Librarian Wants Book Returned But District 81 Stands By Its Decision To Ban Children’S Book

The Spokane school librarian who ordered “An Alpha bet of Rotten Kids” wants the recently banned book back on the shelves.

“One of my jobs is to provide as many books as I can to get kids to read. If that means it’s silly, so be it,” said Jacci Bottler, a librarian for 22 years.

She hopes District 81 administrators who pulled the book will reconsider.

The picture book, which features antics of naughty children from A to Z, is funny and its title catchy enough to attract kids who aren’t avid readers, Bottler said.

But Kristen Renz didn’t laugh when her 7-year-old daughter brought the book home from Bottler’s library at Woodridge Elementary School last month. Neither did the committee that reviewed it after Renz complained.

Instead, in mid-January, the group decided the book doesn’t belong in schools at all.

“While some might find the book to be `funny’ or `silly,’ what might have been funny nearly 10 years ago when the book was written appears quite differently in a world where violence by children is increasing,” Associate Superintendent Cynthia Lambarth wrote in her response to Renz.

When Bottler learned about the ban, she was upset she wasn’t asked to serve on the committee or wasn’t questioned about why she had chosen the book in the first place.

“I would have reminded them of the First Amendment,” she said. “I’d have reminded them that as the librarian, I have an obligation to all my customers - children, parents and teachers - to make sure literature is not pulled unless we’ve done lots and lots of research.”

Bottler said she called to ask the district to reconsider its decision but hadn’t received a return call by Wednesday evening.

Fran Mester, an administrator who served on the committee, said Bottler purposely was not invited.

District policy calls for a committee of six members when reviewing challenged books. Librarians who select the books are not included nor are the parents making the complaint, Mester said. Educators want “very objective, non-involved” people reviewing the book, she said.

The district administrator who coordinates libraries was on the committee, so in a sense, Bottler was represented, an administrator said.

In this case, the committee included the Woodridge principal, a parent and central administrators.

They found the alphabet book, written by David Elliott, disagreeable, in part, because it shows children destroying property, hitting others and disregarding other people’s feelings. To make things worse, administrators said, the book doesn’t show consequences of bad behavior.

At the Woodridge library Wednesday morning, Bottler pulled book after book off the shelves to point out pictures and stories she believes are comparable to the banned book.

“I guess that’s making fun of long noses, and there’s violence there,” she said, pointing to a poem showing a wren cutting off a man’s long nose. The poem is included in “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” a book by famous children’s author Shel Silverstein.

She ticked off a passage from another Silverstein poem called “Dreadful”: “Someone ate the baby, it’s rather sad to say. Someone ate the baby, so she won’t be out to play. We’ll never hear her whiny cry or have to feel if she is dry.”

The end implies the child was eaten by a sibling. “There were absolutely no consequences for that, and there’s disregard for the feelings of other human beings,” Bottler said.

Mester said that when the committee reviewed “An Alphabet of Rotten Kids,” members didn’t compare it with other books.

“I’m not going to say it’s better or worse than Shel Silverstein,” Mester said. “We look at it from the eyes of a child picking this up - what impact it would have. We look at the book and that’s all.”

It’s the second time in less than a year District 81 has removed a book. In March, “Rainbow Jordan” was removed from middle school curriculum after a grandparent had complained it was “pornography.”

Mester said the district won’t be able to reconsider the most recent ban on Bottler’s behalf.

The only one who can appeal a decision is the person who challenged the book, she said.

“The process is used to take something out. It’s not used to put something in.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: CHALLENGING READING School district policy calls for a committee of six to review challenged books. Librarians who select the books are not included, nor are the parents making the complaint. Once a decision is made, the only one who can appeal is the person who challenged the book.