Saw a discussion on Twitter about putting restrictions on what kids read that reminded me of this section in GEEK PARENTING. 

LET THEM READ DANGEROUS BOOKS

“Books don’t have to be sexual, horrific, religious, or political to be deemed threatening. In truth, any book that challenges an accepted way of thinking can be regarded as a threat by someone. Books that instruct us how to do things, books that teach controversial beliefs, books that tell stories of people who have been silenced or erased…these are “dangerous” in all the best ways. Such books are banned by organizations or nations. They are removed from schools or hidden, and sometimes they are burned, their authors threatened with physical harm.

In reality, we can’t stop children from reading books we don’t approve of. If we’re of the opinion that a child is not quite ready for a book, we can try to delay their reading it. But when young people decide they really want to read something, it’s highly unlikely we can permanently block their efforts. Remember your own scavenging for provocative books in your youth? And that was before the Internet. Kids will get their hands on the things they want to read, whether or not they, or we, are ready. Attempts at keeping the “wrong” books out of their hands are fruitless. Instead, we should save our energy for thoughtful discussions when they come to us with questions about the new ideas they’ve discovered.”

Link to the twitter conversation here:

"Read the books they don't want you to read. That's where the good stuff is."

@abastrabooks #ReadDangerously

Reading is often regarded as a safe and solitary activity. This could never be further from the truth. Reading is dangerous. Reading puts your mind in motion. It churns up feelings and ideas. Reading can make us want to explore the range of human experiences more fully. Reading can start revolutions. When we read a book we engage with the author and their words. But you aren’t the only one to…