I have a friend whose father used to control her leisure reading so strictly that he actually used a magic marker to black out any objectionable words or passages. At the bookstore and the library, I frequently see children negotiating with their parents for the privilege of reading a particular book: "Please, please, please!" In running my book group, I've met several parent-child pairs who read together, and I've often thought what a wonderful experience that would be, but reading in tandem also opens the door to many opportunities for loving censorship: "I don't think we should continue with this book" or "Let's stop reading this book for now, and we'll come back to it when you're older."
My own childhood reading benefited from a kind of benign, or perhaps benevolent, neglect. My parents gave me books, many of them, which certainly directed my reading, but they also encouraged me to make use of my school and community libraries, where I always had the freedom to make my own choices. I don't remember ever having to plead for the right to read Judy Blume or Norma Klein or Zilpha Keatley Snyder (the closest thing my generation had to J. K. Rowling). My parents may have kept a watchful eye on what I was reading (and my mother assures me that they did), but I was unaware of it. For my part, I never tried to hide what I was reading from my parents. The thought never crossed my mind.
Today, the Fourth of July, we celebrate our many cherished freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. Underlying all these is the most important right of all--freedom of thought. Children should not be denied this most important freedom merely because they are children and therefore legal minors. Intellectual independence is not a privilege to be earned but a birthright. Children should and must be free to develop their own thoughts, and this means observing, questioning, and entering into conversation with a wide range of other thinkers. What better way to do this than to read?
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2 comments:
Great post, April!
Starting about the time I was seven, my mother would drop me off at the library and leave me there for hours at a time (under the watchful eye of a friendly children's librarian). That delightful lady contented herself with making sure I didn't leave the premises...other than that, what I chose to read was completely up to me. Sheer bliss! Christmas without Christmas!
My parents read to me and with me too. I never remember them getting into the middle of a book and censoring it, or telling me I couldn't read something.
Today, my successful career as a marketing manager is all about working with words. Much of my ability to do my job well can be attributed to the fact that my family taught me to love reading and writing with no strings attached. How many kids are being denied a similar birthright because their parents are trying to "protect" them?
One of the U.S. Federalist Papers talks about the dangers of trading liberty for security. Maybe we should keep that in mind in this aspect of our lives as well.
Thanks, Debra! I think the childhood experience you describe is shared by many (most?) adults who are active readers and writers. I have heard some people say that getting their first library card was not only a passport into the world of books, but an affirmation of their identity and individual power.
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