Monday, May 22, 2006

McGraw-Hill and onward

Blogging about the McGraw-Hill/Patricia Polacco imbroglio has been a definite change of pace here, it's true. As I've noted, I have been underwhelmed with their desire to place blame, rather than admit they made a mistake. On the plus side, I like the image of folks in NJ and Ohio searching blogs all over just to make sure...uh... well, just to make sure, since they clearly have no interest in posting again in the blogosphere.

Now, it's not like I never thought this blog would get serious. For example, I've talked before about libraries/schools pulling books. It's not a steady feature here, and luckily, many others continue to point out the oftentimes absurd cases that keep coming to light. Hmm. It's not lucky the cases exist, of course. Anyway, here Bookshelves of Doom finds a School Board member wanting to remove seven books from the curriculum... all books she's never read. There are a other such challenges in recent posts on Bookshelves as well.

Another place that focuses on children's literature under protest is the fine blog at As If, a group of YA writers who have sometimes found their own books under fire. Good, reasoned reading there.

I'm sure such acts will be blogged about here again in the future, much as there will be other unexpected veers into "issues" and the like. I find myself unable and unwilling to turn a blind eye as I once tried to do. Maybe it's because I have kids, or because of changes in the world at large, but there will be times I won't bite my tongue (or is it bite my fingers in this medium)? Most of the time, it'll be frothy fun hereabouts, of course. But this post serves to thank you all for hanging in when it's not all fun and games.

Now, I'd post something fun and frothy, but it's late, so I gotta book. Tomorrow, so they say, is another day!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Oh, I think you publish plenty frothy fun! Throwing in the occasional more serious story just gives balance, that's all.