Insightful, sweet, funny, exciting exploration of book bans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
The action and adventure come from the story within the story, where 12-year-olds are in danger from being shot at, tied to a chair in a burning house, hit in the head with a crowbar, eaten by an alligator, and other secret-agent-type escapades.
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Incidental games, food outlets, snacks, and pop culture references.
Positive Messages
a lot
The meaning of a book comes from both what the author puts in and what the reader takes out, not just one or the other. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. Censoring or banning a book sends a message that there's something wrong or shameful about the controversial issue, when open and honest discussion about it encourages critical thinking so that each reader can come to their own conclusions. Talking calmly about feelings and disagreements is important, and just as important is listening to those you disagree with.
Positive Role Models
a lot
All characters model good communication skills, talking freely about their feelings, interpretations, and opinions. Donovan especially stands out for channeling his frustration into an honest exchange of ideas instead of acting out. Classmates and story-within-the-story characters model teamwork by developing strategies together that make the best of each person's strengths.
Educational Value
some
Characters offer arguments for and against removing a book from a class curriculum. Author's note mentions LGBTQ+ authors and books that influenced him, and provides names and websites of a few organizations that oppose censorship and defend the right to read.
Diverse Representations
some
Most characters read as White, one has parents from Mexico, and another reads as Asian. A teacher is gay, a classmate comes out as gay, and several schoolmates have same-sex parents.
Parents need to know that David Levithan's Answers in the Pages is a middle-grade story about an attempt by parents to have a book removed from a fifth-grade curriculum because the story reveals that two boys love each other. Book banning, representation in books, and how books are interpreted are important themes. Violence is in the fantasy realm from the story within the story and includes kids in danger from a villain. Nothing's gory or specifically described, there's some mild peril and suspense, and everything has a safe resolution. Twelve-year-olds kiss several times, but it's not described.
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What's the Story?
Donovan hopes to find ANSWERS IN THE PAGES after his mom sees a part of his assigned reading that she thinks is inappropriate for his fifth-grade class. But even after he reads the whole book, he doesn't see what the big deal is. In another fifth-grade class, Gideon and new-kid Ricardo team up for a project on a different book and notice their feelings for each other growing deeper as they get to know each other. Meanwhile, a trio of 12-year-olds try to stop an evil villain from acquiring a doomsday code that will give him control over the whole world.
This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking exploration of a range of reactions to efforts to ban a book from being taught to fifth-graders. Answers in the Pages has a clear point of view against banning books, but it treats all characters, including those who are in favor of the ban, with care and respect. Veteran author David Levithan carefully raises and explores issues facing middle-graders like friendship, censorship, love, and family in ways that are easy to understand without feeling talked down to.
Weaving between the two fifth-grade classes and the exciting adventure story within the story keeps the plot moving and the pages turning. And the novel showcases the value of deep, lifelong friendship.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about book banning in Answers in the Pages. Do you think the fictional novel The Adventurers would be a good choice for fifth graders? Why, or why not?
Mr. Howe, the teacher who chose The Adventurers, says it doesn't matter whether the characters are gay or not for deciding whether to teach it or ban it. Why does he say that? What does matter?
How do the characters model communication and teamwork? Are they good role models? Who's your favorite character, and why?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
