The Day They Came to Arrest the Book, Hentoff

Study and Discussion Prep

1. What is the book about? Write a one-paragraph summary of the book for a teen library journal (without giving away the ending) to attract readers to the novel.

2. What are the positions held by these people/groups?
   • McLeans
   • Mr. Moore (in public, in private)
   • Nora Baines
   • Diedre Fitzgerald
   • Barney
   • Matthew Griswold
   • Mr. Dennis
   • Mrs. Dennis
   • Kate

   • Steve Turney

3. What character's argument makes the most sense to you? Explain.

4. What is the Review Committee's recommendation?

5. What was Mrs. Salter's response to previous censorship attempts? Why does she no longer work at George Mason High School?

6. Why is the name of the high school ironic? (Look up George Mason.)

7. To what extent is the plot line of Hentoff's book more likely for a public school than a private school? Do you think actions like those of Mr. Moore's (with regard to "dealing" with questioned books) are more or less likely to happen in a private church school? Why?/Why not? Explain.

8. The final solution does not solve the problem for those objecting to the book. Project beyond the end of the book: what happens next? How should Miss Baines handle this book in the future? How should she approach students (and parents) who might be offended when she uses Huck Finn next year? Is there a response that could meet the needs of all involved?

9. Why are books challenged/banned? Do you agree with some reasons? Disagree with some reasons?

10. Talk with your parent/s (or other older family member) about book censorship. Under what circumstances would they challenge a book selected at school? Are they familiar with a book challenge or book banning situation at a private church school?

11. Who do you trust to make book decisions for you? Do you and your parent/s agree on your book choices? Why?/Why not? If there is disagreement, do you understand why your parents hold the view that they hold? Explain.

12. Some have said that the fact that a book has been banned is reason enough to read it. What do you think?

13. Have you ever read a book on a challenged/banned book list? [See "The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000."] Can you understand why someone would want to challenge it? Do you agree/disagree? Why?

14. Investigate the First Amendment. How does the First Amendment apply to teenagers? To teenagers in private church schools? Why?/Why not? Explain.

15. What's the difference between book selection and book censorship? How can one exercise book selection without censoring books?

16. Is there any value in reading a book that might offend you? What good might come from such a situation? What might be negative consequences? How do you decide if the good outweighs the potential for bad?

17. Should teens in a private church high school be allowed to read books that are contrary to the doctrines of the sponsoring church? Why?/Why not? What might be any positive/negative outcomes? Explain.

18. How do you think we can best achieve the goal of "true education" identified by E.G. White: ("to train the youth to be thinkers and not mere reflectors of other men's thoughts") with regard to literature? Does this require reading outside of your comfort zone? Explain.

19. In The Day They Came to Arrest the Book, drawing the Bible into the discussion actually complicates the book selection/censorship issue because people are generally accepting of things in the Bible that they might not like to see in other books. Why is this so? If they're OK in the Bible, should they be OK elsewhere? Why?/Why not? Do we have a separate standard for the Bible? Explain.

20. You've got an hour to kill in a bookstore or a library. Pick a new book to read with which you are not familiar. How will you go about making a selection for yourself? What helps you determine whether or not a book is good/appropriate for you?