Comments on: Book too explicit for Fremont students

By: Fremont school board rejects controversial book | Tri-City Beat

Fremont school board rejects controversial book | Tri-City Beat — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:00:02 +0000

[...] Last year, the board voted 3-2 not to accept the book, which was recommended by the district’s secondary schools’ textbook adoption committee. This year, the vote was 4-1. (Trustees Lily Mei, Larry Sweeney, Ivy Wu and Lara York voted not to approve the book; Bryan Gebhardt supported it.) York switched her vote from last year, saying books that had just been reviewed the year before should not return to the board so soon for reconsideration. [...]

By: Fremont school board hesitant to honor slain gay rights pioneer | Tri-City Beat

Sun, 16 May 2010 06:47:40 +0000

[...] same year, a 3-three member board majority (Larry Sweeney, Lily Mei and Ivy Wu) banned a book it deemed too violent for AP English [...]

By: Coyote Bill

Coyote Bill — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:05:30 +0000

Ignorance is not just restricted to rednecks, but also the board members. Who appointed them. What are there problems. Do they realize how utterly stupid they appear

By: Teri Hu

Teri Hu — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:23:05 +0000

I’m the AP English Literature teacher who submitted Bastard Out of Carolina for approval. I’d like to emphasize that it passed through TWO layers of district committees before reaching the board. I’d also like to know if the three board members who voted against it actually read it. No offense, but I have my doubts. It would be nice to know they voted with full awareness of what they were voting on, so if any of them would like to prove my skepticism to be unfounded, I would welcome their assurances.

The wonderful thing about this is that more students will read the book now than would ever have been interested in it before. So thank you, conservative and overprotective board members, for increasing our young people’s exposure to the very issues that you sought to shield them from.

By the way, my twelve year old daughter read Bastard Out of Carolina earlier this year and loved it. Kids are smarter than some adults give them credit for. As parents and educators, it’s condescending and ignorant to prevent them from reading about difficult subjects. The more enlightened and responsible approach is to guide them through the reading, giving them a chance to ask questions and discuss it openly with adult supervision. That is how we TEACH. That is how we prepare young people to enter a complicated adult world where they have to make informed decisions on difficult topics.

But I suppose that would require that we take time out of our busy schedules to actually read books, too…maybe when adults are pressed for time, the easier solution is to just keep our kids from reading anything we’re not ready to talk to them about.

By: Marty

Marty — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:44:33 +0000

I haven’t read the book, but from the acclaim I will assume it’s a bona fide piece of literature. It’s almost a silly idea to think kid’s sanctity is being preserved by removing an adult book from the classroom. By way of the media, internet and music teenagers are exposed to (and engage in) equally threatening activity on their own- sexual, criminal, etc.

By: Jon Simon

Jon Simon — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:56:58 +0000

Matt, do you really think 12th grade AP English students can’t handle a book? This effectively is censorship. How Victorian of the board.

By: Matt Zinger

Matt Zinger — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:21:03 +0000

Thanks to the School Board, Students are spared from a book that is too intense and violent for high school students. I appreciate Larry Sweeney, Ivy Wu and Lily Mei for making the right call.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:48:01 +0000

I wonder if the board members read the book before banning it. I’ve not read it, but we read “Light in August” and “Invisible Man” when I was a high school senior, they included rape, murder and castration. I still like Faulkner…

By: simple times

simple times — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:48:08 +0000

Shouldn’t teachers decide what is appropriate for their students to read?

By: Eyesbright

Eyesbright — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:43:35 +0000

I’m an avid reader and always have been, so I read the synopsis carefully and thoroughly. Having done so, I find that I agree with removing this book from the approved list (which is not censorship, per se). This book sounds much too intense, far too violent, and would seem to have nothing in it of value for a high school student. There are literally thousands of books that would benefit students in numerous ways. I’m surprised this one was even considered. I would have serious doubts about any teacher (at the high school level) who would assign this book.

At a college level, perhaps to critique the story and writing style, etc., it might be appropriate.