From: Edward T. Sullivan <sully>
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 08:02:26 -0400 (EDT)

This debate about age appropriateness for Holocaust literature involving Monica, Norma Jean, and others is interesting and I'm glad is being hashed out. Judging what is "too much" for kids to handle is obviously not an issue easily agreed upon.

My experience as an educator has been that adults tend to not give kids enough credit for what they are capable of handling in the way of difficult subject matter. I understand the arguments people make about not wanting to traumatize kids or shatter their innocence, although I don't much agree with them. Another problem I see in public schools these days is what I call a culture of fear that's been cultivated by complaining parents and spineless administrators who cave in at the first sign of potential controversy to keep their names out of the newspapers. This has resulted in a lot of teachers, not feeling they have any support from above, avoid subjects that might stir up controversy.

This is an issue that extends beyond the Holocaust. In my elementary school, for example, a unit is taught on the Underground Railroad. I have to ask myself, though, what's the point of teaching kids about that if they have no clear undertsanding of what kind of life the slaves are running away from. For that matter, what about those escaping slaves who were captured? I

So a class is reading Number the Stars, a story about Jews escaping from the Nazis. What are readers going to get out of the story if they don't understand why it is that the Jews are so desperate to escape and what will happen to them if the Nazis do get them? Is it possible to have any understanding of a subjects like the Holocaust or slavery without knowing the horrors?



Ed Sullivan, M.S.L.S. 103 Oneida Lane Oak Ridge, TN, 37830

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"
                  -John Lennon-
Received on Thu 20 Apr 2006 07:02:26 AM CDT