"Scrotum Is Not A Dirty Word" - The T-Shirt!

Alisyn — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 19:35:00 GMT

The uproar over Susan Patron's Newberry Medal-winning children's book, "The Higher Power of Lucky" struck me as hilarious. (For those of you who missed it, the book has parents and librarians up in arms for using the word "scrotum" on the first page).

What is the deal? Do parents not want to explain to their sons and daughters what a scrotum is? Do librarians and school administrators object to the use of the word scrotum in fiction only - or in health and science texts as well? Is scrotum just not as funny as "boys" or "balls?"

It may be a loaded word (hah! pun intended!), but it's not a dirty word - or a dirty book. And now there's a t-shirt to champion its cause! Bookshelves of Doom is supporting "The Higher Power of Lucky" with "Scrotum Is Not A Dirty Word" t-shirts, available on a made-to-order basis. Other noteworthy literary-themed shirts over at B.O.D. include "Heathcliff Is A Prat" and "Trust Snape."

I love it!

How to Get your Children's Book Banned: Use the Word Scrotum

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 23:13:00 GMT

No publicity is bad publicity. When Susan Patron won the Newberry Medal for her book "The Higher Power of Lucky" I didn't hear a thing. When her book got banned from school libraries, I read about it in The New York Times. Of course now I want to buy it for my kids.

Why did it get banned? On the first page the kid sees his dog get bitten by a rattlesnake - on the scrotum. I guess school libraries don't like biology words. The word 'amniocentesis' really freaks me out. I wonder if I can get that banned too?

Okay, clearly the school systems were objecting to referring to the nut sack in a children's book. I'm just glad they are using the proper word for it. I realize I'm pretty liberal when it comes to discussing reproduction with my children, but I don't see how hearing - no reading the word scrotum is going to hurt anybody. One librarian was quoted as saying 'I don’t want to start an issue about censorship... but you won’t find men’s genitalia in quality literature.'

I think I see the problem. Why are people so uptight about balls?

Strollerderby : scrotums

"Scrotum Is Not A Dirty Word" - The T-Shirt!

How to Get your Children's Book Banned: Use the Word Scrotum