March
23
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Please Don’t Talk About Your Book by Barbara Dee
“Barbara? Can I please speak to you a minute? In private?”
Teacher X was beckoning me to the back of the auditorium. It was the end of the break after my second author talk. I had already spoken to 120 sixth graders. Three sessions (and 180 more kids) to go.
A few months before, I’d been invited by the PTA to speak at this middle school for the third year in a row. Five author presentations in one day had seemed like a daunting challenge at first. By this time, though, I’d learned to pace myself, ask for a mic, bring a bottle of water and throat lozenges. Reading aloud a brief excerpt from TRUTH OR DARE (Aladdin/S&S Sept. 2016) and an even briefer one from the Advance Review Copy of STAR-CROSSED (Aladdin/S&S March 2017) was fun–and I really loved interacting with kids in the Q/A sessions that followed.
Now, as I followed Teacher X, I wondered why she needed to speak to me just minutes before my next talk. So I asked what was up.
“It’s about STAR-CROSSED,” she admitted. “We’re concerned that some of the kids are too young for the content.”
The content? I was dumbstruck. STAR-CROSSED is a middle grade novel about an eighth grade production of Romeo & Juliet in which the girl playing Romeo realizes she has a crush on the girl playing Juliet. Even as it tracks the plot of Shakespeare’s play, it’s a gentle, wholesome comedy– wholesome enough for Scholastic to have licensed it for book clubs and fairs. Reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus have praised its age-appropriateness and “sweetness.” Amanda MacGregor blogged on SLJ: “The positive, accepting, supportive tone of the story makes this book a must-have for every middle school library.” And I’m proud to say that STAR-CROSSED has earned raves from some rockstar kidlit authors–Gail Carson Levine, Donna Gephart, Nora Raleigh Baskin, Ami Polonsky.
Not completely sure I understood what I was hearing, I asked Teacher X if she meant that only the next kids were “too young”–even though, like the classes earlier, they were sixth graders. I showed her the publisher’s age recommendation: 9-13. I also pointed out the endorsements from Gail Carson Levine, et al. That was when she admitted the real reason she wanted me to stop talking about the book: “a fear of parental backlash.”
“This is a politically polarized community,” she explained. Teachers have been advised to be “careful,” so that they don’t inflame tensions which may have been exacerbated by the recent election.
Then Teacher Y joined us. “We thought it was great when you spoke about inclusion and tolerance and the need for diversity in kidlit,” she told me. “We just want you to keep it general.”
“You mean not talk about my book?” I asked.
Teacher Y looked away uncomfortably. “Right. You can talk about the book. Just not–”
“About the book?”
“We think STAR-CROSSED sounds great,” Teacher X insisted. “We support everything it’s about, and we plan to read it ourselves.”
Even so, I shouldn’t talk about it. And oh, by the way, they had called the principal to sit in on my talks.
I was stunned. The next kids were already streaming into the auditorium, and I had to make a quick decision. Would I:
- A) Talk about STAR-CROSSED, despite the objections of the teachers?
- B) Walk out?
- C) Proceed, not talking about the book and not reading an excerpt, despite having a big poster of the cover art on the desk beside me?
- D) Proceed, briefly and matter-of-factly mentioning what STAR-CROSSED was about, but not reading an excerpt and quickly pivoting?
For the third session I chose C, in deference to the teachers. As a former teacher myself, my first impulse was to empathize with them. They were afraid–of the reaction both by the school administration and by the community, given the current political climate. They hadn’t read the book yet, so they couldn’t vouch for its content. Also, as an author with a precious paying gig, I wanted to be a professional. The show must go on, I told myself. I can deal with this.
But my heart hurt. Not allowing myself to talk about STAR-CROSSED felt wrong, an insult to a book that had been my most joyful writing experience. I could feel myself trembling with anger and humiliation when a kid asked me which of my books was my favorite, and I answered, merely, “Star-Crossed.” He waited for me to elaborate, but I didn’t, because I couldn’t. It was an awkward, awful moment.
