Yesterday, I was reading a post from Laure Halse Anderson’s blog, one of my favorites. She had mentioned that her latest book, Wintergirls, had been reviewed in the NY Times.

Now it seems it has created a conversation about if this book, which is about anorexia, will trigger eating disorders in young girls.

I read Wintergirls earlier this year, and although I haven’t been a “girl” in a minute, I think if anything it gives a realistic portrayal of what can happen when you have an eating disorder. For me, I took it as a cautionary tale. This is the kind of book that needs to be read in the light of day—not hidden in the dark.

When I was a young girl taking ballet, I saw first hand accounts of girls trying to get to a certain weight, only to find that weight was still “too fat” for them. It’s a vicious cycle, so I definitely know that it’s an issue. But I’m sure this book will not become a “primer” for anorexia.

I love what the Jezebel blog had to say:

While obviously educators or librarians have a responsibility to acquaint themselves with the materials kids are accessing on their watch, it seems ironic that we should be troubled by the appearance of a smart, uncondescending book for young women. It is not good books, however realistic their subject matter, that are causing problems of image and self-esteem. It is not intelligenced, nuanced discussions that are provoking distortion.

As Laurie states in her blog post, it comes down to the basic question: Will our children act in a dangerous manner if they read about dangerous behaviors in books?

Check out Laurie’s post as well as the Jezebel blog post.