Stolen Children

Part of me thinks that this blog is just spouting the same story over and over and over again.  But then, the stories keep showing up over and over and over again.  The only problem here is that I come to the same conclusion--you got it!--over and over and over again.  Parents, take part in what your children read and stop trying to blame the library for having the book on the shelves!  I plead with you all, stop trying to take books away from other children just because you think it's not right for your child, or your opinion is that the book isn't good at all.  I have many opinions about what I think is good and bad, but that doesn't mean I just run around trying to take those things away from others.  I don't particularly agree with certain sweets or junk food, but I don't run around trying to take them out of all the grocery stores and pulling them from your hands!

[deep breath]

Here's another story about a parent attempting to get a book (Stolen Children by Peg Kehret) taken out of the elementary school libraries in the Central York School District.  She believes the book is too violent and frightening.  The review from Booklist, however, deems the book appropriate for children starting as early as grade 4 and the School Library Journal says that it is appropriate for children starting in grade 5.  Unless I am mistaken, these grades are still considered to be in the elementary school range, and these reviewing journals are well-known and regarded for their reviews and classifications.

We'll see what happens next as the book goes under review, but I can only hope that the decision finds the book acceptable to be on library shelves.  What do you think?  Do you have any opinions on the subject of books in libraries vs. books in classrooms?  What do you think the roles of the parent/teacher/librarian are when it comes to having access to these materials in a library?

I will close with the Booklist review of Stolen Children as reproduced on Amazon.com:

 After graduating from a babysitting course, 14-year-old Amy is filling in for a wealthy family’s nanny one afternoon when she and her three-year-old charge, Kendra, are kidnapped. Their two abductors have hatched a plan to take the little girl, send daily DVD messages to her parents, collect the ransom, and return her unharmed. They hit a snag, however, when their accomplice, Kendra’s nanny, takes off before the scheduled heist. Forced to take the unexpected Amy along, they head to a derelict secluded cabin, where they bide their time for several days. Amy’s ingenuity and child-development savvy save the day, but only after a few daring escape attempts. Plot-driven and consistently paced, this quick read has ample suspense and drama. While the bad guys have a gun, it is unused and no actual physical violence occurs, making this a worry-free recommendation for those requesting a just-thrilling-enough story. Grades 4-7. --Andrew Medlar