And having to change my talk mid-appearance had rattled me: I could hear that my voice was shaky and that I’d gone flat. For my remaining two talks I knew I had to try something else, so I chose D–briefly acknowledging the subject of the book but not reading the funny excerpt, avoiding all details, and quickly changing the subject.
But I still felt sick about the whole situation.
Afterwards, I got into my car and burst into tears–for my book, and for the kids I felt I’d failed. As a straight, adult woman, a mom and a professional, I’d allowed myself to be bullied into silence. So how could I encourage twelve year olds to stand up for themselves, to insist on being recognized and valued, when I couldn’t do the same?
Even worse was when I heard the next day that one of the teachers had actually apologized to her class after my talk. “We know you’re upset,” she’d told them. “But don’t worry–we told the author to stop talking about that book.”
That a teacher (especially one who professed support for tolerance and inclusion) spoke these words to her students is horrifying. I keep thinking about certain kids in the audience whose eyes were wide and bright as I described the main character of STAR-CROSSED. A few of these kids came up to the podium afterwards to tell me they planned to read it, even to ask for it as a birthday present. How confused and ashamed they must have felt to hear their teacher apologize.
I can’t stop thinking about one girl in particular. She was sitting in the back row of the auditorium, and when she raised her hand to speak, she mumbled, looking at her feet. I asked her to repeat her question; she did, and I still couldn’t hear what she was saying. But there was something about her body language–the way she was avoiding eye contact and squirming–that made me approach her seat, asking her to repeat herself a third time.
Even then, I could hear only two things–“LGBT” and “poetry.”
Oh, I thought. Okay.
This was the kid who needed STAR-CROSSED. Not only did she need to read a sweet, positive middle grade novel about a middle schooler who wonders about her own sexual orientation, and ends up being okay with not knowing all the answers–she also needed to have an adult in the room who called on her. Who made eye contact. Who heard her voice.
So I asked her to speak to me privately.
I was afraid she’d slip out of the auditorium, but she didn’t. Smiling shyly, she told me she “planned to read” STAR-CROSSED when it came out, and then said: “I really love the idea of semi-colons.”
I grinned. It was so charming– the sort of thing only a smart, word-loving sixth grader would say. A kid like the protagonist of STAR-CROSSED.
So I asked her why she liked semi-colons.
“I just like the idea that sentences can be connected without stopping points,” she answered.
Me too. I also wish the world had more semi-colons, more connections, fewer stopping points.
More words; less silence.
STAR-CROSSED is Barbara Dee’s seventh middle grade novel. She recently revealed the cover of her next book, HALFWAY NORMAL (Aladdin/S&S Sept. 5, 2017), on Nerdy Book Club https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/cover-reveal-for-halfway-normal-by-barbara-dee/ . A former English teacher and lawyer, Barbara is one of the founders and directors of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival. This year, she is looking forward to participating in Nerd Camps in Michigan, New Jersey and Long Island, NY. Visit her at www.BarbaraDeeBooks.com. Follow her @Barbaradee2.
Ordering this book as soon as I finish commenting. This is so sad. It is a reminder that books are windows, doors and mirrrors. As teachers, we need books for everyone.
We were all so heart broken, upset, confused, angry, and filled with so many mixed emotions when this happened. It took courage to write this essay and talk about what happened. It’s going to get better…and it will be BECAUSE of books like yours.
It’s sad that administrators won’t take a stand on this issue. Why did a teacher have to voice her opinion?
The administrators took a stand, all right. With erasure and hate, sadly. With the oppressors of those children – with the bullies. And they did it the way most covert abusers do — with apologies.
Be encouraged that there are many people like yourself also welcome these books. Though yes, the change is slow and glacial. I feel bad for the current generation who has to suffer the slowness of general society to accept this. It is very sad.
