“Rick” summer reading

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much time for them to grow up, why are SO many people rushing it?

Because they are growing up right now, even if you wish they weren’t. Many kids going into sixth grade are going to have crushes, even if they don’t act on them. When you have a crush that doesn’t align with your parents’ very clear expectations for you, that can be very stressful, anxiety provoking and upsetting. The kids whose parents have a very narrow view of the “right” way to be need this book the most, to know there is nothing wrong with them if they don’t fit a certain mold.

Not all 10yo kids have crushes. It’s fine if the books are available in the library, but forcing kids to read them is another story.

What are you so afraid will happen if your 10 yo reads this book?

The issue is not fear and bigotry to me. Those terms are too often used as a cudgel to kill any debate on this topic. It is what parents feel is appropriate concerning a sensitive subject. Public schools seem to have a one size fits all strategy for how to handle the topic of gender/sex. Not everyone subscribes to the same belief system which is fine so long as everyone is respectful of other people.

Let’s face it, we’ve come a very long way in a very short time on these issues - most people I know could care less anymore about a person’s orientation and judging by the ubiquity of Pride flags in the area I don’t think being gay has the stigma it once carried which is great but I ultimately believe parents, not the government or public schools, should handle these issues with their kids.

Okay, I will rephrase. What are you concerned will happen if your child reads this book? There’s no reason to oppose it so vehemently if you think it will have no impact on kids, so clearly there is something that troubles you about it.

How about: I want to discuss issues of gender and sex with my child within the confines of my family? I don’t see it as the place for the government and it’s employees to educate my child on these issues. I prefer public schools focus more on traditional core subjects like math, english/literature/grammar, science etc. Personally speaking, i would not “fear” my child reading this nor do I think they’d be adversely affected by it, rather i just don’t see it as the state’s place to infringe in how I educate my kids on such subjects. I believe in teaching tolerance and respect for everyone but that does not mean I go along with every with every position on sex/gender/trans issues as espoused by some public schools.

DP. When you elect to send your kids to public schools, it becomes the state's place to educate them, and there's no way to educate them for 13 years without teaching something that contradicts someone's sincere beliefs, especially in literature classes. When I was a kid, literature was where we were exposed to feminism, pacifism, religion, and politics, all of which was contrary to the belief of at least one person in the class.

You're still free to teach your kids what you believe, just like everyone with any kind of minority opinion has had to do since public education began, but in class you have to expect that they're going to get the community consensus beliefs as well. I think most parents are in this position on one issue or another.

I agree with you. I like the schools to teach and expose them to tons of interesting stuff.
I’d rather then teach HOW to think, than teach WHAT to think.

Expose them to all the religions. Expose them to challenging ideas, communism, pacifism, authoritarianism, cannibalism, theocracy, dadaism. Whatever.

But don’t force feed what their opinions should be. In addition, they have so much schooling ahead. 5th and 6th and 7th should be starting to play with fire, not burning it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much time for them to grow up, why are SO many people rushing it?

Because they are growing up right now, even if you wish they weren’t. Many kids going into sixth grade are going to have crushes, even if they don’t act on them. When you have a crush that doesn’t align with your parents’ very clear expectations for you, that can be very stressful, anxiety provoking and upsetting. The kids whose parents have a very narrow view of the “right” way to be need this book the most, to know there is nothing wrong with them if they don’t fit a certain mold.

Not all 10yo kids have crushes. It’s fine if the books are available in the library, but forcing kids to read them is another story.

What are you so afraid will happen if your 10 yo reads this book?

The issue is not fear and bigotry to me. Those terms are too often used as a cudgel to kill any debate on this topic. It is what parents feel is appropriate concerning a sensitive subject. Public schools seem to have a one size fits all strategy for how to handle the topic of gender/sex. Not everyone subscribes to the same belief system which is fine so long as everyone is respectful of other people.

Let’s face it, we’ve come a very long way in a very short time on these issues - most people I know could care less anymore about a person’s orientation and judging by the ubiquity of Pride flags in the area I don’t think being gay has the stigma it once carried which is great but I ultimately believe parents, not the government or public schools, should handle these issues with their kids.

Okay, I will rephrase. What are you concerned will happen if your child reads this book? There’s no reason to oppose it so vehemently if you think it will have no impact on kids, so clearly there is something that troubles you about it.

How about: I want to discuss issues of gender and sex with my child within the confines of my family? I don’t see it as the place for the government and it’s employees to educate my child on these issues. I prefer public schools focus more on traditional core subjects like math, english/literature/grammar, science etc. Personally speaking, i would not “fear” my child reading this nor do I think they’d be adversely affected by it, rather i just don’t see it as the state’s place to infringe in how I educate my kids on such subjects. I believe in teaching tolerance and respect for everyone but that does not mean I go along with every with every position on sex/gender/trans issues as espoused by some public schools.

