Mature Content: To label or not to label, that is the question

For years I've worked at a school that serves seventh and eighth graders. But recently, we've also added sixth grade. For the first time in my career, I feel as though I'm guilty of self-censoring. Some of the books that were fine for eighth graders, like John Marsden's Letters from the Inside, don't seem age-appropriate for sixth graders. What should I do? Should I label the more mature titles so our younger students won't be surprised by the content? Or should I limit the sixth graders to one section of the library?

My advice is to neither label nor limit. If you label the books for "Mature Readers," the entire student body will soon be combing your shelves, trying to pick out the "mature" parts of those titles. Taking content out of context can send a message that ultimately plays into the hands of censors. And please, don't relegate sixth graders to one small area of the library. Give them room to explore and grow. Yes, there are some very mature sixth graders in your school, but there are also some immature eighth graders. You need to meet all of their needs. Some publishers include a recommended age range on their book covers (for example, for ages 14 and up). Although librarians aren't expected to remove that information, they shouldn't use it to limit their patrons' access to those titles.

Talk with your students about what they're reading, lead them to books you think they'll enjoy, and give them permission to reject titles they don't like. Most of all, teach them to look at an entire book before judging its individual parts. If a book has tough characters, talk to students about those characters. If a book includes profanity, talk about why the characters may use it. By asking young readers the right questions, you're teaching them how to analyze a book—and you're modeling the principles of intellectual freedom. The next time students happen upon a book they feel is too mature, they'll either reject it, or read it and see it differently.

I'm a library school student, and I just completed an internship at an elementary school. When I first got there, I was excited to learn that the school didn't use Accelerated Reader, because I don't think that students should be asked to take a test on every book they read. Then I discovered that the teachers limited their students to reading books that were on their reading level. I was assigned to label all of the library's books according to the Fountas & Pinnell assessment system. I'm uncomfortable with labeling, but I had to do it to get credit for my internship. What should I do in the future if I'm asked to do something that goes against my educational philosophy?

I'm glad that you were uncomfortable with this assignment. It shows that you really care about children's enjoyment of reading. I recommend that you discuss your philosophy at your job interviews. If you're lucky, you may find an enlightened principal who'll support you in creating a library where children can discover the joy of reading. After you've started your new job, it's possible that you may be able to convince an administrator to phase out leveling. Push your point by giving a child a book that's far above her predetermined reading level—a title you know she'll enjoy. When she's finished reading it, invite the principal to listen to her talk about the book. After the discussion, reveal the book's reading level to your principal. Case closed.

One of our teachers is upset because I recommended that her students read Dick King-Smith's Babe: The Gallant Pig, which refers to a female dog as a "bitch." The teacher would like to use Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Shiloh with her class, but she's reluctant to do that because it contains the word "dammit." The teacher's solution? She wants me to delete the word. I told her I wouldn't, but she won't listen to reason. What should I do?

Check your state laws. In some states, it's a misdemeanor to deface a book. If your state has such a law, post it in the library. Legal or not, there's an ethical issue here. Ask the teacher what she would do if a student crossed out a word from a textbook. I bet she'd probably insist that the student pay for the book. Students need to know that "bitch" is a female dog, and they need to understand why a character like Judd Travers, in Shiloh, would scream "dammit" at his dogs. Perhaps you should offer to lead that part of the book discussion with her students.