Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Teens Argue For The Right To Read The Catcher In The Rye From Fosters Online comes this: Noble High students anxious to read ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ By ADAM D. KRAUSS Democrat Staff Writer NORTH BERWICK, Maine — Noble High School freshmen say "The Catcher in the Rye" should not be banned and that it offers kids an opportunity to read about some of the things — like drinking, smoking and having sex — that they already discuss with friends in the halls on their way to class. Kailey Rule, a 14-year-old freshman from North Berwick, said reading a book doesn’t make the reader just like the main character. "Just because it’s a book doesn’t mean people are going to go out and start doing it," she said. "We’re in high school and we can definitely handle that." Justine Dimambro, a 14-year-old freshman from Lebanon, called complaints over the profanity in the book "stupid." She explained, "Because when we talk between friends that’s the language we use. That’s part of today’s society. When my sister read the book, a lot of things were uncovered about peer pressure." Sharon Hall, a 14-year-old freshman from Berwick, said the novel "is about all of the things that do happen." And Drew McCormick, also a 14-year-old from Berwick, said it’s useless for parents to try keep controversial or risky books and music out of kids’ hands. "One way or another, we’re going to hear it," he said. "We hear worse things in the hallways," he said. "People wouldn’t think it was so weird if maybe it was more OK and an open thing and we were able to discuss it easier. By not being able to be educated about it, you’re more likely to experiment with it and get in trouble." Students were responding to a recent request by a parent, Andrea Minnon, for the School Administrative District 60 board to ban the book from the ninth-grade curriculum because of its content and language. Minnon told the board there is not enough being done between the schools and parents to make them aware of what books are being read. Read the rest of the article here. 7:43:19 PM     |

Beneath The Ink Take a look at these cartoon characters and their bone structures.  Interesting in a forensics-meets-Peanuts sort of way. The rest of the guy's artwork on the site is worth a peek, too.  Definitely sporting an active imagination. 7:02:29 PM     |

© Copyright 2005 Alex L. Mauldin.