May 16th, 2013

Is it up to Librarians to censor books for children/young adults?  After all, isn't reading all about being taken to different places and cultures and experiencing things we wouldn't normally (even if it is negative).  Shouldn't it be up to the parents to individually assess what their child(ren) can cope with? As the mother of 8 and 11 year old boys, I don't censor what they read.  They are comfortable coming to me and my husband if they don't understand, or are worried or upset by something they read.  If it can be discussed openly and they learn from what they have read, then this is entirely acceptable to us as parents.  My parents never censored my reading, and I don't ever remember being traumatised by anything I read! What are your thoughts?