Debbie Reese, who appears to make a profession out of getting offended, recently posted a blog attacking Jon Scieszka for having the kids in his Timewarp book, Oh Me Oh Maya, think of Mayan ruler Kakapupahed as Cacapoopoohead. That's fine, in and of itself. We are free to complain about anything. But the way she did is is not fine, for many reasons. She recently made a blog post, linking Jon's actions with those of the hoaxers who made fun of the Asian pilots' names in the Asiana crash, and shared the link on YALSA-bk. Here's that post: http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2013/07/dear-jon-scieszka-ive-got-bone-to-pick.html

The first problem is that she made the same basic post seven years ago, likening Jon's very same single-word joke to Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2006/12/scieszkas-me-oh-maya-and-gibsons.html

This is not socially-conscious criticism. This is an obsessive vendetta over a ridiculous complaint. Jon makes fun of a ruler in every single Time Warp book. (E.g., Hatsnat in ancient Egypt, Owattabutt in feudal Japan, Boog in the Stone Age,) There are no Mayans around. And, from what we know, that might be a good thing. They performed mass sacrifices of children for religious purposes. Now, that I find offensive.

Ms. Reese complains that the book teaches readers that "Mayan's are fools who can be easily tricked." But, in the very same posts, she says that the evil priest is tricked "with the help of one of his relatives and her son." Which is it? Are they stupid. Or are they clever. They can't be both. Wait -- yes. They CAN be both. Just like any other people. Some are smart, some are stupid. And some have funny names.

As someone who has been called Jewbar, and who grew up experiencing real racism, I don't see "Cacapoopoohead" as racist. I see it as funny bathroom humor. When I see Chichen Itza, I instinctively think "Itza Chicken!" Does that make me a racist? Hell no. It makes me a punster. I will make fun of names from any culture, including my own. Just ask Joe Lieberschmuck.

This twice-told attack on Jon Scieszka is so misguided, I had to speak out. Yes, may of us had people make fun of our names as we were growing up. But this Maya example is not the same thing. And it sure as hell isn't like a Mel Gibson movie or an Asian-name hoax. The whole think reeks of an attempt to get attention by going after a large target. I'm not gong to sit by in silence when a friend and fellow author gets attacked in such a shameless way.