When I first saw that Twilight was on the list of Banned Books in certain areas of the U.S., I thought – why?? How could a story about a naive, clumsy human girl who falls in love with an immortal, angsty vampire boy be a banned book? And then I realized that they were probably referring to the series and in doing so, they were really referring to Breaking Dawn.
Like so many grown-ups who love YA fiction, I read Twilight on a whim. I read it because I was bored of Oprah’s Book Club suggestions. I read it because my beloved chick-lit wasn’t as exciting to me as it once was. I read it because I loved the cover and it spoke to me. Forbidden romance. I was so there. Instantly, I remembered all those moments in high school and the cute, mysterious boys on campus. I loved the first three books and anxiously started the year-long wait for Breaking Dawn.
I got Breaking Dawn at 9:03 in the morning, which was exactly three minutes after the bookstore opened. My day of reading began and it wasn’t long before I discovered that this book would be different from the other three. For one, there was an unplanned pregnancy which was followed by a fairly graphic birth scene. And then, Jacob, whom I never really cared for, imprinted on the infant. I turned the last page, sat back and thought, okay wow, this was not what I expected at all.
On the other hand, it ended a saga I dearly loved and Stephenie Meyer finally showed us the breadth of her world. Love it or not, the books are extremely well paced and the characters are well developed. I mean, is there one character that you didn't care about? No, there’s not. Even if you didn't like them.
Would I let my eleven year old, middle-schooler read it? Sure. He has been curious and I’ve explained the plot points to him because he asked. The day after I told him the series was on the Banned Book List, he informed me that they were all available in his school library. And that’s the way it should be. They should be in a middle school/high school/public library. Children of a certain age should have a chance to read them. They will understand that pregnancies can be unexpected. Childbirth is bloody. Imprinting is bizarre. They will also realize that the best families stick together and protect each other no matter what challenges are presented to them. The latter is not a religious viewpoint as the banners would lead you to believe, it's something that should happen with all families regardless of their ethnicity, religion, social standing and background.
I think books like the Twilight Saga open up an opportunity for parents to talk about these concepts. It allows adults to bridge that generation gap and discover that they have more in common with their kids than they first thought. So to all parents who think that a book should be banned because of graphic content and scary images, I’ll challenge you to think again. Think of it as an opportunity to discuss not just the content but also the process of writing, a writer’s intent and a reader’s response. With my oldest now in middle school, I realize that I cannot protect him from gruesome images or controversial thoughts forever but I can arm him with knowledge and let him form his own opinions with a thought provoking book. How about you? Do you think the Twilight Saga should be on the Banned Book List?
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I totally agree with you. I don't have kids yet, but I feel books should be approached with an open mind. If you address difficult subjects with your kids and arm them with the ability to think/process for themselves then they should be able to form their own opinions. If people are so ready to ban things why don't we start by banning the practice of banning books. (I know that was a mouthful) I have a deep love of all books, especially controversial topics. The imagination is perhaps the safest place to introduce these topics before they become aparent to kids in real life.
ReplyDelete@Bwyatt -- I love what you said. Yes, we should ban the practice of banning books. And as a parent, sometimes you do think great,now I have to explain THIS concept/situation/problem. But in the end, it's the right thing to do. To have your children hear it from you.
ReplyDeleteWell said Bwyatt!! Banning books should be banned. As a parent, I think books provide a way for me to talk to my children about things that go on in their little worlds. Not that I already don't talk to them, but when we read about something they don't understand, we sit and talk about it.
ReplyDeleteBooks have provided a way for parents to keep and even at times, re-open their lines of communication with their children. Life isn't a fairy tale and books need to reflect both the realism of life and the beauty of imagination.
@MMs -- That's exactly what I was saying -- these books, yes, the controversial ones establish that link between a parent and kid. I remember my parents and I having some pretty heavy discussions over literature and the decisions that fictional characters made.
ReplyDelete@SmashAttack! -- LOL. Yes, indeed!! :]
I agree with all of the above. I have a 12 year old daughter who introduced me to Twilight. It has since become something we could bond over and it often becomes a frame of reference for our discussions.
ReplyDeleteChildren of that age become curious about things and they are discussing things whether we are there or not. Isn't it better to be a part of that world and having the kind of relationship where we can discuss topics rather than having them refer to their peers? I don't believe pre-teens and young teens should be allowed to read anything they want (ie. erotica) but YA books are generally suitable. Most have very strong female protaganists with good morals.
I can only hope that when my daughter is 17, she meets a boy as caring as Edward or has as wonderfull a relationship as Bella and Jacob.
@Whisper -- Yes, it's such a great moment when you can share a book with your tween/teen and enjoy a discussion about their predicaments. It serves as a great starting point for conversation about real life issues.
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