Intellectual Freedom Exercise

This week in class we had to either defend or challenge one of the books assigned for reading. My group opted to defend the book How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon. I enjoyed this book, though it would not be one I would have picked up to read on my own accord. From this exercise I have learned several things.

• The first thing I've learned is that there are those that will challenge materials for what seems to be the tiniest or silliest reason. These are the people that do not follow the concept of not reading something if they do not like what it says. 
• As much as I understand some people's want to censor books, I also don't completely get it. Growing up my mom definitely monitored what I watched and there were a number of tv shows and movies that were off limits. However, the one things she never monitored or said I couldn't do was read. I was given free reign to read anything I wanted. Any topic, any intended age range - it did not matter. I don't know if she never thought she needed to monitor what I was reading or if she thought seeing something on tv/in movies was worse than reading about it. 
• There are resources that are made to help deal with challenged materials. ALA has a variety of useful pages and links that should be utilized upon this type of situation. 
• No matter what I think of a book, even if I hate the story, it has a right to be on the library shelf. I wouldn't let my own judgement cloud the ordering or censoring of materials and thus I cannot let other's judgments change that materials that are available. A polite and professional manner must be maintained throughout the challenge process. 

How it Went Down Review

Magoon, Kekla. How it Went Down. Henry Holt and Company, New York. [325 p]. [$17.99]. 978085098693

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How it Went Down is a book that reflects events of recent years. A well thought out portrayal of what it is like to witness or be a part of a shooting, this book delves into the thought of those who saw how it went down. When events like this happen in real life we only know what the media tells us. And as we can see from reading this novel, the media is not always interested in telling the truth. Instead they are interested in telling a story. But these types of events, are not just stories, they are a compilation of stories, that work together to maybe tell one cohesive story. Every witness can think they saw something different, or wants to believe that things occurred a certain way. But by telling each individual's narrative, Magoon is able to show those who have not had an event such as this touch their life, that there is not simply one story. How it Went Down is an accurate and thoughtful portrayal of the horrible shooting events we have unfortunately had to witness in recent years. Readers will gain insight to what occurs behind the scenes so to speak, as we are usually only privy to the information that the media feels the need to provide.