Wow. I’m stunned. You showed a lot of bravery and strength both in continuing as you did in the moment, and then sharing here your feelings once you were able to process what had actually happened. Thank you for your thoughtful reflection, and I hope Star-Crossed blows the heck out of all sales expectations and reaches as many readers as possible.
Wonderful, thank you, Barbara. The tangle of what to do when you create something from the heart and it’s shut down because of politics and fear. Thanks, too, for acknowledging the reality of having to make money to continue creating things from the heart that get shut down.
This is heartbreaking to me. I’m a parent of a 6th grader and would be thrilled to have an author share such a great story of inclusion and welcome. I spent several years in the mid to late 90s working with GLBTQ youth and there are days when I am happy to see how far we’ve come for our kids. But then there’s this…these moments when my heart weeps that we are still making kids feel like who they are requires an apology.
I wondered if you’d encounter problems like that. There likely will also be some school libraries that choose not to carry it. I did an event at a Christian school where she talked about how she has to pre-screen every book that she puts on the shelves. If she doesn’t, parents go straight to the school director with their complaints and she gets in trouble. In a public school system, it shouldn’t be that way, but in some communities it just is, sadly. I personally think that books that tackle these issues get read MORE. I remember passing Forever by Judy Blume around in junior high because we weren’t allowed to read it. Ms. Blume likely encountered the very same sorts of obstacles with her books…but how many of us can say our childhood was dramatically impacted by reading her books? A LOT!
Your post makes me sad – sad that you were forced to go along with old-fashioned ignorance and sad for the teachers who felt they had to approach you “or else.” But my greatest sadness is for the students who are growing up in that backward, close-minded, prejudiced community. They are the real losers in this incident – not you.
This is very true. I too, lament the slowness of change. Must the current generation suffer just because some people aren’t comfortable with living with human beings different from themselves? It is very frustrating. But also encouraging that we are not alone anymore in our views. May there be more people who accept.
This post broke my heart. I felt like I was standing up at that podium with you. As you said, kids need ALL kinds of books, especially the ones that show them they’re not alone. I agree with the previous commenter that the kids lost out in this situation. How very sad. Thank you for sharing. Write on!
Barbara, thank you for sharing this honest experience. All I can think is that next time you’ll know to stand tall and be a voice for those kids who feel they don’t have one. You can be the adult in the room to drive the narrative toward inclusion and acceptance in a meaningful way. Maybe even that teacher who apologized to her students will learn something, will expand her personal narrative. You can do this. You’ve already done so much by making your book available for all readers.
This makes me sick to my stomach. If teachers aren’t ready to approach a topic, then they certainly shouldn’t invite such a reputable author who could actually help someone in their school. Also, there is no way that their whole school population is the SAME – just not possible. It’s terrible that you were made to feel that way.
Thanks for sharing this, Barbara. You did good, and even if that one girl is the only one to benefit from your talk that day, it’s still so important. It’s an all too common example of the shocking difference between people’s words and their actions. Looking forward to reading Star-Crossed.
Thank you for sharing this important story and for the honesty of how it made you feel. This makes my heart so sad.
This post is unfortunately all too relevant. I’ve just had conversations about upcoming school visits that mirror this experience in some ways, and I’m flummoxed…why are we there, talking with hundreds of curious readers and writers, if not to talk about our books? The world opens itself up, despite attempts by some to hold it closed. Your book sounds delightful — looking forward to reading it, and thank you for sharing this post.
I love the young girls statement about semicolons. You touched a young life in a great way.
Oh, Barbara, I have been there too, and I feel for you. It is indeed sickening and humiliating to be treated like that, but, like you, my anger was mostly for those kids who weren’t being allowed to know that there were books about them, that GLBT kids can live full and interesting lives too. I’m heartsick that this is still happening.
Ellen, your book PARROTFISH is such a groundbreaking and important YA–it sickens me that you were treated like that. And shocking how often I’ve been hearing from adult readers (male and female) who say their lives would have been so much easier if they’d had access to a sweet, positive middle grade with LGBTQ+ characters when they were ten or twelve.
