HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-10-08, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8,1997.
Blyth parents upset by ‘gruesome’ Stine books
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
Gruesome is just one word used
to describe a series of books which
have caused controversy at Blyth
Public School.
The R.L. Stine series of Goose
bump, Beast and Fear Street sto
ries, geared towards eight to
15-year-olds, has caused concern
for Blyth parents.
Telling of her daughter reading
one of the Fear Street books in
Grade 6, Francis Bearss said that
although her child understands
what is reality and what is not,
some of the content was too mature
for public school.
"It is too much when the book
describes people getting clawed
apart by werewolves."
Bearss had no problem with the
Goosebump series, aimed at the
younger children, but said her chil
dren could be reading better things
than R.L. Stine's Fear Street books.
Joanne VanAmersfoort, another
Blyth parent agrees that parents
should not think, "Well, at least
they are reading something."
"We have to be concerned about
the long term reading of such
books," she said. "Children are
becoming desensitized to violence
and parents are allowing it."
The issue of violence in the R.L.
Stine books was first brought to her
attention when she read and article
on the books. She then read some
that her children had been bringing
home.
"There are children hurting chil
dren (in the books). It will have an
impact."
With the school systems zero tol
erance for violence on the play
ground, VanAmersfoort believes
they should be looking at all the
horror/thrillers in the library.
"There are others besides the
Stine books," she said.
She would also like to see the
books removed from elementary
schools.
"These books are not appealing
to me," said Lynda Horbaniuk,
Huron County Board of Education
trustee for Blyth and Hullett Twp.
and education committee member.
"One of the ones I read was very
gruesome. I can't say that every
Fear Street book is bad, but the
majority are."
Horbaniuk believes the contro
versy has arisen at Blyth PS
because a parent read what their
child was reading.
"Many of the schools (in the
county) which I have spoken to
have limited access to these
books," says Horbaniuk. "That is
what the education committee of
the HCBE is looking at for the
series."
That limited access means that
children under Grade 6 are not
allowed to obtain the material.
Prior to the concerns being
expressed, Richard Maertens, Blyth
PS principal, said the Fear Street
and Goosebump books were in the
library, "but we had very few
titles."
Afterwards, Maertens said the
Fear Street books were put on
Multiple
Sclerosis
Society of Canada
1-800-268-7582
restricted access. Now located only
in the Grade 7/8 classroom,
Maertens said any student wishing
to read a book from the series must
ask permission from the teacher
before signing it out. "There is no
compulsion for students to read the
books."
Maertens said he has read some
of the books in the series and
agrees that some have exceptional
violence as noted in a board memo
randum. However, not all the books
have excessive violence.
"The (Huron County Board of
Education) and the school have a
zero tolerance policy towards vio
lence," he said. "We will do any
thing to break that chain of
violence."
Horbaniuk believes it is better for
children to wait until they are a lit
tle older before reading such books
so they are better able to distin
guish between fact and fiction.
The difficulty with limiting the
books is the popularity, she says.
"They are everywhere." A major
fast-food chain was selling them
very cheaply and book companies
selling through the schools include
them in the flyers.
However, that popularity appears
to be waning, according to Blyth
Librarian Pat Brigham.
The North HuronC itizen
"They used to be really popular,"
she said. "As soon as a new one
was out, the children would be in to
get it. "
However, in the last few months,
Brigham said she has seen a steady
decline in the sign-outs of the R.L.
Stine books.
"If the students are not taking
them out, there is no use getting the
books, especially with the thin bud
get. I can look for something more
beneficial," she said.
Brigham also said she can work
together with parents to get books
in the library the children are more
interested in reading.
The education committee of the
HCBE has asked for recommenda
tions from the Librarians' Associa
tion to be presented at the Oct. 14
meeting.
In the interim, Horbaniuk says
the committee sent a memo to
school principals, librarians and
resource teachers to take a critical
look at the books and evaluate the
series.
"As a conscientious principal, I
stay in line with the memo and edu
cation committee (suggestions)"
said Maertens.
"It may be left for the schools to
decide (how they respond)," Horba
niuk said.
■ F~1
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Beautifully framed
It will be a gigantic show of miniature works when Bainton
Gallery, Blyth hosts a 3x3 show, opening Oct. 25. Several
local artists will be involved in the exhibition including
Richard Lindberg, Brussels; Betty Battye, Blyth; Jerry
McDonnell, RR3, Blyth; Ellie Enns, Auburn; Jane Stryker,
Auburn and Sheila Rintoul of Blyth’s Green Gallery. Jill
Dyer of Bayfield, a member of the 3X3 committee and Aft
Gallery committee helps show off some of the unique, tiny
works.
Imagine you had a
sales staff calling on
2000 homes a week
That's what you get when you advertise in The
Citizen. Every week your message, whether a tiny
classified, or a full page ad, goes to more than
2000 homes in North Huron ... and unlike many
salespeople, we're welcomed inside. What's
more, we're often asked to stick around for a
whole week.
If you're not taking advantage of this opportunity
to tell people about your business call today.
Put your sales staff to work for you. Call:
Jeannette McNeil or Les Cook: 523-4792