In the constant struggle as a youngster to fit in versus make a statement (i.e. making a culture into a counter-culture as AHegg spoke of previously), there is debate about what is appropriate to expose to youth. Books are a funny arena in which adults like to control what young people are exposed to like some books bring the plague and anarchy and others bring about saintliness and angel-like wholesomeness in young people... maybe it is true? But why do adults try and control which books young people read? Fear. But fear in what/whom? Fear that books are two powerful, too persuasive? Maybe? Or fear that young people are too weak, too impressionable?
I think one of the most harmful ways to weaken young adults is to shelter them from ideas, to weaken their ability to reason by denying them chances to reason. What if instead of denying ideas to youth, adults actively engaged in debate with youth together!
One book that has received much criticism for being too intense, too real, too harsh is
The Absolutely True Dairy of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.
Many argue that the book is not appropriate for young readers. How about we read it together and decide for ourselves?
Here are some articles about this debate than can spark our conversation about this topic and this book:
