The Lovely Bones - Ok for Juniors and Seniors? Content Warning Confusion.
Rape Scenes, Brutal Murder, Sexually Explicit Content. Please Come to School Board 4/15 by 545 p.m.
The Lovely Bones is a book depicting a brutal rape and murder of a young girl. It includes highly graphic sexual content. It is intentionally being kept on the shelves of the Bartow County school system.
The premise of the books is that a girl who was murdered looks down from heaven on those left behind. At one point her spirit inhabits the body of another woman to experience sex and express her self sexually, in a voluntary fashion, to a man.
The book also contains explicit references to teen sex, lesbian sexual references and sexual assault.
Many will say that this is a cautionary tale designed to build empathy for those who are raped or experience sexual abuse. But it is the parents who should decide if such books are allowed in the hands of their children, not bureaucrats in a school system.
The school seems to think it should be kept on the shelf and have done so, indicating that the book could have a “content warning”. Again there is no known policy on content warnings.
“Content Warning” Confusion.
The school system seems to believe it should be restricted to Juniors and Seniors. However, even worse material is kept on the High School shelves for Freshman, through Seniors. Here are the books to be kept on the shelves for all grade levels, some which may or not get “content warnings”.
Milk and Honey/ The Sun and her Flowers No Content warning suggested. Just suggested as easy reading for teens.
Empire of Storms/Kingdom of Ash . Content warning “suggested”, no grade level restriction.
Like a Love Story/ Last Night at the Telegraph Club/The Bluest Eye . Only the incredibly graphic Like a Love Story - with multiple gay sex scenes - is suggested for a nebulous content warning. The Bluest Eye is part of an AP Literature Course 24 book set and the Lesbian Sexually explicit “…Telegraph Club…” is recommended as a “good read”.
More books revealed soon that have inconsistent standards applied are listed here.
There is no consistency here, just more subjective application of whims. It is also relevant that this book is suggested for a content warning when it has a 3/5 content rating from Book Looks and also recommended for restriction to Juniors and Seniors. Yet those books with 4/5 (nearly all reviewed on this blog) are not suggested for such warnings or restrictions (see above).
CAUTION OFFENSIVE (but censored) MATERIAL BELOW - AGE 18 and Over please. Cease Reading to avoid.
CAUTION OFFENSIVE (but censored) MATERIAL BELOW - AGE 18 and Over please. Cease Reading to avoid.
The Lovely Bones
The link for the multiple concerning portions of the book is linked here at Rated Books.
Please take action…
Please Email School Board Members and Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page to insist they remove obscene and pornographic books from the school libraries and the classrooms. Paste these email addresses in the “to” area.
To:tony.ross@bartow.k12.ga.us; darla.williams@bartow.k12.ga.us; matt.shultz@bartow.k12.ga.us; butch.emerson@bartow.k12.ga.us; anna.sullivan@bartow.k12.ga.us; bartowfreedom@proton.me; Phillip.page@bartow.k12.ga.us
Paste to Subject: Please remove obscene books now and establish objective standards
Paste to “Body” (or create your own message).
Dear Members of the School Board and Dr. Page,
We ask that you immediately remove obscene and pornographic books from the school libraries and the classroom. We ask for action to create objective standards so that no such books are ordered again. A list of books found so far have been provided by the Bartow Freedom Coalition to the each of you. There have been some removed, and we thank you. But many remain.
Thank you,
[name]
PRESS SEND! (note that the Bartow Freedom Coalition email is included to help keep track of the campaign).
Please come no later than 5:45 to sign up to speak at the 6 pm Bartow County School Board Meeting at 6 pm on Monday, 4/15 at 65 Gilreath Road.