A Look at Censorship: James and the Giant Peach

Is censorship moral? Those who argue in favor would say it is necessary in order to uphold morals. However, to deny others access to certain books or ideas is not only unconstitutional, but immoral as well. Parents have a right to censor the material they allow their children access to, but it is wrong to take that right away from others.

In addition, censorship creates a false sense of reality for developing minds. According to the American Library Association, "censorship is harmful because it results in the opposite of true education and learning. In the process of acquiring knowledge and searching for truth, students can learn to discriminate - to make decisions rationally and logically in light of the evidence. By suppressing all materials containing ideas or themes with which they do not agree, censors produce a sterile conformity and a lack of intellectual and emotional growth in students" (ALA, 2000).

You may be surprised by the many different books that have been censored in the past. One of those books was James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl.

This beloved children's tale has been challenged repeatedly in the past for several reasons, including:

• promoting mysticism
• sexual inferences
• profanity
• racism
• references to tobacco and alcohol use, and
• promotion of negative body images

While the list of accusations may seem surprising and outlandish, it does nothing to show the quality of the book itself. James and the Giant Peach is a wonderfully imaginative tale portraying the strength of the human spirit, diversity, and friendship.  

As with any book, teachers should be aware of any questionable content before presenting the book. Parents should be notified ahead of time to allow them to express any concerns, and provided with the educational reasons as to why this particular book was selected. During instruction, teachers should also be prepared to address any concerns the students may have about the material. 

Appropriate for ages 8-12, James and the Giant Peach might be used through upper elementary and even middle school as a literary study on descriptive language, characterization, or theme. In addition, the book has merit as a cross-curricula study for science (floatation), and social skills development.

Literature Genre: Fantasy
Lexile Score: AD 870L
Appropriate for ages: 8-12