Thank you, thank you for sharing your experience with us.
One wondering I have is about the girl who stayed to speak with you. I wonder if there was something deeper in her semicolon comment. I have a few friends and acquaintances who have gotten semicolon tattoos to represent their struggles with depression, mental illness, anxiety, addiction or self-injury. Part of me can’t help but wonder if the random reference was something a little…well, less random.
Grateful that she was able to connect with you, and grateful that you shared your feelings so openly.
This is what I thought, too! That she was talking about the tattoos being shown on social media, not the actual grammatical use of semicolons: Showing that your story hasn’t ended yet.
Ha! I just posted my comment and read yours. Agreed.
I had the same thought.
I’ve been hearing this from people today. Hadn’t heard this before. Just shows how seriously we need to take ALL kids–not make assumptions based on our own experiences. Thanks to you all for pointing this out.
E) Don’t let other people control your work, edit your sense of right and wrong, and bully you into self-sensorship.
Schoolteachers are masterful bullies, and many are teachers not by choice, but because a career in the arts didn’t work out for them. If they bring you down, it makes their failure more acceptable.
This comment seems a little hostile on a post (and comment) about being accepting.
Thank you for sharing, Barbara. This broke my heart. And yay for the courage of that young girl to speak up when it was obviously so difficult for her.
I feel so sad that this happened. Teachers like them, while I’m sure they thought they meant well, reflect poorly on all teachers. I hope everyone knows that we are not all like them – many of us are promoting books with marginalized characters to our students all the time, and will continue to do so no matter what anyone has to say about it. Thank you for this book – I now have one more to add to my arsenal as a middle school teacher!
So sorry you had this experience. At least you can take comfort in knowing your book can help others who feel silenced. I too am going to check it out! Thank you.
I find her love of the semi colon quite telling – if you’re not aware, there’s a whole movement regarding the semi colon and it’s connection to moving on, both in a story and in life. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/why-a-semicolon-tattoo-is-the-most-beautiful-tattoo/ I’m very glad you connected with her personally.
This breaks my heart, Barbara. I can’t wait to read your book, and to meet you at NerdCamp so I can give you a big hug! Thank you for speaking out for all children! ❤
It’s a crying shame you and those kids had to go through that… And Star-Crossed just moved from my “read it soon” list to my “just bought it and will read it tonight” list. 🙂 Keep heart, our children need us! And we will win.
Okay, I remember reading The Outsiders in middle school. You know, a book with violence, swearing, drug use, and murder in it. Yeah…it’s a great piece but how on EARTH is it more “acceptable” than a sweet, innocent, middle school romance?! Geez!
I just recommended the book to my library system for acquisition. You can probably do this too! 🙂
We have to be courageous for the kids even if it makes us uncomfortable. I recently applauded my niece who just started high school and befriended a girl sitting alone during lunch. No one wanted to sit with her. She was a pregnant senior. She sat with her anyway. It turned out the girl was headed to Harvard after early graduation. Through my niece, I sent her a Maya Angelou book and a card advising her to follow her dreams. Sometimes it’s the little things that kids need.
What is WRONG with America? Girl on girl crushes were part of my growing up – we had crushes on teachers, too. America needs to sort its racism/sexism, and do something about its infantile president too.
Barbara, I’m so sorry you had this terrible experience. Keep speaking at other schools and share information about your book. Children need to know about it.
Barbara, thank you for this brave and beautiful post. And thank you for writing a book that matters so much to so many.
I will never look at a semi-colon in the same way.
I’ve been hearing today that the semi-colon has significance to many as a symbol for overcoming depression and anxiety–getting past a difficult time, and moving on. Hoping that’s not what the girl had been communicating to me, but it’s a positive image, for sure.
And I’d just like to thank you, Katherine, for commenting here. When rockstar authors like you speak, schools and libraries do listen.
Many suicide survivors get semi-colon tattoos.