Nothing about this book is preventing you from teaching your children your own values.

This books specifically pushes the “if parents don’t get you then friends and other adults will be your guide.”

Meaning, “your parents don’t understand you.”

It’s already a natural feeling kids have, so I’m not concerned there. We just don’t need them to have even *less* confidence in parents to be loving.

I’m fairly conservative, can you tell? And in my friend groups, I believe 99.999% of my friends would accept whatever their kid chooses on any level. Come on, people. Show these kids that they CAN trust us.

In fact, my take is that we should all be letting them be KIDS for longer. Hence my post above, why are we rushing them into growing up?

In the book, the adult who gets him is his grandfather. If that's a problem, so is Moana.

I think that’s unrealistic and convenient for a piece of fiction.
Most of their grandpas think 1/6 was just fine. (Yeah I know I know. Not every grandpa.)

-me, as far from a Trump voter as possible. And yet, sticking up for this issue. Y’all are not hearing our side.

Respectfully, I will try to hear more of your side. Try. It already seems like it’s winning, though.

[Anonymous]

I have read it and my issue is that it’s not a good book. It feels like an after school special. Or very special episode of Full House.
It’s not inappropriate. Pretty tame. It does introduce kids to the Rainbow Club, at the school, so if your school has a club like that, it’s already out there.
And terms like enbee, etc. That they’re going to learn anyway.
Again, it does feel like it has selected a pre-baked message. Many moralistic books for middle schoolers are like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is so much time for them to grow up, why are SO many people rushing it?

This is my problem with these books. I'm a liberal. I feel that kids have been robbed of their childhoods by being forced to think about all of these adult issues. Not just this -- violence, war, global warming. Some things are not meant for kids to think about. It's a burden to them, when it should be our burden as the adults supposedly running the show.

Also the books are not classics. They're not well written. They're just meh books about subjects that are trendy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much time for them to grow up, why are SO many people rushing it?

Because they are growing up right now, even if you wish they weren’t. Many kids going into sixth grade are going to have crushes, even if they don’t act on them. When you have a crush that doesn’t align with your parents’ very clear expectations for you, that can be very stressful, anxiety provoking and upsetting. The kids whose parents have a very narrow view of the “right” way to be need this book the most, to know there is nothing wrong with them if they don’t fit a certain mold.

Not all 10yo kids have crushes. It’s fine if the books are available in the library, but forcing kids to read them is another story.

What are you so afraid will happen if your 10 yo reads this book?

The issue is not fear and bigotry to me. Those terms are too often used as a cudgel to kill any debate on this topic. It is what parents feel is appropriate concerning a sensitive subject. Public schools seem to have a one size fits all strategy for how to handle the topic of gender/sex. Not everyone subscribes to the same belief system which is fine so long as everyone is respectful of other people.

Let’s face it, we’ve come a very long way in a very short time on these issues - most people I know could care less anymore about a person’s orientation and judging by the ubiquity of Pride flags in the area I don’t think being gay has the stigma it once carried which is great but I ultimately believe parents, not the government or public schools, should handle these issues with their kids.

Okay, I will rephrase. What are you concerned will happen if your child reads this book? There’s no reason to oppose it so vehemently if you think it will have no impact on kids, so clearly there is something that troubles you about it.

How about: I want to discuss issues of gender and sex with my child within the confines of my family? I don’t see it as the place for the government and it’s employees to educate my child on these issues. I prefer public schools focus more on traditional core subjects like math, english/literature/grammar, science etc. Personally speaking, i would not “fear” my child reading this nor do I think they’d be adversely affected by it, rather i just don’t see it as the state’s place to infringe in how I educate my kids on such subjects. I believe in teaching tolerance and respect for everyone but that does not mean I go along with every with every position on sex/gender/trans issues as espoused by some public schools.

DP. When you elect to send your kids to public schools, it becomes the state's place to educate them, and there's no way to educate them for 13 years without teaching something that contradicts someone's sincere beliefs, especially in literature classes. When I was a kid, literature was where we were exposed to feminism, pacifism, religion, and politics, all of which was contrary to the belief of at least one person in the class.

You're still free to teach your kids what you believe, just like everyone with any kind of minority opinion has had to do since public education began, but in class you have to expect that they're going to get the community consensus beliefs as well. I think most parents are in this position on one issue or another.

I agree with you. I like the schools to teach and expose them to tons of interesting stuff.
I’d rather then teach HOW to think, than teach WHAT to think.

Expose them to all the religions. Expose them to challenging ideas, communism, pacifism, authoritarianism, cannibalism, theocracy, dadaism. Whatever.

But don’t force feed what their opinions should be. In addition, they have so much schooling ahead. 5th and 6th and 7th should be starting to play with fire, not burning it down.

