Secular Book List: Approved and Questionable Books with Comments by Alisa Avruch and Sharon Schwartz
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A_00663-05 Secular Book List: Approved and Questionable Books with Comments By Alisa Avruch and Sharon Schwartz Grade Level: Elementary-High School, Administration Description: Updated for October 2012: A list of only those books which were approved, books which are generally acceptable and books which are questionable culled from the Complete Secular Book List, also available on Chinuch.org. Detailed comments on each book are provided to help adults discern the appropriateness of reading for the student and suggested grade levels are included. Criteria for evaluation and ratings are explained in detail. Also available on Chinuch.org: List of New Books Added in 2012, and List of Appropriate books (for children to take to library). A separate Classics Analysis List, which discusses books frequently assigned in schools, is also available. All lists are available as editable Excel and pdf files. Goals/Objectives: Parents and teachers will be able to provide appropriate reading for their children and students. Instructions: 1. Read carefully through the cover sheet to understand the rationale and methods behind this book list. 2. Make sure to only give out to students the approved book list without the comments. 3. Happy reading! Additional Tips: This list is intended for parents and educators, who would like to select books appropriate for their children and students, based on the comments for each book. It is not recommended to be given to children, as the comments are very detailed and may contain information inappropriate for children. Revised 8/18/2011 Dear Parents and Teachers, As concerned mothers we have noticed that the quality and content of the books available to our children leaves much to be desired. As voracious readers ourselves, we know that the words a child (or adult!) reads can leave a permanent impression on his or her neshama. We also recognize that many children need the outlet that reading provides. We have therefore undertaken BE”H to compile an ongoing list of books that we have checked so that we can more easily provide our children with appropriate reading material. The attached list is made up of our own personal opinions. It is not officially endorsed by any Rav or Yeshiva. It is entirely possible that we may have erred or overlooked some problems or that you will disagree with our assessments. We apologize for any mistakes or unclear recommendations. The complete list is not meant to be used by children, as the comments column contains information that is inappropriate for them. If you wish to give a list to a child to take to the library, please use the “approved only” version, which does not have comments. Using this list: • Explanation of designations: OK – we consider book to be acceptable OK? – book is generally acceptable; parent should read comments to decide if appropriate OK??- book is questionable; parent should read comments to decide if appropriate N? – book is significantly problematic but may be acceptable in certain situations as determined by parent N – not acceptable C – Classic. Book generally would not be read as independent reading. Comments for educators can be found on Classics Analysis List. • Generally, we included grade levels only for recommended or questionable books. • Where a book series is known by the series name, and has multiple authors (especially when the authors’ names are not written on the book jackets), we generally used the series name in place of the author name (eg, American Girls, Wishbone). • General notes about a series are often included in the comments about the first book listed for that series. • Please note that the recommended grade levels are based on our own (non- scientific) analysis, based on our extensive experience as readers and parents of readers. • This list may be copied and distributed, as a community service, as long as it does not have additional information added, and includes the cover page. • This list is available in 2 formats: (1) Complete list of approved and unapproved books, with comments (2) Approved books only, with no comments We welcome your comments and questions. Alisa Avruch/Milwaukee, WI Sharon Schwartz/ Flushing, NY [email protected] (206) 984-7294 Criteria used for determining a book’s acceptability Introduction Each person has different levels of sensitivity about problematic issues in books. Please pay close attention to our “comments” column so that you can make your own judgments. As often as possible we include page numbers so that you can more easily decide on a book’s appropriateness for a particular child or group. Please bear in mind that a book which may be acceptable for one child may be entirely inappropriate for another, depending on the child’s maturity, reading level, reading style (i.e., skims vs. reads carefully), and personality. Our main reasons for labeling a book as being problematic, fall into the basic categories listed below. Occasionally a book does not fit into any of these categories, but the overall tone is problematic. When this is the case, we will note it in the “comments” column. Boy/girl relationship, tznius, and negiah We are particularly sensitive to books that include this as a main focus, especially when the characters involved are not anywhere near marriageable age. Even minor boy/girl relationships will generally be rated with ‘OK?’ or ‘OK??’. We will note if the relationship results in marriage, and if it has only minor negiah described. Books which do not contain actual boy/girl relationships but focus on thoughts or dreams of such relationships can be equally problematic. We generally overlook illustrations or descriptions of girls who are wearing “regular” clothing, even if not tzanua (eg, pants and a t-shirt), while more extreme cases (eg, bathing suits) will generally be noted. Some of the terms we use in the comments include: minor romantic negiah – handholding, quick hugs, kisses on the cheek, etc, mentioned in passing; non-romantic negiah – usually between “friends” or cousins or step siblings, with no romantic overtones. Religion Books that actually glorify or describe in detail another religion, are considered questionable or unacceptable, depending on frequency, length, and importance to plot. When we feel that pages can be torn out or lines crossed out without ruining the story line, we note page numbers. Please note that we chose to use the term “J—“ for the subject of Christian worship. (Please note that the comments are meant for use by frum people; please be sensitive if sharing the list with non-frum or non-Jewish teachers). Books that mention religion in passing, or use a holiday as the setting without discussing it in religious terms, will often have a OK? or an “OK” with a comments. We will note if the religion is mentioned in a neutral way (eg: “he prayed” - without describing the prayers; quotes from the Old Testament; etc.). Books that bring up hashkafik issues (eg, evolution, dinosaurs, age of the world, etc.) will be noted in the comments section with a suggestion for parental (or teacher) guidance in discussing these topics with the child before he reads the book. Detailed hashkafik issues in a book will often render it “N”. Language Books that are filled with objectionable language are considered “not recommended”. Books with only a few unacceptable words will be generally be noted in the comments. We differentiate between major language (real curses), minor language (words that are not curses but we don’t permit in our homes), slang and street language (rough language, unrefined language that sets a tone that a parent or teacher may not like), and bathroom language (self explanatory – usually very juvenile). Acceptability of language is dependant on the age of the intended audience. Minor language that would be unacceptable in an early grade school book, may be noted with “?” in a book intended for older readers. A well written book for older readers, which has no major issues other than a lot of minor language, or some major language, will generally be rated “OK??”. Violence Often violence in books is not considered universally problematic; it can be hard to judge. For example, an historical fiction book about the Civil War will have some gory battle scenes; a survival book may have man vs. animal violence; a fantasy book may have fights with or between magical creatures who are obviously not realistic. We try to note violence in the comments section and leave it to the parent/teacher to decide. Real violence and bullying among real people, that is glorified or exciting, may render a book “N”. Divorce, Death, Broken Families When divorce is treated as a matter of fact, not glorified in any way, and mentioned in passing, we usually consider that acceptable. If divorce, death, broken families, or dysfunctional families is an important focus of a book, we will note that in the comments section. Children in similar situation r”l might find such books very therapeutic, but for others it might be completely inappropriate Middos Ideally, we wish all books would model good Middos for our children, but this is unfortunately not the case. Books which describe truly horrible Middos are considered “N”, especially when it is the main focus of the story. If minor, it is mentioned in the comments; we also note whether the character seems to learn his lesson at the end of the book. Fantasy and Magic We are not overly concerned about fantasy if a child is old enough to distinguish between fantasy and reality, and knows that real magic is assur. However, we recognize that there are varying opinions on this topic, and if it is a theme it is usually noted in the comments column Street Reality, “Gritty” books Some books focus on the unfortunate realities of the Western world, which we may not want to expose our children to, eg: drugs, homelessness, abuse, alcoholism, cults, etc.