Looking for list of fundy criteria for kids' books

[Terrie]

So I was discussing fundy kids' book lists with a friend and was trying to articulate the list of crazy stuff they think makes a book "not okay." Not just the obvious stuff (magic, homosexuality, other religions, etc), but the things like having conflict with siblings. They don't actually believe me at how nutty it is, so I'm looking for a site that lists this stuff, either a list from a n actual fundy or list with cites to actual comments by fundies. My Google-fu is failing me on this.

[Leftitinmysnood]

The trouble is, they all have such different criteria. We knew those who drew the line at talking animals, but fiction was ok if there was no romance, those who couldn't read C. S. Lewis, but George McDonald  was ok, those who didn't read any fiction at all unless it was published by Christian Light or Rod and Staff, but even those had faults. Another family simply edited with a magic marker, stapler, and wite-out. They fixed immodest pictures, cut sinful thoughts (jealousy, bordom, covetousness, lack of cheerful countenance) and re-wrote story lines. That was in one church. 

[ILoveJellybeans]

Depends on the fundies.

The Maxwells are the most restrictive, which is why their self made children's books (The Moodys) are so bland.

They don't allow conflict with siblings, people doing bad things (even if they get punished for it), and it must be very obviously Christian.

I have also heard some fundies wont allow books with talking animals in.

[refugee]

23 minutes ago, Leftitinmysnood said:

The trouble is, they all have such different criteria. We knew those who drew the line at talking animals, but fiction was ok if there was no romance, those who couldn't read C. S. Lewis, but George McDonald  was ok, those who didn't read any fiction at all unless it was published by Christian Light or Rod and Staff, but even those had faults. Another family simply edited with a magic marker, stapler, and wite-out. They fixed immodest pictures, cut sinful thoughts (jealousy, bordom, covetousness, lack of cheerful countenance) and re-wrote story lines. That was in one church. 

Excellent description. There were even fundies who read the Harry Potter books and Redwall, and then on the other end of the spectrum, the ones who wouldn't read fairy tales or Aesop's fables or any Newberry Award book published after 1960. Those were the ones, IIRC, who enthused about insipid Elsie Dinsmore.

[Hane]

The older entries in the movie criticism blog "Purity and Precision" offer up some  true jewels, like objections to "minced oaths" (cleaned-up "swear words" like heck and darn).

[Terrie]

5 minutes ago, Hane said:

The older entries in the movie criticism blog "Purity and Precision" offer up some  true jewels, like objections to "minced oaths" (cleaned-up "swear words" like heck and darn).

Thanks! I'm not looking for the One, True List for all fundies, just something I can use to show that, no, really, fundies have some very odd ideas on what is allowable for children to read.

[RebelliousEscapee]

botkinsisters.com/2006/12/christian-romance-novels

classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html

 

The second link is probably along the lines of what you're looking for, but the first one helps show how easy it is for them to ban almost any genre. 

 

focusonthefamily.com/parenting/parenting-challenges/finding-great-books-for-kids/not-all-stories-are-created-equal

This one has some interesting recommendations along the lines of, "make sure classic fairy tales don't have happy endings" o.O 

wholesomewords.org/family/books.html

Some harsh and scary-sounding quotes on the matter.

 

[FloraDoraDolly]

I just want to add that sometimes a family's standards change over time. One of my relatives wouldn't allow her oldest child to read or see Harry Potter, but by the time her third kid was old enough for the series, it was OK. Other families have gone in the opposite direction, where they become stricter over time.

In one of Rick Boyer's books (I don't remember which one) he said he didn't approve of most fiction, except for religious fiction like Pilgrim's Progress.

[Marian the Librarian]

I've dealt with a number of homeschooling parents (who, to their credit, do use their public libraries) who ask for "science books that don't say anything about evolution."

[CyborgKin]

20 hours ago, ILoveJellybeans said:

I have also heard some fundies wont allow books with talking animals in.

Like the Bible?

 

In my home, Harry Potter is a topic rarely mentioned, and then only very negatively.