I was in a Jewish library when a young girl, about 10, asked to use the phone. I overheard her asking her mother in Yiddish whether she could take out historical fiction (written in English) since she finished reading everything else. When she hung up, I asked her what her mother said. The answer was 'no' because her mother hadn't read the books and her mother reads everything before she does. I asked, why can't you take home a book for her to look at? She said her mother doesn't have time.
Why would her mother not allow her to read a certain book? She said with one book, her mother told her the characters did not talk nicely.
Perhaps many of us would not endorse censorship, particularly not at a frum library with Jewish books, but this mother is careful. She is a sweet, aidel, tmimusdike child and I was impressed by what a good girl she is. After all, she can read whatever she likes while she is right there in the library, but she is there just to take out books and only approved books at that.
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I have encountered frum books with objectionable content. One book, written for small children, was about a boy who never listened to his parents so they took him to a psychologist. The other book was about a single mother who re-married so now her children had a Totty. They welcomed the new Totty. This book was also for little kids who probably never imagined that fatherless children existed.
ReplyDeleteI personally liked the book for frum children about personal safety but one of my children objected to the book and did not want her children to read it. Some parents like the idea that the book serves as a springboard for a difficult issue and others feel that it gives children fears of something that may never happen or puts bad ideas into their heads.