those behaviors.” Retained in the Ponus Ridge Middle School library in Norwalk, Conn. (2010). While many critics decry its style as “grammatically incorrect,” most who take exception point to its foul language, sexual content, and questionable sexual behavior. It is the first book written entirely in the format of instant messaging — the title itself is a shorthand reference to “talk to you later."
School library in Wausau, Wis. (2009) despite a parent’s request that the book be removed because of sexually explicit content. The author said, “The book’s dialogue about sex and alcohol is frank but the characters criticize those who engage in those behaviors.” Retained in the Ponus Ridge Middle School library in Norwalk, Conn. (2010). While many critics decry its style as “grammatically incorrect,” most who take exception point to its foul language, sexual content, and questionable sexual behavior. It is the first book written entirely in the format of instant messaging — the title itself is a shorthand reference to “talk to you later."
Is it painful to read? I can't imagine reading a novel all in text message format.
ReplyDeleteI think most reasons for challenging books are funny or weird.
It's not too bad to get through, though it takes some getting used to. I read another book, "Londonstani" (not YA) that's written in a sort of text message, pakistani/london accent and it's the same way. Takes some time to get into it, but then it's pretty absorbing, I find.
ReplyDelete