Yes! I don’t want my kids’ teachers pushing any kind of politics on them, but my MS had lessons on BLM last year in MCPS. And not just as a part of a ‘current events’ type class - it was teaching the kids the values of the BLM movement and pushing propaganda on them.

None of this has any place in public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much time for them to grow up, why are SO many people rushing it?

are you aware there are preteens out there who have considered cutting or other forms of self harm? Have you seen the news articles about elem age kids who commit suicide? Not everyone and every kid fits into your idea of normal and the consequences are awful for those kids and families. Reading Rick and/or George is not rushing anything. You k is what’s rushing? Cell phones, tiktok, Instagram, that’s what kids don’t need yet almost every kid I see now has a cell phone in hand.

Maybe it's because of all the bleak subject matter they've been exposed to?? Do ya think? They're kids. They shouldn't be thinking about these things that make zero sense to them anyway. They shouldn't have free reign on the internet either. That's insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much time for them to grow up, why are SO many people rushing it?

are you aware there are preteens out there who have considered cutting or other forms of self harm? Have you seen the news articles about elem age kids who commit suicide? Not everyone and every kid fits into your idea of normal and the consequences are awful for those kids and families. Reading Rick and/or George is not rushing anything. You k is what’s rushing? Cell phones, tiktok, Instagram, that’s what kids don’t need yet almost every kid I see now has a cell phone in hand.

Maybe it's because of all the bleak subject matter they've been exposed to?? Do ya think? They're kids. They shouldn't be thinking about these things that make zero sense to them anyway. They shouldn't have free reign on the internet either. That's insane.

Free ***rein*** before I get corrected....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much time for them to grow up, why are SO many people rushing it?

This is my problem with these books. I'm a liberal. I feel that kids have been robbed of their childhoods by being forced to think about all of these adult issues. Not just this -- violence, war, global warming. Some things are not meant for kids to think about. It's a burden to them, when it should be our burden as the adults supposedly running the show.

Also the books are not classics. They're not well written. They're just meh books about subjects that are trendy.

Yes. My opinion is different for high schoolers. But MCPS pushes these types of books too young. And yes, they’re not great books, by any stretch of the imagination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have read it and my issue is that it’s not a good book. It feels like an after school special. Or very special episode of Full House.
It’s not inappropriate. Pretty tame. It does introduce kids to the Rainbow Club, at the school, so if your school has a club like that, it’s already out there.
And terms like enbee, etc. That they’re going to learn anyway.
Again, it does feel like it has selected a pre-baked message. Many moralistic books for middle schoolers are like that.

Fine, but they can learn it from their friends. Or they can learn it during the Family Life unit. Not necessary to read this book in ‘Advanced’ English.

I feel like the English department should be able to justify why my kid is forced to read certain books. What is the justification behind this one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much time for them to grow up, why are SO many people rushing it?

This is my problem with these books. I'm a liberal. I feel that kids have been robbed of their childhoods by being forced to think about all of these adult issues. Not just this -- violence, war, global warming. Some things are not meant for kids to think about. It's a burden to them, when it should be our burden as the adults supposedly running the show.

Also the books are not classics. They're not well written. They're just meh books about subjects that are trendy.

This isn't a bleak book though. It's a book about a sixth grader dealing with having a friend who is mean and the fact that other kids have crushes and he doesn't. It's about very normal middle school experiences, not the Holocaust.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much time for them to grow up, why are SO many people rushing it?

Because they are growing up right now, even if you wish they weren’t. Many kids going into sixth grade are going to have crushes, even if they don’t act on them. When you have a crush that doesn’t align with your parents’ very clear expectations for you, that can be very stressful, anxiety provoking and upsetting. The kids whose parents have a very narrow view of the “right” way to be need this book the most, to know there is nothing wrong with them if they don’t fit a certain mold.

Not all 10yo kids have crushes. It’s fine if the books are available in the library, but forcing kids to read them is another story.

What are you so afraid will happen if your 10 yo reads this book?

The issue is not fear and bigotry to me. Those terms are too often used as a cudgel to kill any debate on this topic. It is what parents feel is appropriate concerning a sensitive subject. Public schools seem to have a one size fits all strategy for how to handle the topic of gender/sex. Not everyone subscribes to the same belief system which is fine so long as everyone is respectful of other people.

Let’s face it, we’ve come a very long way in a very short time on these issues - most people I know could care less anymore about a person’s orientation and judging by the ubiquity of Pride flags in the area I don’t think being gay has the stigma it once carried which is great but I ultimately believe parents, not the government or public schools, should handle these issues with their kids.

Okay, I will rephrase. What are you concerned will happen if your child reads this book? There’s no reason to oppose it so vehemently if you think it will have no impact on kids, so clearly there is something that troubles you about it.

