Chapter 39 of The House on Mango Street has one of the characters speaking in the aftermath of a sexual assault. Itβs sad and a tiny bit disturbing but not graphic.
Thereβs been some interesting discussion going on with parents at my kidsβ school about the appropriateness of the book. Itβs something Iβve seen time and time again. Thereβs a contingent of people who want to shelter their kids from βinappropriate literature.β
I know itβs hard to broach these tough subjects with our children, but I think itβs so important to do so.
We do our kids a disservice by sheltering them too much. At this age, there isnβt a book that I wouldnβt allow my kids to read. I believe kids with access to information grow up to be better equipped to handle the challenges theyβll face in the real world. Likewise for trust and personal responsibility.
I want them to read challenging material so that I can discuss it with them. I donβt want them to feel like there are subjects they canβt broach with me because itβs part of the reality they are facing as they grow up. I want the lines of communication to be as open as possible.
Iβm sure there are plenty of schools willing to censor things βfor the sake of the childrenβ and Iβm grateful that my kids donβt go to one of them.
These are smart, strong kids and I believe that they are capable of tackling this kind of subject matter.