Half the Sky, do I share the whole story?

While reading Smagorinsky and Christenbury this weekend I was inspired to start my whole class text unit. I’m a nerd, I know, you don’t have to remind me. I am planning on going out of town for a few days and then take advantage of SXSW during Spring Break so I figured I should start early and get it done before I leave while I still have this weeks readings fresh in my mind.  I started writing my rationale and thinking about the book I want to use, Half the Sky and I started thinking about whether or not it’s an appropriate choice for my 9^th grade students. I talked casually with my CT about using it but upon reflection I’m not so sure it’s a good choice. I am still planning on using it but I want everyone’s opinion.

Half the Sky is a non-fiction piece of in depth journalism that focuses on the plights of women from around the world. It talks about prostitution in India, sex trafficking in Cambodia, the safety of childbirth in the Sudan to name a few. I think these are all things that students should be made aware so they can be in tune with what is happening around the world. However, the book also goes into graphic detail about young women being raped in Africa during genocides and gives personal accounts of hardships with HIV and intergenerational prostitution. As I read the book last year I cried my eyes out at several points. Is it my place to insist that my students read such a heart-wrenching piece of non-fiction? How much say do we have in deciding what is deemed too graphic or inappropriate for our students?

I know that it depends from school to school whether or not we can decide to use books that are more violent, or sexual or racy in any sense of the word in our classroom. I’m thinking that I might not assign the entire book, and instead use certain chapters but also inviting the students to read the other chapters in their free time if they feel inspired.

I really appreciated Christenbury's section on censorship. I feel like it brings really important ideas forth about standing behind the texts you choose and how it is "in your best interst to always assume that the challenger is a person of good will." I think when a parent or an administrator challenges a text you feel strongly about it will be easy to become defensive. By looking at it from their point of view you can still stand by your beliefs but perhaps, if you're lucky, you can come to some sort of compromise.

 I think this is an important issue we will all have to face at some point as ELA teachers. I am really against banning books because of issues like witchcraft and idol worship like in Harry Potter or Twilight but Half the Sky is full of very real, very traumatic instances that might make some students, not to mention their parents, really uncomfortable. Half the Sky has such an important message and legitimate, realistic calls to action. I want to share it with my students. I am interested it discuss with everyone in class how they feel about excluding texts because of their graphic nature. Is it censorship? Or is it just propriety?   

If you'd like to have a look at the website: Half the Sky's website

Also, if you have the time NCTE's Citizen's Request for the Reconsideration of a Work of Literature  is a fantastic read.