Boy Book Challenge

Sometimes the author is the last to know. 

In April, it turns out, The Boy Book was challenged in a Texas school.  

I love how the article  quotes my story at length on what kind of bra you should wear if you have puny frontal equipment.  Hee hee hee.

 

But my very favorite bit is this beautifully tangled sentence: 

"Despite racy chapter titles and content, some say it is too adult for young eyes."

The awesome school district officials upheld the inclusion of the book in the library system, pointing out  that  "the district relies on reviews from quality national journals written by certified librarians."  Huzzah! 

I do acknowledge that not every kid is ready to read about the stuff in every book. And not every community is the same in terms of what the dominant morality is.  But the material about the boobs is at the very very beginning of The Boy Book, and the sub-title of the novel is "a study of habits and behaviors, plus techniques for taming them" -- so it is completely obvious to anyone picking up the book and giving it even the most casual glance that there's some content connected to sexuality in there.  If a reader is uncomfortable with content relating to the "taming" of boys by girls (which is a joke, by the way), that reader should choose another book. 

Also, I am sad for the kid whose mom made the fuss. Because that kid's mom has just said to her: "Don't come to me with questions about your developing body. Don't come to me with questions about drinking. Don't come to me with questions about boys and how to negotiate intimate situations. Because these things are SO UNSPEAKABLE that I will wage a serious battle, devoting significant time and energy,  to make sure no one in your whole school even reads about them.  This door is CLOSED between you and me."

How sad is that? To be thirteen and know that you can no way talk to your mom about any of those subjects. 

What if they'd read the book together and discussed it?  The mom could have disagreed with everything in the whole book, and the communication channels would still be open.

Anyway, Banned Book Week is coming up, so I wanted to share these thoughts with you.  

xo

E

PS. I don't know whether the case went further -- whether a formal review was requested, or what the outcome was. 

 

Comments

[Kristin]

Book banning disgusts me.

Your Ruby Oliver books are perhaps the most "tame" or perhaps least offensive of your books. I mean, if she read "Fly on the Wall," I could sort of understand, what with all the language and gherkin. =D

But, seriously, I picked up The Boyfriend List when I was in middle school and it was fabulous. Now that I'm a senior in high school, I can fully appreciate and understand the Ruby Oliver books a lot better. I understand why The Boy Book "seems" inappropriate, but does the 13-year-old not watch movies or even listen to people talk in her school? Talking about boobs and about sex are NOT bad, perhaps slightly uncomfortable, but Ruby doesn't even have sex...she's neurotic and funny and highly entertaining.

I guess what I just said didn't really make sense, but all I know is that that girl is missing out on some great books. Sigh, some people.

[Gretchen]

Congratulations!
My favorite part of the article is "Chapter Three talks about drinking." With no elaboration.

[Doret]

I am surprised by this challenge as well. I enjoy recommending this series to girls 12up. I find its perfect for girls who are too cool for a suggestion. I sell mom's on it by telling them this series light and fun with substance. So its a win win.

Not wearing a bra with the giant pads is great advice. Its wrong to take books out of context, in order to prove how inappropriate they are.

[ariadne miranda]

omgshh well i love the ruby oliver books.
& i just cant get enough of them. i love how the book is so real and how i can relate to it in many ways.
i think they should do a movie of it i would totally watch it(:

[Cyral Miller]

In the Disreputable History ..., why does Frankie not set up a female power play - why are no other girls worthy? wouldn't she realize that the boys had a connection and SHE could have a connection with others of her gender, or heck, with a co-ed society of both sexes, and it really would be wonderful. Seemed a miss opportunity to me. And the otherwise fabulous, witty and engaging book's message ends up reinforcing the notion that even for smart, motivated girls, getting into the boys' world is the only valid pursuit, doesn't it? Slightly depressing in 2009.

[sabrina]

I freaking love the ruby oliver books
Im a teen girl and i can relate soooo much.
She reminds me so much off myself.
If this was a movie i would watch/buy them all.
Keep up the grea work E. Lockheart:]]

[E. Lockhart]

Great question, Cyral. Frankie is wrong in her isolation, I think. She's not a role model. She's a complicated person suffering from many of her choices. Her sister Zada and her friend Trish both suggest/embody alternate ways of beating or working around the system, but Frankie rejects them because she (not I) sees the boys' world as the valid one.

In other words, I myself don't admire all Frankie's choices.

[Sherry]

Cyral's comment made me think. Maybe Frankie didn't send the right message for 2009, but that doesn't mean it isn't accurate. When the ruling social hierarchy of the school is male, setting up a female hierarchy really wouldn't do anything impressive unless the entire group were to challenge the men.
Isn't that something we're still fighting today? That despite all our advances in equality, women still are paid .71 for every male dollar?
I didn't really think it showed that getting into the world is the only valid pursuit, but I think it showed that it's possible. Maybe Frankie messed it up, but she did make it in a man's world.
I liked the complexity of feminism within the book. It showed that it isn't black and white. That wanting complete equality may not be desired (like Frankie's and Zada's conversations on Matthew and Frankie's relationship), but that choosing to ignore the inequalities didn't work either (Matthew choosing Alpha instead of Frankie). Feminism has to defined for each person. I found the book to be a very accurate portrayal of status quo.
--Sherry

[E. Lockhart]

Thanks for such a thoughtful comment, Sherry!

[Stacey]

"Also, I am sad for the kid whose mom made the fuss. Because that kid's mom has just said to her: "Don't come to me with questions about your developing body. Don't come to me with questions about drinking. Don't come to me with questions about boys and how to negotiate intimate situations. Because these things are SO UNSPEAKABLE that I will wage a serious battle, devoting significant time and energy, to make sure no one in your whole school even reads about them. This door is CLOSED between you and me."
How sad is that? To be thirteen and know that you can no way talk to your mom about any of those subjects.

What if they'd read the book together and discussed it? The mom could have disagreed with everything in the whole book, and the communication channels would still be open."

BS.

As a mom to an 11 year old 6th grade girl, and said girl just brought this book home from her teacher's personal classroom library that she has for the kids, I can honestly say "Bullshit".

Just because I don't want my 11year old middle school child reading about fondling, taking pictures of the opposite sex (which is a criminal offense), under age drinking, guys wanting to "stuff it into something" and the like does not mean that I do not discuss sex and sexuality with her. In fact, it means that I don't want promiscuity and poor lifestyle choices being presented to her by a school official, that she looks up to, as "normal" or "ok".

[E. Lockhart]

I completely support your wanting to limit what your child reads. I limit what my child reads. But the question is whether a single parent gets to decide what an entire school has access to, when collection decisions are made by trained librarians based on serious review criteria.
I do not think parents should try to pull books off school library shelves.

Also, librarians are not presenting books as models for lifestyle choices. There would be no stories if there were no problems in books. Books prevent a variety of moral stances on a variety of topics, and some books are ambiguous in their standpoints and meant for discussion.

I'm always glad to have a dialog on the topics in this blog, but if you want to continue the discussion, I'd like to ask that you refrain from profanity and detailed descriptions of adult material, as I always do, because young people as well as librarians and booksellers read this.

E. Lockhart