From: Scgbooks at aol.com <Scgbooks>
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 09:20:25 EST

It's interesting to wonder what would have happened if the word scrotum hadn't been on the first page. Surely, such an obscure word (to the minds of a young audience, I would think) would have flown by with little notice except in the minds of a few preternaturally mature children. Boys, most likely. I read to a small group of 4th graders every week and can't read the word "love" without moans and groans and total embarrassment on the part of the three boys in the group.
  During some of this discussion, one teacher said that before reading it to her class, she was going to announce the word is there, read a dictionary definition, discuss it, and proceed to read. Having just looked up the definition, I'm not at all sure it will go that smoothly. The definition is so specific, raising the specter of yet another inflammatory word - "testes" - I can only imagine that, together, they're going to bring down the house.
  Such a little word. How can it possibly withstand the intense scrutiny the adult community is giving it? Why doesn't everyone just get on with the reading
 of this book to children, and the putting of it on library shelves, and see what the children decide? It makes me incredulous to think that in this day and age of exposure of anything and everything in books, film, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet, that such a small word is going to make any difference.
  Stephanie Greene, author
 
 
Received on Sun 18 Feb 2007 08:20:25 AM CST