The Controversy Of Censorship In Children's Literature

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of the word censorship is, “The suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security” (censorship, n.d.). I believe, that there are definitely subjects that are inappropriate for children’s literature. I however, oppose the censorship of books. I will be discussing different adaptations of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, and whether any of them should or should not be censored in children’s literature, as well as my reactions and impressions to these stories. I am not, nor claim to be an expert on censorship, but then again, I have yet to read anything that I feel should be

A number of people may feel this way, for the reason that they believe Beauty and the Beast interprets that it is acceptable for a man with serious anger issues to act as a beast, which may lead to violence. Others state that the story reveals that it is sensible for a young girl to give up on her hopes, dreams, and goals in order to please others. Also, people commented that the story of Beauty and the Beast, leads young girls to believe that they can transform the meanest of beasts into a loving and attractive prince. These people might fear that impressionable girls may carry this lesson into their adult relationships. The theory of Stockholm syndrome is also brought up, stating that the lonely girl falls in love with her captor since this is all she knows. I myself disagree with these reservations and statements regarding the story of Beauty and the Beast. I personally feel that it is simply a harmless fairy tale that children of all ages and even adults can appreciate. Furthermore, I find that there are positive and important lessons that can be learned from the tale of Beauty and the Beast. One lesson being that beauty is only skin deep and it is what is inside that matters. Children can take away the lesson that stealing is wrong and that there are consequences for your actions. Also,

Beauty & the Beast: A Pop-Up Book of the Classic Fairy Tale by Robert Sabuda, is a pop-up book rated for preschool through grade five and I agree it is suitable for this age group. I was surprised that this book was detailed and true to the story, for the reason that books for this age group tend to be deconstructed and shortened to as little as one sentence per page. I was also impressed with the pop-up pages within this book as I have never seen one as captivating and comprehensive before. It is a remarkable book and I look forward to adding it to my collection as well as other pop-up books from Robert Sabuda. On the other side of the spectrum is The Courtship of Mr. Lyon. This version of Beauty and the Beast I feel would not be appropriate for younger children. I would say this version is fitting for grades 11th and 12th. Out of all the versions of Beauty and the Beast that I have read, this one is my favorite. I love the writer’s usage of language and vocabulary to paint a powerful and strong vision in my mind as I read. I feel this story would be best for older children as the writer used words that would not likely be understood by younger kids such as, impecunious, deference, exhortation, agate, and dulcimer. Also, the writing may not be understood, for example, in this sentence Angela Carter writes, “There