I wrote an article several months ago why I won’t let my kids read Jigsaw Jones which receives slow, but steady traffic from the search engines. Every once in awhile, someone gets really mad and responds to my post and says kids should not be denied access to books. I’ll admit that I’ve deleted a couple of these comments. Now you can accuse me of censorship. Yes, this is MY blog and all content goes through me and I will edit and delete freely as I see fit. I have decided to include the latest comment here and respond to it:
I have to agree with the librarian. Denying kids access to books like this is rather backwards.
I find it interesting that many people that support you do so blindly. Instead of getting their hands on one of the books and reading it themselves..or examining more than one issue, they merely take your word as “gospel” and agree….rather blindly.
I know you will disagree with me..you have made that clear. I just wonder if any of the people who blindly agree with you will see the error of their ways. Attitudes like that just lead to a society of people who will blindly follow instead of questioning…..a truly dangerous society that can be lead around by those willing to make the effort to do so..no matter what their true intentions…
Now this is hilarious! I’m a danger to society because people are blindly following me. Let me suggest that they are not doing so blindly. There is a network of discerning homeschoolers, usually Christian who help each other out with resources. For example, if someone else has already done the homework on something, I can save myself some time and read a couple book reviews from people who have already read it.
If you follow me, I will lead you to great and wonderful books, books worth reading again and again. Books that big brothers will want to read to little sisters. Books that will not be sold at garage sales or given to Goodwill. Books that kids will want to save for their own children.
Jigsaw Jones does not fit this category of books. I just looked up Jigsaw Jones at Amazon.com. There are hundreds of used titles selling for $.01. What does that tell us? It tells us that a child read it once and wants to get rid of it. It tells us that these books are discarded freely and the booksellers are snatching them up and can’t get a decent price for them. These are not lasting books to share with others.
This is my point. There are so many wonderful books that we don’t need to spend time on the less than wonderful books. I also had a problem with the particular title that I had read because there were no consequences for stealing. And one other thing. Yes, I will most certainly deny access to my young children for certain things–books, foods, drinks, movies, whatever is necessary. I am their parent and I am safeguarding them, training them.
Would you let your children live solely on a diet of macaroni and cheese, doughnuts, chocolate milk and bourbon and watch movies on cable and read p*rn magazines just because that’s what they wanted to do? I didn’t think so.
There’s more: jigsaw jones, the third and final installment , written by my husband in response to another comment
Love the new look! (And the blogger!)
Ummmm. So, the commenter is saying that in order to NOT be blind followers, you (and your children) need to read mass-market paperbacks? Seems like the logic is a bit flawed there.
It reminds me of a revelation that a (non-Christian) friend of mine had of me, while we were in college — that being a Christian, virgin, Republican was actually rebellious, given the normal state of things at the university. KWIM?
If we, as parents, don’t protect our children, don’t give them guidelines and boundaries, don’t teach them right from wrong, who will? Well, no one will, actually. There’s a reason God gave each of our children to us, and it’s not so that we can submit them to the guidelines (or lack thereof) of everyone else.
HA! In response to Karen Joy, I would like to say that the rebellion of that state of being is completely lost on the majority of my peers in this mighty university town. I’m considered just plain old-fashioned and backwards. (How many times can someone be asked why someone as independent and strong-minded as myself rejects modern feminism?)
But Guinever, on your book notes. As a well-seasoned book seller, I would love to see more well-informed mothers out there buying books for their children this holiday season. Sadly, so many women come in with a list of books that they buy blindly, irregardless of appropriateness or whether it will edify their child. I had a mother ask me last night whether I thought the movie Superbad was appropriate for her sons (12 & 14 respectively), but she didn’t really want my opinion (which is that the movie is trash and completely worthless) she simply wanted a simple solution to entertain her children after a long day.
I say by all means use other similar minds to discern book choices. The worst that can happen is that you miss out on one or two good reads in a whole ocean of good reads. Besides, the more I have heard about other people’s childhoods, the more I have come to value the innocence of my childhood. By all means, guard their childhoods while you can, until they can make those choices for themselves.
Thank you so much for writing your opinion and quoting the book you read! The quotes were all I needed!
There is a set of 11 of these books on ebay for $5 I was considering getting since I love mysteries and thought my boys would enjoy the series for read alouds time. After reading the quotes from the book, that convinced me that I don’t want them. The “Yeesh” word sounds very close to cursing, and the attitude of “Oh brother” etc, is such a whiny thing that I cannot stand! There are too many boys learning to be wimpy whiny men, and I want our boys to be wise gentlemen and speak that way. 
I can just imagine the book using a phrase like “What–Ever” too. Thanks for being outspoken and not letting the whiners get you to remove the link. The bottom line is that if those quotes you printed don’t offend them, and they don’t mind their children hearing whining role models, they can live with their whiny children. Hopefully, we don’t have to!
Thank you for your blog,….i was about to order those books until I came to your blog..thank God…I was going to buy them since my friend said they were great…ummm. Can you give me some advise about books for my 8 year old who is homeschooled too..thanks