TITLE What Should We Censure in Children's Books?

Unfortunately, three of society's worst problems during the last decade--racism, sexism, and maladjusted parents--are reflected in the content of children's books. While censorship of books of questionable value is not recommended, it is necessary to judge and to find faul _ with them and ultimately to steer children into reading the good books which have also been written. Specific books do show definite racist and sexist bias, but others present blacks and women realistically without any suggestion of stereotypes. Although the most depressing of children's books are those depicting children with maladjusted parents, many books emphasize the loving and supportive relationships that can make the difference between healthy and unhealthy parents of the next generation. (JM) Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort