Guest Post by Author Chris Redding: Who Should Choose My Child's Books?

Chris was the first person sign up to participate this week. She my post on Google+ and sent me an email volunteering to write a post. Thank you Chris!


Chris’ desire to become a published writer began at an early age. When she received her first A on a story she wrote in fifth grade, Chris knew she wanted to be an author. However, writing romance fiction books didn’t enter the picture until later in her life. She didn’t read many romance books growing up, but after college, discovered the genre fictions of mystery and romance. Her favorite authors are Suzanne Brockmann and Lisa Gardner, both of whom she has had the pleasure of meeting.

After the birth of her second child, Chris was ready to take her writing to the next level and joined Romance Writers of America and her local RWA chapter. There she embarked on learning the real craft and business of writing.


Chris lives in New Jersey with her one husband, two kids, one dog, and three rabbits. When she isn't writing she's chauffering her two boys to activities and working per diem in her local hospital. She currently has two books out.

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It’s Banned Books Week. 

As a writer, I can’t imagine anyone banning books. I can see a parent make an argument that certain books aren’t appropriate for certain ages, but banning a book outright? Odd.

I remember in junior high, there was a book called Go Ask Alice. I never read it because it was removed from the library before I could read it.

Go here http://www.amazon.com/Go-Ask-Alice/dp/1416914633/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317032582&sr=1-1 to see the description of the book.

Would I have wanted to read it if it weren’t banned? No. Despite not having a smooth adolescence myself, I would not have identified with the girl who turned to drugs. I did not. But it wasn’t so far-fetched to my life in the early 1980’s. The kid who sat in front of me in homeroom was a drug dealer. He told me all about how much money he made.

In light of the some of the books banned, I think about how much times have changed. My older son’s reading his freshman year was "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson. That’s about a rape that a girl decided not to talk about.

And his sophomore year reading was "Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, a post-apocalyptic novel about a competition to win food for your town. Makes "Grapes of Wrath" look entertaining. Oh, and his younger brother read the Hunger Games trilogy before he was twelve. Instead of banning it, we talked about the content. He was not disturbed by it. I think I was.

So my point is, that whenever we ban books, later on we realize maybe they weren’t so bad. And maybe, as children and teens, we weren’t so aware either.

I read Catcher in the Rye in high school. It wasn’t until later on in college that I found out it supposedly had Communist undertones. Oh, really? I missed it.

Would I request a different book if I thought my child wasn’t ready for a topic? Yes, I would. But as a parent, I can make that decision FOR MY CHILD. I wouldn’t suppose to make that decision for your child. Nor do I want anyone else making that decision for my children. They are mine to raise as I choose.