Technolandy

Day 164 (of 2024/25) soft banning…

Too many great authors that I am looking forward to seeing at TCAF are likely over aware of some of the “soft banning” that occurs all too regularly… strategies that start on focusing on “age appropriate books” (and while I’ll push boundaries… I also have guidelines I trust – especially around ‘spicy’ books… librarians always walk a weird line between being too permissive and too restrictive in what kids read… and I do NOT believe it is as easy as an ‘age’ to define readiness – schema matters a lot – what has been read; exposed to in other medias; curiosity; identity; accessibility…

So of course it gets my attention when provinces decide to poke their noses in under the guise of … safety over what kids are reading… https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-age-appropriate-books-schools-1.7543899

I appreciate the special note that this is not SOGI focused, but when the example novels are Gender Queer, Fun Home, Blankets, and Flamer… sure feels like that’s the focus…

I always get a bit nervous about “age appropriateness” since there is no single growing up experience – and for many students, the stories shared by Maia Kobabe, Alison Bechtel, Craig Thompson, and Mike Curato are reflections of lived experiences (literally semi biographical stories) that have enabled students to ‘see themselves’ more readily than other novels (especially if you’re not a white cis male… check the reading lists of most language arts/english courses over the past decade+).

Especially when some key strategies tend to rising in popularity:

Signing out a book and ‘losing’ it or just not returning it… while I like to think (and know) that this is sometimes done for a reader who really connects with a book but for various reasons can’t access one in a bookstore… but it can also be done for less … ‘good’ … reasons.

When the focus is on the illustrations – we know other books – nonfiction and art themed books will also be targeted… and then the focus on ‘in text’ descriptions… if the focus remains on ‘age-appropriateness’ then the discussions ought to get good! It’s easier to make a comparison between a 6 year old and a grade 6 student… but 10/11 – whether age or grade is a lot less… convenient. And when you have Ks and … older students, whether up to grade 9 or K-12 schools, librarians have their organizational work challenges ahead of them!

And do love the mention that the concerns are limited to sexual activity – depictions of graphic violence are probably not an issue… so a description of two women in love is a hard no, but the same duo being k***ed is probably just fine… sigh… 

As graphic novels are en vogue and popular ways to get kids (and adults) connected into reading, the worries over how some pictures/images may say more than the proverbial 1000 words makes people uncomfortable… 

Here’s my earlier blog regarding Gender Queer – https://technolandy.com/2025/02/09/day-100-of-2024-25-a-second-book-share-having-just-finished-and-thinking-about-banned-books-gender-queer-by-maia-kobabe-e-em-eir-for-pinkshirtmonth/

I haven’t written about Blankets, but it is a profound read… a great coming-of-age novel in the style of Holden Canfield (don’t pretend there wasn’t homo-eroticism in The Catcher in the Rye) making the reader uncomfortable at times about the light on society. Such a good book – I understand why the friend who loaned me a copy wanted it back (in pristine condition!) 

Fun Home wasn’t on my reading pile, but I love banned book lists so of course I did a read of it.. gotta love the preamble of it being a family tragicomic! But if the focus is about the spicy scenes… you’re not really reading the book… sure there are some images that will be shocking for some… and milquetoast for others… and definitely more targeted to mature audiences, I don’t think anyone would be doing a kindergarten read of this material anymore than we would a reading of Romeo & Juliet… but that is often an ‘early read’ of Shakespeare…

Likewise with Flamer… suddenly on the top of my ‘must read now’  – and note at the top, “this book will save lives” <— that’s a catchy highlight blurb! An opening showing the ‘not so fun’ memories of public school though… and penis humour… and the cultural… stigma(?) of communal showers… and working out how to deal with others… and figuring out what ‘normal’ really means. Like the analogy of there being a true north, a magnetic north, but no “right” north…  spicy?? Less so… more another important story to explore… and if you OR someone you know is contemplating suicide, ask for help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

There is also TrevorLifeline, 1-866-488-7386, for specifically LGBTQ support.

I think a good discussion point is going to have to be what is (vs what we wish) age-appropriate content. Sexual awareness, depression, suicidal thoughts, sexual curiosity, isolation, self-doubt, peer pressure… they don’t start at a specific age. Reader readiness will vary by user – and at least when book titles are targeted for “soft banning” – they get put on more reading lists.. 

These are all books that have made an impact on youth… and…. Much as the ‘comic code’ has adjusted to help pulp production show that ‘not all comics are for all audiences’, the publishers (and authors) are usually pretty good at stating who the intended audience is. K-4 is pretty easy… after that, age doesn’t = experiences and readiness