I’m copying my facebook share text here. Thank you for this book, Barbara!
As an author/educator, this blog post broke my heart.
I have been a teacher for 11 years, 9 in middle school, and I have had no less than a dozen students under 16 years old “come out” to me via essays, poetry, presentations, and in tears in the hallway.
If you think these kids don’t deserve to see themselves on the pages of books on the shelves in their school libraries, you are MISSING something key:
They feel it whether you want them to or not. They talk about it and experience it either ALONE or NOT.
And this doesn’t just go for LGBTQ kids coming out! This also means they ARE dealing with their thoughts related to sexism, racism, bigotry, assault, abuse, sexuality… ALL the tough things that “adults” deal with… that we “wish” our middle school kids weren’t dealing with. They are. Not ever kid. Not every place. Not every scenario. But LOTS. Lots more than you might expect. In my experience, the VAST majority are dealing with at least a couple MAJOR topics in their lives by 7th grade.
Nobody can remove their experiences from their beings–that’s not an option.
They’re either going to go through it feeling safe and loved or they’re going to go through it alone and afraid.
I, for one, can’t WAIT to get my hands on this book.
❤
As we sometimes say in Quaker Meeting, “This Friend speaks my mind.”
Also.
Any attempt to “protect” children from stories which are affirming of LGBTQIA+ experiences is grounded in the COMPLETELY FALSE assumption that the “protected” children are all heterosexual and cisgender.
Queer kids exist. In every community, in every school. They need to see themselves in the world, and in the stories they read and hear and watch. I came of age during the very beginnings of the AIDS epidemic and remember what it felt like to gradually come to understand that I belonged to a tribe that society largely considered expendable.
I can’t overstate what a difference it would have made to have been able to read or watch stories about queer or even questioning people who were not only surviving, but thriving.
Am buying a copy of this book for my school’s library the next time I get paid.
This was a beautiful story. I’m so glad you shared it.
Barbara–I loved this book. But I have been there, too–my novel BRIAR ROSE about the Holocaust has a gay man anchoring the story and it was burned on the steps of the Kansas City Board of Education. I was stunned that someone (a group of someones) should have such a reaction, but that was back then. And this is now. Hugs. What we do, how we act and react, how we stand up for our books, how we honor the teachers… all these things needing a split second reaction. I will always second-guess myself about my responses to the news of that burned book. But I wasn’t there when it happened. You were right on the firing line. I apologize for all of us, to all of us, and hope at some point we will no longer have to make these quick decisions. And PLEASE don’t let it stop you from writing the next strong book. And the one after that.
Jane
Yes, I had to make an impossible decision onstage–and still wonder if I could have done better. But the whole incident, tough as it was, has only strengthened my resolve to write books that matter, and that reach out to include all kids. And I have to say that when important authors like you stand with other authors (like me), it’s harder for folks to silence us. Thank you so very much, Jane.
Please tell me it’s okay that I’m copying and pasting your post to use with my English composition class of college students who will soon be writing an argumentative essay. I will wait for an “okay,” and I will be crossing my fingers in the meantime. People need, need, need to realize that, while we are not all the same (or because we are not all the same), we are all significant and worthy beings in this world.
Okay! And thanks!
As a comics artist and writer, I’ve taught comics at middle schools and high schools for years. Occasionally, I have experienced censorship similar to what Barbara Dee describes. I have always been constitutionally unable to prioritize the fears of authority figures over the needs of the kids; so my policy has always been to make the censorship a talking point.
I tell the kids that I’ve been asked not to speak to them about “it” (whatever “it” is); thus hanging a lantern on the censorship. Censorship doesn’t thrive when exposed to light, IMO.
I ask the kids what they think. Should I skip the part I’ve been asked to censor? Usually, this sparks surprisingly astute discussion from the kids about all sorts of issues– from the idea that grown-ups often underestimate kids; to Free Speech and Civil Disobedience; to the concept of Fear itself, and its role in the world’s problems! Listening to what kids actually have to say on these subjects can really give you hope for the future. I find it very encouraging, most of the time.
