The librarians at a school purchased the novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" for the library after students requested it, but placed pink warning slips inside due to some unpleasant content. Teachers had mixed views - some thought all books should be allowed, while others thought this book was problematic but still belonged in the library. One teacher felt the warning slips were censorship. Students were asked to discuss if controversial books belong in a school library and if they are too mature to read everything. They were given vocabulary related to the topics to use in a video stating their own opinion on the issues.

1. Challenged literature...
...Good for kids?
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3. Our librarians asked:
• The students asked for this book and after a lot
of debate and hesitation, we purchased it for
the library. We have presented it in a context
and placed pink slips inside the novel to warn
about unpleasant parts. Do you think the book
belongs in our school library?
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5. What’s your spontaneous
reaction to this?
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6. This is what a few teachers of
the teachers had to say about
it:
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7. • All books should be allowed!
• I think Fi!y Shades is problematic in many ways.
However, I do think it would be bad not to have it in
our library. Partly, because we have other books
containing questionable material and partly because I
think it’s important that our library keep books that are
discussed and debated in the literary world.
• To almost censure a book by using pink slips, is not just
bad judgement, it shows a complete LACK of
judgement. If a book, for some reason, does not meet
quality standards, it should not have been purchased at
all. But, when it has been bought for the library, it is
abusive to treat it in this way!
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8. • If every book in the school library that contains potentially
abusive parts should be marked with pink slips, we will have
a lot of slips! Maybe the discussion about the Tin-Tin
magazines could have served as a cautionary tale? This is
especially important since this is also an erotic novel, and
kids who read it and find themselves interested in BDSM
can hardly feel good about being called abused!
• Does the book belong in our library, you ask? Don’t all
books belong in a library? This is 2012 and not The Middle
Ages. We have a right to read everything! Or are librarians
going to start censuring, and deciding what is good and bad?
In that case, we’ll need more warning shelves! I read the
book and don’t share your opinion. Critics say the language
is simple,well, no one reads this novel for the language. It’s
an erotic novel!
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9. Topics for discussion:
Learning strategy: later, you will be asked to state your own opinions
about this in an assignment. Therefore, it is a good idea to listen
carefully to your class mates and maybe even take notes:)
• What kind of books should and shouldn’t be
purchased for a high school library?
• How do you feel about the decision the
librarians made about the book?
• Are some books dangerous for kids your age, or
are you old enough to read everything?
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10. Vocabulary
The words are translated to the meaning they have in this specific
context, so they can’t always be used in exchange for these
Swedish translations!
challenged: utmanad/ifrågasatt censure: censurera
librarians: bibliotekarier judgement: omdöme
debate: diskussion complete: fullständigt
hesitation: tvekan lack: brist
purchased: inköpt meet quality standards:
context: sammanhang leva upp till de ställda kraven
unpleasant: obehaglig abusive: kränkande
belongs: hör hemma potentially: potentiellt
spontaneous: spontan cautionary tale: avskräckande exempel
allowed: tillåtet BDSM: Bondage/ Sado-Masochism
problematic: problematisk hardly: knappast
partly: delvis The Middle Ages: medeltiden
containing: innehållande opinion: åsikt
questionable: tvivelaktig/ diskutabelt critics: kritiker
literary: litterära
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11. Task!
• Now you have read what teachers had to say about the
novel. You have also heard what your class mates had to say
about the novel and the discussion topics. You have also
been given a target vocabulary than can be used when
discussing these topics. Now it’s your turn, to tell me how
you feel!
• Record a short video (1:30-2:00 minutes long) where you say
what you think about the discussion topics. You may use
key words but you should not read from a text or learn a
text by heart. You should speak ”freely”. Show your key
words to the camera before you start talking.
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