Attention Censors
August 2nd, 2005In the recent issue of Bookslut, Coleen Mondor discusses the recent increase in censoring of YA books in school libraries :
“Writers who are drawn to the young adult age group know, however, that they are mining troubled waters, and that their stories have the difficult task of addressing the emotional turmoil of teenagers without collapsing under the weight of adult themes. Add to this gay primary characters or a complicated illness like bulimia and you might as well be turning on a blinking light that attracts everyone who is afraid of boys and girls getting ideas (any ideas) from books. It’s funny because young adult authors are often accused of not being literary or serious enough when compared to authors writing for adult audiences. I think that’s fairly ridiculous, because clearly when it comes to taking chances with your stories, these are the writers who are swimming in the deep end, and, more often than not, they willingly go back for more.”
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