The explicit books teens read (and the ones we read when we were their�age)

The explicit books teens read (and the ones we read when we were their age)

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I read this today, and I though about how I'm going to be the one with the purchasing power one of these days. I also recently read an article from School Library Journal about self censorship among librarians. That is, librarians who don't order materials on the basis that they do not want to have to fight it later if a parent complains. I understood why some librarians would not want to go through the work of defending their book choices (with principals being so wishy-washy these days) but I remember being able to access all sorts of material when I was WAY too young to be reading it. The most memorable at the moment is from Steven Gould's novel Jumper about a teenage boy. David, who can teleport. He and his girlfriend Millie hook up for the first time, and after the first bout of sex, she asks him "where did you learn that" and he responds "I told you, I read a lot."

Brilliant. Like Han Solo's "I know" to Princess Leia.

I was reading this in 6th grade. I barely knew what sex was (until the hidden porn stash was discovered in the basement).

I won't say I was too young to be reading it. That would cheapen what the book meant to me and how it helped me grow as a human being and an adolescent (did I mention the opening scene is David on the road about to get raped by a trucker.)

So really, if you think something isn't appropriate for a reader, tough shit, because if they can read it and understand it, then they are going to be able to find it on the internet. At least if it's a book, you know they aren't going to stumble into some site with a ladies tig ol bitties hanging out of her dress.