The complainants are now working to have the book removed from all but the 12th grade curriculum.It never dawned on Heather Campbell that she'd one day work to get a book banned from a school's curriculum.
But Campbell found herself in just that position after she read Jeannette Walls' memoir "The Glass Castle," a book assigned to her freshman daughter over the summer as part of the 9th grade honors English course at Traverse City West Senior High School.
I may be wrong, but I think it's a good sign that more people who are moderate and mostly reasonable are asking to have books reviewed. Maybe they can take back the conversation from the wing-nuts. If we could just reach a place where books are available and teachers can recommend them without losing their jobs, that would be great. I'm okay with them not being assigned reading.
Posted by: Hope | 04 December 2012 at 10:42 AM
Yeah, in this case, the complainants sound pretty reasonable -- it sounded to me like they wouldn't have challenged it if there'd been an alternative read, at any rate.
In my version of a perfect world, they'd be campaigning for an alternate read for their kid, period, rather than trying to make the entire school district fall in line with their own opinion about what's appropriate, but, then again, that's my own personal vision of a perfect world, so I can't really boss anyone into falling in line with me, either. :D
Posted by: Leila | 04 December 2012 at 10:51 AM
I don't have a problem with them asking for an alternative for 9th grade, but it goes beyond that when they want it to never be used for 10th and 11th grade. I've read this particular book, and there is nothing in it that is more upsetting than the nightly news, or reading the news feed on a place like NBCnews.com.
Posted by: Emily | 04 December 2012 at 11:09 AM
Yeah, I think we've been around this block before, you and I. : ) I'm just not a fan of one-size-fits-all assigned reading.
Posted by: Hope | 04 December 2012 at 11:25 AM
:D
Posted by: Leila | 04 December 2012 at 11:26 AM