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Here’s What To Do About Problematic Books

Dr. Suess. Laura Ingalls Wilder. Mark Twain. What to make of those beloved, nostalgic children’s book authors whose classic works claim to depict and contain stereotypical references, images, and themes? Today, we’re offering a few considerations to help determine a course of action that’s the best fit for your family, plus what to do when you’re caught off guard by a problematic passage in a read-aloud book

 

So, Is Dr. Seuss Problematic?

Only you can decide. Take a moment to ask yourself a few critical questions about what your family believes in, what you as a parent value, and what characteristics and traits you most want to pass along to your children. Here are 5 prompts to get you started:

  1. What main lesson is the main character or narrator teaching my child?
  2. Will this book expand my child’s mind/heart for the better?
  3. Does this story’s moral align with our family’s values?
  4. What might my child think about the world once he/she finishes this book?
  5. Will reading this book enrich our parent/child connection?

As you evaluate potentially problematic themes in your favorite children’s literature, keep in mind cost vs. benefit. Are the moral views that carry the story valuable enough to dull any stereotypical imagery? Is the imaginative plot more memorable than a character’s flawed language? Are there overarching lessons central to this book that help you overlook insensitive passages?

Remember: a child’s favorite author can often become a sound influence in their early years. As a parent, it’s important to ensure their voice is one you stand behind.

 

Cancel, Context, or Convo

If you’re still unsure where you stand on a particular book and/or its author, there are a few perspectives to consider. When educating parents within our membership, we call these potential courses of action the 3 C’s: Cancel, Context, or Convo:

Cancel It

You’re in charge! The beauty of homeschooling is that there’s no such thing as required reading. If any book’s moral value doesn’t sit well with your family mission, shelve it! Return it to the library, pass it along to someone else, or drop it off at your local thrift store.

Offer Context

Sometimes, it’s not so black-and-white. What if you love the book’s goal or sentiment, but you’re unsure if it’s worth the exposure to a historically narrow or biased perspective? Consider a contextual approach and pair the book with an opposing viewpoint. Could you read The Little House on the Prairie alongside The Birchbark House? Can you point to Children Just Like Me to correct potentially harmful caricatures?

By offering age-appropriate context to existing stereotypes, you can help guide your child toward approaching literature with a critical lens.

Have a Convo

Once your child begins to understand the nuance of an artist’s inherent bias, you can use a book and/or its author to introduce a plethora of enriching conversations, from the evolution of a person’s career to making amends over past mistakes. By refusing to glorify (or vilify) an artist, we can often move toward examining the art itself.

For example, can we appreciate Benjamin Franklin’s progressive discoveries without celebrating his early slave ownership? And can we look to him as an example of someone who perhaps experienced a moral evolution, later standing for abolitionism and greater advocacy for inclusion?

Children can offer surprising depth and perception when given a respectful chance to debate life’s merits big and small. By beginning this practice early, they’ll be well-versed in literary criticism and evaluation for years to come.

 

When a book catches you off guard…

So what happens when you’re in the middle of a read-aloud and you encounter a problematic passage, stereotype, or depiction? Remember: as a parent, your job isn’t to control every aspect of your child’s lives. Rest easy knowing this is a teachable moment – for you and your child both!

If the content of a particular book feels misaligned with your values, (1) stop reading and (2) course-correct. Here are a few ways to do so:

  1. Ad-lib. Change the way a character is described, omit certain words, gloss over an insult or skip problematic lines. The wonderful thing about a read-aloud is that you have full creative freedom to edit as you go, ad-libbing the text to ensure it’s appropriate for your child.
  2. Right the wrong. If you’ve already read aloud a passage that depicts something corrupt or harmful, point it out and correct the offense, e.g. “That’s not at all the right thing to do/say!”
  3. Provide an explanation. If you’ve got a niggling sense that a book is inappropriate for your child, abandon the book and – if you’d like – explain why, e.g. “We’re going to close this book! Not all books are good books. Let’s choose another!”
  4. Ask a question. If you’ve approached a passage you don’t condone, let your child weigh in on the issue. Ask, “Do you think Curious George liked being taken from Africa?” or “What could Ramona have done differently here?”By modeling what it looks like to pause and assess a particular source of informational input, you’ll be providing a far greater lesson than what lies within the pages itself.
The Bottom Line

Whatever you decide as a parent, we believe there are few wrong paths here – with the exception of not considering the ongoing issue of children’s literature influence to be worth your time, attention, and thought.

As for Other Goose, we’re ever committed to creating learning opportunities that reinforce kindness, empathy, curiosity, and respect for all. Join us here.