It’s not too often that you come across children's books that involve guns in their plot. The title of the Berenstain Bears series book No Guns Allowed definitely took me (and I’m sure many others) by surprise. Even though it is a Berenstain Bears “Big Chapter Book” intended for ages 8-10, it is definitely a touchy subject to talk/read about with children and students. The short chapter book is about explores sort of a post-Columbine world and is about a student who brings a life-like squirt gun to school as a joke. At the end we get a life lesson that guns can be dangerous when in the hand of bad people. The parents definitely have strong views in the story that I’m sure many parents with students would have the same.
I’m not sure if I would ever incorporate this story into my curriculum. I know it would be a very, very controversial book and I think I would stay away from it if I didn’t feel the strong need to be taught in order to resist parents and administrators’ complaints. It does teach a good lesson, but I’m not sure it’s as relevant at this age, but I guess it depends in what area I would be teaching. I feel like this subject does not need to be taught to children so young, and that this serious of a subject could definitely wait a few more years.
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