Discussion+4

Censorship:

 * the supression of published or broadcast material;
 * the suppression of all or part of a play, movie, letter, or publication considered offensive or a threat to security.

===Although //Looking for Alaska// is probably not appropriate for younger children, it is not entirely clear why it has become a cause among the censorious crowd. The book does contain underage smoking and drinking, swearing, and some sex, but also is marketed for, and usually shelved in libraries for, older teens and young adults. In Depew, New York, in 2008, the book was being used in an 11th-grade English class, as it is in many English classes across America. Recognizing the book could be controversial, the school administration sent a letter to parents, offering them a choice: parents could choose to allow their children to read //Looking for Alaska// or an alternative book. This protected parental choice, but that was just not enough for some parents who wanted to choose for other people’s children and not just their own. They tried, unsuccessfully, to get the school to drop the book entirely. In September of 2009 it showed up on the list of 43 books challenged in Leesburg, Florida. === ===// Taken from : Censhorship-Free Libraries. This article was written in collaboration with Meghan of ////tolerance-megitty.blogspot.com// //]//   ===

Assignment:
 * 1) After listening to the YouTube video, please post three examples of comments you agreed with from the author of Looking for Alaska, John Green;
 * 2) Click on the link: "list of 43 books challenged in Leesburg" and find one that you disagree with (and post, "why you disagree with the censoring of the book");
 * 3) Should books be censored in a high school English class?
 * If so, why? And, where do you "draw the line?"
 * If not, why? And, what would you consider to be inappropriate material for high school aged students?

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