I. Can't. Take. It. People just aren't satisfied with challenging one book at a time anymore.
The books this time are:
Are You in the House Alone?, by Richard Peck
Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez
Rats Saw God, by Rob Thomas
Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love, by Maryrose Wood
The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver
The Bean Trees, Teacher's Edition
The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean Auel
The King Must Die, by Mary Renault
The Power of One (abridged), by Bryce Courtenay
Boy's Life, Robert McCammon
A school board member was approached by "people from a local radio station" who were concerned about the district's book orders. She took it upon herself to research the books online. The sites she used? "Two Web sites devoted to challenging the propriety of books in school libraries". (My guess is that they were ClassKC and PABBIS, because god forbid that she would use objective sources for her research.)
[Later:] Maryrose Wood, author of SK&HDFIL, is covering the challenge at her blog.
We read Clan of the Cave Bear outloud in my 9th grade World History class. I just had to bring that up. Mr. Seymour rules.
Posted by: Lauren | 23 May 2006 at 12:07 PM
isn't clan of the cave whatever a dirty dirty sex book? And isn't it a terrible movie starring Daryl Hannah?
Posted by: steve | 23 May 2006 at 04:37 PM
Ha! We watched the Clan of the Cave Bear movie in an upper-level anthropology seminar in university.
Posted by: sassymonkey | 23 May 2006 at 05:33 PM
No wonder they want to challenge Clan of the Cave Bear, what with it being a "dirty, dirty sex book". I haven't been able to bring myself to read it. I've checked it out of the library twice and renewed it all the allowable times without ever cracking the cover open. Now that I know it's a "dirty dirty sex book" and on the top of somebody's naughty list, I'm going to have to give it another try. I laugh in the face of censorship! HA!
Posted by: jmfausti | 24 May 2006 at 10:12 AM
The Power of One (abridged), by Bryce Courtenay???
Why? This Author spends his free time trying to get young people to read. His books are designed to get people into novels. OH! I missed the point! This School noard member is against education. Ah. It makes sense....
I amlso laugh in the face of censorship!
Posted by: Woosang | 25 May 2006 at 02:55 AM
I tried very hard to read all the way through "Clan of the Cave Bear." I got about 3/4 of the way but, wow, is it depressing. Just about every horrible thing happens to that poor girl.
But I guess there are worse fates than being adopted by Neanderthals. You could run for school board in Hernando County, Florida.
Posted by: Anne | 29 May 2006 at 10:39 AM
So, in other words, if people challenge one book at the time you'll be OK? Or maybe you just don't think the very people who are forced by the government to fund government schools and government libraries should not have the right to decide how their money is spent?
Because a book is made into a movie, it doesn't make it appropriate to minor children. "Caligula" from Gore Vidal was made it into a movie; it didn't make it more appropriate for minor children!
Now, censorship? Are books censored in the US? Where? I know (and all librarians and the ALA know) books are indeed banned in Cuba and communist countries. Yet I don't see the same hysterical claims of “censorship" rightfully applied to the commies! Why is that? Maybe it's because you are too busy throwing mud at Christians. Besides, how many times teachers are giving the Bible to their children to read? Are they “censoring” the Bible? I guess you might see the absurdity of your argument.
Posted by: Milla | 06 January 2008 at 12:24 PM