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  • MONDAY FEBRUARY 19 2007 7:00 PM

Librarians Furious With Scrotum

Submitted by FearTheReaper

Edited by FearTheReaper

Tags: The Higher Power of Lucky, Susan Patron, scrotum, Newbery Medal



Note to children’s book authors: Less scrotums and more talking rabbits. Writer Susan Patron is learning that lesson the hard way after a book she penned is causing a stir for mentioning a dog’s scrotum on page one.

The Higher Power of Lucky kicks off with a 10-year-old orphan hearing the word through a hole in a wall when another character says he saw a rattlesnake bite his dog on the scrotum.

“Scrotum sounded to Lucky like something green that comes up when you have the flu and cough too much,” the book continues. “It sounded medical and secret, but also important.”


Patron claims the word was just part of the character’s learning about body parts. Whatever, criminal. Some school librarians have pledged to ban the book from elementary schools because boys who have scrotums should not know what they are called. Boys should be forced to make up their own names for that hairless, wrinkled sac between their legs. My little Benny Hill comes to mind. Or, the Taint Overhang. Possibly, the Fleshy Walnut. By law, girls are not allowed to know what a scrotum is called until they can fit an adult sized one in their mouth.

The book has caused an uproar on Librarian.net and other exciting librarian blogs, with librarians lining up on either side of the scrotum.

“This book included what I call a Howard Stern-type shock treatment just to see how far they could push the envelope, but they didn’t have the children in mind,” Dana Nilsson, a teacher and librarian in Durango, Colo., wrote on LM_Net. “How very sad.”


The scrotal scandal is even worse because the book is the winner of this year’s Newbery Medal, the most prestigious award in children’s literature. Winners of the Newbery are routinely ordered by all school libraries and read aloud classrooms. But to many, this book winning is like a kick in the nuts. Needless to say, it won’t be stocked in many libraries.

Wendy Stoll, a librarian at Smyrna Elementary in Louisville, Ky., wrote on the LM_Net mailing list that she would not stock the book.

One librarian who responded to Ms. Nilsson’s posting on LM_Net said only: “Sad to say, I didn’t order it for either of my schools, based on ‘the word.’”


Patron doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about.

“The word is just so delicious,” Ms. Patron said. “The sound of the word to Lucky is so evocative. It’s one of those words that’s so interesting because of the sound of the word.”


So delicious that you want to put it in your mouth.

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BruisedPassion

BruisedPassion

Tucson, AZ
September 2006

FEB 20, 2007 07:47 AM

So I guess they won't be stocking this classic in the library?

zoom image

The_Melon_Helmet

The_Melon_Helmet

Oakton, VA
June 2006

FEB 20, 2007 07:52 AM

Since when did names for body parts start making adults cringe? This woman should now compile an "offensive" word list go and through every single book in that library so books that offend can be pulled. "The Little Engine that Could"-- gone! since we all know what train imagery is really a substitute for...

adjunct

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA
July 2002

FEB 20, 2007 08:40 AM

I don't think it's about conservative librarians so much as wary librarians. You know, you order a book, somebody reads it and says something to their parents, the parents take it the wrong way, and next thing you're getting calls from the principal or superintendent asking about it. School librarians tend to be pretty expendable in the eyes of school boards, so this is more job protection than anything else.

Bastardo

Bastardo

Boston, MA
January 2005

FEB 20, 2007 08:41 AM

Where the hell is buttonbutton? I need expert librarian advice.

Subrosa

Subrosa

San Francisco, CA
July 2004

FEB 20, 2007 08:49 AM

Bastard_ said:
Where the hell is buttonbutton? I need expert librarian advice.



You just want her to check out your scrotum.

Bastardo

Bastardo

Boston, MA
January 2005

FEB 20, 2007 09:08 AM

Subrosa said:

Bastard_ said:
Where the hell is buttonbutton? I need expert librarian advice.



You just want her to check out your scrotum.



It'd filed under "S" for "sack".

craftygrrl

craftygrrl

Bellingham, WA
July 2006

FEB 20, 2007 10:10 AM

Eh... I personally don't find scrotum to be a "delicious" word whatever

bloodhigh

bloodhigh

Shawnee, OK
October 2006

FEB 20, 2007 10:55 AM

its not like they said hairy ballsack or anything, thats a scientific term so fuck em

MrStitches

MrStitches

Brooklyn, NY
November 2003

FEB 20, 2007 11:52 AM

One time my sack bit a rattle snake.

starbuck42

starbuck42

I'm lost
February 2007

FEB 20, 2007 04:23 PM

When I was little, the word my family used for vagina was...well I dunno how we'd have spelled it but it was pronounced two-two. My cousin once found a book called "All Tutus Are Pink" and freaked the fuck out. And I totally giggled at phone numbers that had 22 in them until I was like 10. Kinda silly.

That said, I'm all in favor of teaching scientific terms for body parts and processes to kids. I didn't know that the term I was using for poop was Chinese until I got into kindergarten and no one knew what the hell I was talking about.

DevilsReject

DevilsReject

Cleveland, OH
February 2007

FEB 20, 2007 04:49 PM

starbuck42 said:
When I was little, the word my family used for vagina was...well I dunno how we'd have spelled it but it was pronounced two-two. My cousin once found a book called "All Tutus Are Pink" and freaked the fuck out. And I totally giggled at phone numbers that had 22 in them until I was like 10. Kinda silly.



Thank you, from this point forward, whenever i hear Two-Two, Tutu, or any variation of that, i will giggle to myself

ASSH0LE

ASSH0LE

Las Vegas, NV
June 2003

FEB 21, 2007 01:38 AM

You know, those Librarians deserved whatever they've gotten.

If they'd only stayed in the U.S. and helped their fellow African-Americans with the civil rights movement, we might have a black President already. But no, they had to migrate to Libraria back in the 1800s, and leave their brothers to deal with it all themselves.

Fuck the Librarians. Shoulda stayed in America!

Don't get me started on those fuckers in New Mexico. I hate that country too.

Greybeard

Greybeard

Los Angeles, CA
December 2006

FEB 21, 2007 10:45 AM

This sort of shit makes we wish I was a stranger to this planet, so I could honestly say "I don't believe it!"

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