From the AP:
BURLINGTON, Ontario (AP) — A Roman Catholic school board in Ontario ordered the popular fantasy book "The Golden Compass" taken off library shelves at dozens of schools Thursday after receiving a complaint about the author referring to himself as an atheist.
More at the Toronto Star, including this:
Halton Catholic elementary principals were directed not to distribute the December Scholastic flyer because The Golden Compass is available to order.
Hmmmm... I wonder if they'll take the Old Testament off the shelves since it was written by Jews.
Posted by: Tom | 23 November 2007 at 02:47 PM
To be fair, His Dark Materials in general, especially the third book, is pretty hostile towards the Church. But I read it and I'm still a good Catholic, so I think they're overreacting.
Posted by: Naomi | 24 November 2007 at 12:11 PM
I'm embarrassed on behalf of the idiocy of people in my country...
Posted by: Faithful Reader from Canada | 24 November 2007 at 08:41 PM
I'm putting on a Golden Compass program next week at my library, and I've had 3 written complaints that the library should not support this story. Fortunately, my director supports children and intellectual freedom and I'm continuing to have said program. I love being a librarian.
Posted by: angela | 25 November 2007 at 09:42 AM
I am a childrens' librarian, in a public library. I recently gave the Golden Compass to a 12 year old, that enjoyed scifi. Her mother got upset. The author, she said, is trying to kill God. The book shouldn't be in the childrens' room. My boss put the Golden Compass and other books by Pullman in the YA section. And if we get complaints, it will go in the adult scifi section. Scary!
Posted by: Rachel Dilbert | 25 November 2007 at 07:59 PM
wow! This is on my daughter's shelf. Is it going to make her hostile to the church? :D
She likes it because it has a cute bear on the cover, which makes it almost as bad as that cherry crystal meth we're hearing about.
Two lucky things:
1. My book has profane language right on the cover, so nobody will get tricked.
2. God CAN'T be killed. There's that omnipotent thing, as well as the eternal, immortal, everlasting stuff.
But sadly, the circulation of books--in certain circles--CAN be.
Posted by: Brian Mandabach | 26 November 2007 at 01:56 AM