The free exploration of library shelves is the essence of childhood reading
The article reflects on the importance of unstructured, self-directed reading during childhood as a vital part of personal growth and discovery, arguing that encountering challenging or mature content in books is a natural and beneficial aspect of growing up. It critiques recent efforts in Alberta to restrict access to books with sexual or substance-related content in school and public libraries, suggesting such measures undermine the freedom and autonomy essential to the reading experience. The author shares personal anecdotes to illustrate how exposure to adult themes in literature did not cause harm but instead contributed to curiosity, learning, and intellectual development.
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Open this photo in gallery:PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: BRYAN GEE/THE GLOBE AND MAIL. SOURCES: GETTY IMAGESShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountSam Leith’s most recent book is The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading.I was 11, or possibly 12, when I innocently asked my grandfather “what’s masturbation?” I was reading Stephen King’s non-fiction book Danse Macabre, and was puzzled by Mr. King’s description of what Regan does with a crucifix in The Exorcist. With, admittedly, a slightly red face, my grandfather did what he could to explain. I went away a little wiser.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Globe and Mail.
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