I let this palaver play out for as long as seems necessary, depending on how much time we have. Then I proceed with my usual lesson, adjusted for time, but not censored. In the vast majority of cases, I have been asked back, despite having so blatantly thrown the censors under the bus and undermined arbitrary authority.
The blowback I have occasionally received— from either teachers or parents— I try to weather with kindness. Sometimes you can engage the censors in the same sort of discussion as the kids, and make it a learning moment for them, too. Although, in my experience, kids are often more reasonable.
I actually pre ordered this book for my 9 year old daughter! I am always looking for new ways to expand her reading world. I just want her to enjoy life, and feel loved.
So far she loves it, and I’ve heard her giggling so many times while reading it. I can’t wait for her to be done, so I can read it.
Thanks so much for sharing this with such honesty. I taught third grade for a long time. There were books I was worried to share early in my career. Fear of parent kickback. Only when I gained more experience and realized/learned the power of story did I stop skipping certain sections or words (censorship). I wish someone would have helped educate me on the importance of sharing all characters through well-written, thoughtful literature earlier. Your post firms up what I’ve learned over the years even more. Read it all. It’s an opportunity for discussion and you never know who is listening. With that knowledge, I can now write with more honesty, too. Thanks.
It seems like we are protecting our children so much that they will grow up completely unprepared for the real world. Give kids credit. When presented with balanced viewpoints and lifestyles they can form their own opinions.
I totally agree with Dayne. It’s heart-breaking to hear about Barbara’s experience.
Sigh. We thought civilization would be further along by now. I feel you. XO
I would have been that kid at the back. I would have loved a book with these themes when I was little, the world would have felt a little bit friendlier and made a little bit more sense.
Getting a big picture view, why in the world would they invite you without full knowledge of what your upcoming book was about? I’ve been turned down by schools before because my picture book biography is about a Catholic nun (first feminist, an herbalist, composer, and artist). But that’s okay. I see that they believed it was religious rather than empowering and said no. Well and good. But to invite you and only later decide, no, we don’t like this content, is incredibly unprofessional, content aside!
Outrageous! Unbelievable! I am so sorry that this happened to you AND to those STUDENTS.
I will be making written requests for your book to all the libraries and book stores I visit in my travels. I love books and libraries. I have worked with Friends groups across New England and NY to establish and maintain their children’s and young adult collections. I am outraged and dismayed that such a …cannot even find the right phrase… this should never have happenew or happen again, anywhere.
What an awful position to put you in, and what a disservice to their students. If I’d been able to read books like yours when I was that age, who knows how much easier it would have been to accept myself sooner. I hope there’s some way you can let them know exactly how what they did affected you.
I am sorry about your experience. I think middle schoolers have to make similar difficult choices or face consequences beyond peer pressure. Seems like the protagonist in your next book could help young people understand different choices and deciding if the fight is worth it personally. Thank you for serving us and truly trying to make America better.
I am so upset by this. It makes my stomach hurt. Tremendously sorry you had to experience this and that the kids who needed you were denied.
I think you made the correct choice by respecting your host’s wishes. It’s important to remember you were invited to speak to minors and what they are exposed to in their schools and home environments is the absolute discretion of their parents and educators. As an author you can write and publish a book for a particular audience but you really don’t have any right to expose that audience to it over the objections of their guardians if they happen to be minors. I do think they should have discussed the concerns with you before you agreed to appear so the terms of what could be discussed were known up front and you could have declined if you didn’t agree to having boundaries.
I have no issue with your book or the age guidelines for it personally but that doesn’t entitle me to force other parents or educators to hold the same belief.
I am so very sorry you had to go through this, Barbara, and I feel such anguish for those students in the classroom where the teacher “apologized.” Without a doubt your book touched (and will touch) the lives of many of those kids who saw you at the school, even those who may have not seemed to respond. Like others, my life would have been so much easier had there been books like “Star Crossed” when I was growing up. Thank you for what you are doing.
