Timmy borrowed this Spiderman comic from his school library. The library inherited the book from the Voorhees location.
I sat down with all three boys to read the comic, starting on the page Kenny selected. In fact, the book is creased to this page and simply pops open on it.
Here's what I almost read to them:
I never get over all the doo-dads you got. My dad doesn't have this much crap laying around.I skipped around in the book looking for a page here or there that I could read to them. It was frustrating for them ... and me ... to start reading and then have to stop.
Bummer. So ... uh ... I bet that Watson girl gets all hot and bothered down here, huh?"
So, a clear challenge to my libertine views of censorship.
The pictures alone aren't much of a problem, and Timmy can pore over the book to his heart's content. There's some brawls depicted. The villian blows up Peter's school.
I might feel differently if this were a recognized "great work of literature." But even as comic books go - and please correct me on this because I'm not a connoisseur - this isn't a classic. And they have comic books; they have the Star Wars set.
The note goes to the teacher with the book that I don't want my son borrowing this sort of book in the future. If only the school had a knowledgeable librarian. A "warm body" isn't adequate.
4 comments:
No, not a classic. This is from Marvel's "Ultimate" line, which is all the favorite Marvel characters with new origins and settings. Some of them are quite adult, but I think mostly targeted at teenagers who can't or won't get into the original Marvel mythology that dates back to the early 60's.
I don't know what comics are out there for the tweeners. Try Disney Adventure's Magazine, in your grocery store's magazine section. I know one of the comic writers.
Later today, we parents of kindergarteners are invited to volunteer school librarian training. I'll get a good gander at the setup and see what safeguards may steer Timmy towards age-appropriate titles every "Library Day."
For adults ... yes, under the guise of gathering more crud, I found myself reading the comic after snatching it away from the five-year-old for his own damn good.
You couldn't know that I'm anti-Disney. Disney Adventures will be discontinued next month?! Is your acquaintance looking for new work?!
Sheesh, all these tricks to get boys to read!
I wrote my friend. Sure enough, Disney Adventures Magazine is folding up - ad sales were too low. My friend has other opportunities, not to worry. Come to think of it, he lives in Jersey, too. In Flemington, wherever that is.
Flemington ... I worked a summer there in college. Quaint town then, quite overgrown now ... and expensive.
Your new position sounds like an opportunity to do good.
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