Keep Them Reading

by Lent, Releah Cossett; Pipkin, Gloria; Scales, Pat

• ISBN13: 9780807753781
• ISBN10: 0807753785
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780807772324
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-11-16
• Publisher: Teachers College Pr

Summary

Written by two award-winning authors who have devoted much of their careers to anti-censorship work, this book discusses the overall importance of reading in all academic endeavors and demonstrates how challenges and censorship can derail even the best literacy program. Each chapter contains practical tools, advice, and resources for building understanding about issues of intellectual freedom and for creating a plan to help all parties work through challenges before they turn into damaging censorship incidents. The last chapter contains advice from authors who have dealt with censorship, such as Judy Blume, and experts on the subject, such as Joan Bertin, executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship.

Author Biography

ReLeah Cossett Lent is a national consultant and the author of Literacy for Real: Reading, Thinking, and Learning in the Content Areas. Gloria Pipkin, a former teacher, has written extensively about censorship. Together, they were honored with intellectual freedom awards from the National Council of Teachers of English and the American Library Association.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Addressing Concerns and Complaints	p. 2
Formal Challenges	p. 2
Media Attention	p. 3
Community Support	p. 4
Lines in the Sand	p. 4
Legal Action	p. 5
Going Forward	p. 5
Preparing for the Storm	p. 6
Looking for the Light	p. 6
Why Reading Matters	p. 9
The Research About Reading	p. 11
Classroom Libraries	p. 13
Advantages of Student-Selected Reading	p. 15
Reading and the Common Core Standards	p. 18
For the Love of Books	p. 19
Understanding Challenges and Censorship	p. 20
What Is Censorship?	p. 21
Academic Freedom	p. 22
Types of Censorship	p. 23
Challenges	p. 28
Principles of Intellectual Freedom	p. 33
Developing a Philosophy, Engaging the Community	p. 34
Developing a Philosophy	p. 35
Inviting the Community to the Table	p. 36
Student Activities for Banned Books Week	p. 37
Community Events for Banned Books Week	p. 39
Censorship Simulation	p. 42
Coming Together	p. 47
Preparing for a Challenge	p. 48
District Policy on Challenged Materials	p. 49
Reconsideration of Challenged Materials	p. 50
Honoring Family Standards	p. 50
Letters to Parents	p. 52
Honoring Student Values	p. 53
Alternate Selections	p. 54
Rationales for Instructional Materials	p. 54
Student Evaluation of Texts	p. 57
Make No Assumptions	p. 58
Facing a Challenge	p. 59
Addressing Concerns About Whole-Class Reading	p. 60
Organizing for Action	p. 62
Knowing Thy Critics	p. 64
Connecting with Allies, Within and Beyond Your Community	p. 65
Relying on Each Other	p. 66
Collecting Wisdom	p. 67
Voices of Young Adult and Children Authors	p. 68
Voices of Those Who Know a Few Things About Censorship	p. 73
Censorship Quotations to Prompt Thinking and Discussion	p. 83
Books That Deal with Censorship for Use with Students or Communities	p. 84
Court Decisions Regarding Intellectual Freedom/Censorship in Schools	p. 85
National Organizations That Offer Support and Resources for Challenges and Censorship	p. 90
References	p. 92
Index	p. 95
About the Authors	p. 100
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