I hate that this happened, but it’s great that you got to reach that girl. What will you do if this happens again?
I also am going to get my hands on a copy of the book right away. As a teacher myself, I’m surprised the teachers at the school didn’t see that the opportunity to have you there would make you the “bad” guy, absolving them from responsibility where the parents are concerned. Sorry this happened to you, but you might consider creating a YouTube video where you give that speech you were cheated out of, and speak directly to your fans. Thanks so much for sharing.
I’ll buy your book. And promote it. Because what happened to you — and what happened to the queer kids in the audience who didn’t get to hear — is horrible.
Thank you for sharing such a difficult experience. It just shows how hard it can be, especially for kids, when it’s even hard for adults to be able to react in the moment. Kudos to you for reflecting on it like this. And I’m off to order the book!
The next time you schedule these talks make sure the school knows what the book is about and that you plan to discuss it and read from it. It’s disrespectful to invite you to speak and then tell you what you can or cannot speak on! If they don’t like your subject matter then you shouldn’t have to censor yourself or your book for them
God, I can’t imagine ever being put into that position. It must have been so frustrating. So much pressure is put onto teachers for this, that, and the other thing when it comes to education, and mixing in what’s ‘political’ (which is never separated from the personal), and your own beliefs…
I have this book, and it came highly recommended, and I look forward to it. Kids are some of the most vulnerable around, to ideas, to their own insecurities, everything.
Just, damn, what a story…
This makes me so sad that you were censured in such a way. Were you in the South?
No, this was in the Northeast.
I can understand how you felt about not being able to talk about a book you are proud of, but I have to empathize more with both the parents of these students and the teachers. There are too many religious tensions around this subject to read or discuss this kind of content (LGBTQ) in an elementary or middle school. While society has reoriented our culture to consider the topic normal, healthy, good, etc., many Americans–and especially authors and schools–don’t seem to understand that a lot of families are not following society in this way. They just aren’t allowed to say anything anymore without being raked over the coals, but that doesn’t change their commitment to teaching their children about LGBTQ issues according to their religion. Schools need to respect that and keep a neutral ground on the topic. Having a presentation in which LGBTQ themes are celebrated is a good way for schools to stomp on religious beliefs and upset parents. If I was the principal of a public school, I would proceed with similar caution with author visits, although it would really depend on the book and the situation.
Barbara,
Like many other supportive and engaging comments here, I am so sorry you had to go through this. As a Librarian, I can tell you that no matter what area of the country you are in (the South, Midwest, East or West Coast), there are Librarians who are happily and with their communities approval ordering, cataloging, and shelving your books in the appropriate Teen/Middle Grade sections, and they are being found (through serendipity, of course) by those whose lives will be most impacted and changed, for the better.
Please know that you are not alone in either your feelings before and after this incident, and we shall keep up the good fight; Librarians, Teachers, Professors, all of us who are called to public service are standing behind you as we all learn and grow from this unfortunate, but true, incident of our times.
Best of luck to you, and please remember that one Librarian in rural Kentucky is rooting for you! 🙂
Thank you so much! It’s been lovely hearing messages of support from all over the country. We really are a remarkably tolerant, open-minded nation–but I think sometimes we need to take a deep breath.
This experience must have been horrible, and I am amazed that through the ashes of that memory, you have chosen to recall what is beautiful about it, touching hearts in a way no other wording could. The piece alone is inspirational, giving light to one of the most important things in life: hope. Thank you for writing this!!
Wow…I can only imagine how painful it was to go through such thing.
Good job
Great blogpost
Barbara, after reading your post I checked out the book from my library and read it and loved it and reviewed it: http://sexinthelibrary.blogspot.com/2017/04/star-crossed.html
Best wishes. –Aarene
Great job
fascinating. now I’m curious about the book…, will look for it here in my local bookstore