Book Battles - Read Works

Read the Passage. Select your name once you have read the passage.

Should some books be banned from school libraries?Are there Harry Potter books in your school library? Many kids all over the world are reading J. K. Rowling's books in school. But some parents think their children shouldn't be able to find those and other books in school libraries.

Should school libraries keep books that some parents don't approve of? Should they take those books off the shelves?

All over the country, schools are wrestling with those questions. Read these arguments. Then decide for yourself.

Yes! Some Books Should Be Banned from School Libraries!"We need certain limits," said one student in Denver, Colorado. He said some books have no place in school libraries.

Many people believe that books that contain violence or bad words shouldn't be in schools. Some people want the Harry Potter books removed because they contain talk about wizards and magic.

Most parents know what's good for kids. They have a right to decide which books should or should not be in school libraries.

Books should meet certain standards before they are put in schools. Is this a good book for kids to read? Is it full of violence? Does it contain bad words or ideas kids shouldn't learn about? If a book is not good for all kids, it should not be in a school library.

Most parents don't have time to find out everything their kids read. They should be able to trust schools to do that for them.

No! Books Should Not Be Banned from School Libraries!"Parents should decide what their own kids read," said Natalie Nicol, of Denver, Colorado. But other parents shouldn't make that choice for them.

Many experts say that it's the parents' job, not the school's job, to check out what their kids are reading. If they don't like a book, they should not let their kids read it.

Why should a few parents stop kids from reading stories like the Harry Potter series? Kids should be able to check out books their parents think are OK to read.

Many schools let kids borrow certain books if they have a signed paper from a parent. That works fine. A parent doesn't sign the paper if he or she doesn't want the child to read the book. Other kids can read the books if they have permission.

Some books are not OK for all kids to read. But if more adults were careful about what their own kids read, they wouldn't have to ban books from the library.

• Dominique

• Sophia

• Jayvion

• Ky'Rell

According to the text, with which question are schools wrestling?

• Should school libraries keep books that some parents don't approve of?

• What subject should students be taught at different grades?

• Should parents have a say in what their kids are reading?

• Should technology be banned from school libraries?

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Which of the following best describes the organization of this text?

• The author points out that some parents don’t want their children taking certain books out of school libraries, then proves that parents should make the final decision about what their children read.

• The author describes the issue of banning books from school libraries, then explains arguments for and against not allowing certain books in schools.

• The author asks about the Harry Potter books, then shows how those books should be banned from school libraries

• The author suggests that the Harry Potter books contain talk about wizards and magic, then shows that parents should sign papers allowing their children to take books out of the school library

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.5

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RI.4.5

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

It can be inferred from the passage that

• many school libraries have books that are interesting

• some school libraries have books for adult readers

• some school libraries do not have the Harry Potter books

• all school libraries have books about wizards and magic

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RF.4.4C

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RL.4.1

Read the following sentences and answer the question.

“Should school libraries keep books that some parents don't approve of? Should they take those books off the shelves? All over the country, schools are wrestling with those questions.”

What does the word wrestling mean?

• saving

• resting

• struggling

• arguing

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RI.4.4

CCSS.RI.5.4

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence.Some parents do not approve of the Harry Potter books ______ these books are about wizards and magic

• because

• so

• but

• therefore

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.8

CCSS.RI.5.8

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RL.4.5

CCSS.RL.6.1

Do you think chewing gum should be banned in school? Why or why not?

• Yes

• No