Unit 10
Spotlight
Controversial classics
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angt-unit10-spotlight.mp3
Figuring out how to handle classics that critics say haven't aged well can be tough for librarians charged with putting together school collections. Students have been reading To Kill a Mockingbird, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the “Little House” series for generations, and for many years, having these “classics” available in school libraries was a given. But today, some media specialists are questioning the proper place for these and other novels. [...]
The phrase “The only good Indian is a dead Indian” shows up multiple times in Little House on the Prairie. [...]
Andy Spinks didn't consider it to be censorship when he weeded Wilder's series out of his collection at Campbell High School in Smyrna, GA, a suburban school about 20 minutes outside of Atlanta with a student body that's 20 percent white. [...]
He adds that it's not hard to discard a book or a collection when it's somehow problematic and also unpopular with your students.
But what about when a popular classic is also seen by some as problematic?
Published in 1960, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird quickly became popular with readers throughout the country and around the world. [...]
“People love that book, but they ignore so many of the racist tropes and the depictions of people of color that are derogatory,” says Julia E. Torres, a teacher librarian who serves five schools through her job with Denver Public Schools.
Critics say the novel perpetuates stereotypes about African Americans and doesn't give its Black characters any agency. But the book is still assigned reading for many students, and it remains on the shelves at most high schools.
“There's a lot of area in between taking a book off the shelf and deemphasizing it,” says Spinks. “To Kill a Mockingbird used to be my favorite book, so I would recommend it all the time. Now I don't do that.”
Instead, Spinks says he encourages students who read it to keep in mind that the book examines “racism from a white perspective.” [...]
Some librarians suggest using modern novels such as Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give to provide context to classics.
The phrase “The only good Indian is a dead Indian” shows up multiple times in Little House on the Prairie. [...]
Andy Spinks didn't consider it to be censorship when he weeded Wilder's series out of his collection at Campbell High School in Smyrna, GA, a suburban school about 20 minutes outside of Atlanta with a student body that's 20 percent white. [...]
He adds that it's not hard to discard a book or a collection when it's somehow problematic and also unpopular with your students.
But what about when a popular classic is also seen by some as problematic?
Published in 1960, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird quickly became popular with readers throughout the country and around the world. [...]
“People love that book, but they ignore so many of the racist tropes and the depictions of people of color that are derogatory,” says Julia E. Torres, a teacher librarian who serves five schools through her job with Denver Public Schools.
Critics say the novel perpetuates stereotypes about African Americans and doesn't give its Black characters any agency. But the book is still assigned reading for many students, and it remains on the shelves at most high schools.
“There's a lot of area in between taking a book off the shelf and deemphasizing it,” says Spinks. “To Kill a Mockingbird used to be my favorite book, so I would recommend it all the time. Now I don't do that.”
Instead, Spinks says he encourages students who read it to keep in mind that the book examines “racism from a white perspective.” [...]
Some librarians suggest using modern novels such as Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give to provide context to classics.
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PATH A
B1
1-A
Why is Little House on the Prairie criticized
today?
2-A
According to educators, how can the book still
be taught without promoting harmful ideas?
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Path B
B1+
1-B
Why is To Kill a Mockingbird being questioned
in today's classrooms?
2-B
What teaching solutions are suggested instead
of removing the book from schools?
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Let's talk this out!
3
What similarities and differences can you identify in the way these two books are debated?
4
How does it compare to the examples of book bans studied in the unit?
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Post about it!
As a book influencer, you regularly recommend books to young readers. Choose one of the beloved but problematic literary classics mentioned on this page and create a spoken social media post to prepare young readers before they read it. Explain why the book is considered a classic, point out what may be problematic, and provide context or a content warning.
As a book influencer, you regularly recommend books to young readers. Choose one of the beloved but problematic literary classics mentioned on this page and create a spoken social media post to prepare young readers before they read it. Explain why the book is considered a classic, point out what may be problematic, and provide context or a content warning.
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