How about: I want to discuss issues of gender and sex with my child within the confines of my family? I don’t see it as the place for the government and it’s employees to educate my child on these issues. I prefer public schools focus more on traditional core subjects like math, english/literature/grammar, science etc. Personally speaking, i would not “fear” my child reading this nor do I think they’d be adversely affected by it, rather i just don’t see it as the state’s place to infringe in how I educate my kids on such subjects. I believe in teaching tolerance and respect for everyone but that does not mean I go along with every with every position on sex/gender/trans issues as espoused by some public schools.

THIS! This is exactly how I feel. Thank you for articulating it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have read it and my issue is that it’s not a good book. It feels like an after school special. Or very special episode of Full House.
It’s not inappropriate. Pretty tame. It does introduce kids to the Rainbow Club, at the school, so if your school has a club like that, it’s already out there.
And terms like enbee, etc. That they’re going to learn anyway.
Again, it does feel like it has selected a pre-baked message. Many moralistic books for middle schoolers are like that.

+1 All of the books they read right out the door of high school are like that. So lame. I already posted but by the time I was a young adult, I was as well-read as any adult I've ever met. The selections were just so, so much better when I was growing up than these stupid books. Aren't there enough good books they can read that deal with these issues in a way that is integrated into the plot, rather than the entire friggin' plot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read it and my issue is that it’s not a good book. It feels like an after school special. Or very special episode of Full House.
It’s not inappropriate. Pretty tame. It does introduce kids to the Rainbow Club, at the school, so if your school has a club like that, it’s already out there.
And terms like enbee, etc. That they’re going to learn anyway.
Again, it does feel like it has selected a pre-baked message. Many moralistic books for middle schoolers are like that.

Fine, but they can learn it from their friends. Or they can learn it during the Family Life unit. Not necessary to read this book in ‘Advanced’ English.

I feel like the English department should be able to justify why my kid is forced to read certain books. What is the justification behind this one?

Or any of them. I've had so many objections to the books my kids have read in MCPS. Just a sub-par education really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t need to be pressured into having a sexual preference at ages 10-11. This is absurd. Westland is our home school.

So you didn’t know you liked the opposite sex at 11? BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much time for them to grow up, why are SO many people rushing it?

Because they are growing up right now, even if you wish they weren’t. Many kids going into sixth grade are going to have crushes, even if they don’t act on them. When you have a crush that doesn’t align with your parents’ very clear expectations for you, that can be very stressful, anxiety provoking and upsetting. The kids whose parents have a very narrow view of the “right” way to be need this book the most, to know there is nothing wrong with them if they don’t fit a certain mold.

Not all 10yo kids have crushes. It’s fine if the books are available in the library, but forcing kids to read them is another story.

What are you so afraid will happen if your 10 yo reads this book?

The issue is not fear and bigotry to me. Those terms are too often used as a cudgel to kill any debate on this topic. It is what parents feel is appropriate concerning a sensitive subject. Public schools seem to have a one size fits all strategy for how to handle the topic of gender/sex. Not everyone subscribes to the same belief system which is fine so long as everyone is respectful of other people.

Let’s face it, we’ve come a very long way in a very short time on these issues - most people I know could care less anymore about a person’s orientation and judging by the ubiquity of Pride flags in the area I don’t think being gay has the stigma it once carried which is great but I ultimately believe parents, not the government or public schools, should handle these issues with their kids.

Okay, I will rephrase. What are you concerned will happen if your child reads this book? There’s no reason to oppose it so vehemently if you think it will have no impact on kids, so clearly there is something that troubles you about it.

How about: I want to discuss issues of gender and sex with my child within the confines of my family? I don’t see it as the place for the government and it’s employees to educate my child on these issues. I prefer public schools focus more on traditional core subjects like math, english/literature/grammar, science etc. Personally speaking, i would not “fear” my child reading this nor do I think they’d be adversely affected by it, rather i just don’t see it as the state’s place to infringe in how I educate my kids on such subjects. I believe in teaching tolerance and respect for everyone but that does not mean I go along with every with every position on sex/gender/trans issues as espoused by some public schools.

Nothing about this book is preventing you from teaching your children your own values.

This books specifically pushes the “if parents don’t get you then friends and other adults will be your guide.”

Meaning, “your parents don’t understand you.”

It’s already a natural feeling kids have, so I’m not concerned there. We just don’t need them to have even *less* confidence in parents to be loving.

I’m fairly conservative, can you tell? And in my friend groups, I believe 99.999% of my friends would accept whatever their kid chooses on any level. Come on, people. Show these kids that they CAN trust us.

In fact, my take is that we should all be letting them be KIDS for longer. Hence my post above, why are we rushing them into growing up?

If your parenting is so weak that you're worried about what a book might teach your kid, you should look in a mirror.