Should we cover up the nudity in one of Shakespeare’s classics?

Our high school’s English teachers have asked me to order a few different versions of the film Romeo and Juliet. Some of them are R-rated, and my colleagues plan to fast-forward through the nude scenes or cover the monitor with a towel. If I purchase the films, am I setting us up for a censorship challenge?

Since Romeo and Juliet is taught in most high schools, it’s reasonable for your colleagues to expect you to honor their requests. As for film ratings, when the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) assigns them, it doesn’t take into account a movie’s educational value. In fact, MPAA’s ratings are simply private advisory codes and aren’t legally binding. I’d advise teachers not to skip over the racy scenes. High school students are mature enough to handle them. Instead of thinking of ways to avoid those scenes, teachers should discuss them with their students before and after viewing the films.

Your school district may already have a selection policy. Some districts don’t allow R-rated movies, and others frown on the use of full-length feature films because they take time away from traditional classroom instruction. If your school has a selection policy in place, share it with the faculty. If it doesn’t, it’s time to push for one.

A parent of one of our first graders filed a formal complaint against Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, claiming the book had frightened her child and it shouldn’t be read by elementary school students. Our materials review committee voted to retain the title, but recommended that a label be placed on it that says “Fourth Grade & Up.” The school board honored the recommendation. What should I do if a younger student wants to read it?

A library should be open and not restrictive in its practices. It’s too bad that the materials review committee issued such a request. Since the board supported the recommendation, you’ll have to put a label on the book. But that doesn’t mean you have to restrict access to it.

A 2003 federal court ruling states that books may not be placed on a restricted shelf because of their content. The case involved an elementary school in Cedarville, AR, that restricted access to its Harry Potter books because some parents thought they were “evil.” The ruling supports your right to make Scary Stories available to all readers.

Schwartz’s book is based on folklore, and many youngsters have read it without experiencing an ounce of fear. I don’t think that even the best first- and second-grade readers can read it independently. It’s likely that they’ll need adult assistance. Isn’t that what we want, anyway? Engaged parents!

One of our community members wants all of the titles on the American Library Association’s “100 Most Frequently Challenged Books” list removed from our school district’s libraries. How should I handle this?

Tell him that you’re happy that he has the list, and you’re looking forward to talking to him about the books after he has read them. Remind him that each title must be formally challenged before a hearing can occur. There’s a good chance he’ll never make a formal challenge.

Sports Illustrated is popular with our middle schoolers, but some of its content is too mature for them. (The annual swimsuit issue usually ends up in our principal’s office.) Should I purchase a subscription or are we better off without it?

Middle school students are interested in sports, and they’re too old to read Sports Illustrated Kids. When I worked at a middle school, I subscribed to Sports Illustrated and placed the swimsuit issue on our shelves. Not surprisingly, some of its pages always disappeared. But I’m still glad that issue was available to our students, because it showed that we respected them. Remember, just because you purchase library books and magazines doesn’t mean you’re personally endorsing every page. I’d recommend that you ask your principal to leave the swimsuit edition in the library. Also, how do you handle National Geographic, Ebony,Teen People, and Seventeen? Those magazines, among many others, have editorial content and ads that some people may find objectionable. But teens are interested in those publications and should have access to them.