Athletic Shorts: What is the Big Deal?
Chris Crutcher's book, Athletic Shorts, is one of the many books that appears on the list of banned or challenged books submitted to library's across the nation for the American Library Association's, National Banned Books Week. The books on this list are deemed as offensive in some way that young adolescents should not be allowed to read them. Crutcher's book contains some words and topics that people believe young adolescents should not be subjected to in literature. What is the big deal about situations that these readers must face today and are exposed to all over the news world on a daily basis? The ALA defines a challenge to a book as an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based up the objections of a person or group. Records of book challenging have been kept since about 1990 by the ALA. Once a book is challenged it does not necessarily mean it will be removed from curriculum or a library. When it is officially removed it is now known as a banned book. The author of Athletic Shorts, Chris Crutcher obtained his education from Eastern Washington State University. There he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and sociology. After taking a year off he then went back to school to get a teaching ce
You might ask why Crutcher uses such subjects in his book. In a biography published by the Carmel Clay Public Library it mentions that, "[...] he writes and works as a therapist with troubled adolescents and family violence" ("Author Feature"). He has been around adolescents with problems for the most part of his life, working as the director for an alternative school in Oakland. Crutcher's own words give his reason for the subjects that he uses, "My mission is to write truths as I see them, reflect the world as it appears to me, rather than as others would have it. There are significant amounts of people who think kids should not be exposed in print to what they are exposed to in their lives" (qtd. In "Author Feature"). With a degree in psychology and sociology Crutcher has the knowledge of many social problems that cause trouble for teenagers. Since this is his area of expertise that is what he knows and chooses to write on. rtificate. For ten years, he was the Director of a K-12 alternative school in Oakland. Following his work in Oakland, he then moved to Spokane, Washington and is now working there as a child and family therapist in a mental health center, focusing on child abuse. Over the years Crutcher has been in a great deal of contact with disturbed children. He has made this his basis for writing. "Chris Crutcher's novels are a reflection of real life as he sees it. As in real life, his novels combine humor with difficult and serious situations. He draws heavily on his own experiences and on elements that have surrounded his life" ("Chris Crutcher"). Crutcher has won numerous awards for his books. Maybe the most notable award that he as won is the Intellectual Freedom Award. In the biography by the Carmel Clay Public Library it states that, "In November 1998, he received the Intellectual Freedom Award from the National Council of Teachers of English for his efforts in defending young adult literature against censorship challenges" ("Author Feature"). Not only has he been awarded for his literary achievements but also for standing up against the censorship of literature for young adults. Since Crutcher's works are labe
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Approximate Word count = 1459
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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