Lemont (IL) H.S. class reading list questioned by parents

[KamaAina]

http://chronicleillinois.com/news/cook-county-news/lemont-h-s-class-reading-list-questioned-parents/

The school pulled Booker-prize winning novel “The God of Small Things,” published in 1997 by Arundhati Roy, from the reading list of the Academic English II class, because the book “contains subject matter in some sections that is not appropriate for our students,” wrote Principal Eric Michaelsen in a Nov. 2 email to parents. “The questionable passages were not assigned for students to read. The books have been collected and will not be used again,” Michaelsen wrote.

“I’ve read some excerpts of (‘I know Why the Caged Bird Sings’) that include an 8-year-old getting raped; it’s very explicit,” said Mary Kay Fessler. “The sexual content is too much for their young minds to process. As an adult, yes, we can process that, but as a 14-, 15-,16-year-old, I don’t’ think they have the neurological (power) to process that.”...

“Regardless of the books, I’m recommending to the board that no literature whatsoever be inclusive of literal metaphorical, figurative or allegorical words for male or female genitals,” he said. Identifying himself as a former tenured school teacher he said, other than exceptions for state-mandated sex ed, “English classes should not be involved in sexuality in literature for our kids. It shouldn’t be in any books. No books.”

“We can’t have 18-year-olds reading about masturbation or sexual issues, regardless of the literature. I don’t care if it’s from Dickens or who else,” he said, in summary.

This in one of the handful of Blue states between the coasts?!

[msongs]

1. bibles are full of perverted sex genocide and rapacious behavior. they should be pulled asap nt

[yeoman6987]

2. Not the same thing

The Bible would never be on a reading list in a public school. I don't think reading about an 8 year old getting raped should be allowed either. I am stunned some want that read.

[Frustratedlady]

6. I have to agree. As a pretty open-minded great-grandmother, I say...

let the kids grow up and enjoy childhood. They'll get into that stuff in their later years which is soon enough. Adulthood is a shock in its own learning experiences and being able to enjoy their younger years will develop their attitude toward others and toward society in general. If, in later years, they are curious about the book, let them choose it in their own time and development. I'm not censoring, I'm leaning toward age-appropriate reading material. That book sounds like it is too heavy reading material. Kids grow up too fast as it is. JMVHO!

[yeoman6987]

7. Yep. Especially now. Kids will soon find out how awful things are with this election

Might as well allow them to enjoy what they can now.

[Lotusflower70]

3. Seriously?

Let's continue the dumbing down on America. As a parent, I think it's important to teach your children about sex and your teens about the criminal aspect of sexual assault and rape. The ages that they are speaking of would not be considered too much for them. Some people continue to underestimate young people and then they aren't prepared for the real world. I think it’s an insult to their intelligence.

[exboyfil]

4. Ezekiel 23:20

There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

[MineralMan]

5. OMG! By the age of 18, most people have no need to read about

masturbation. They understand it pretty well already, from personal experience.

Some parents are very strange in their beliefs about their own children.

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. Lemont is a relatively far out suburb of Chicago.

It might trend to the red out there.

[saltpoint]

9. I hope the students in that district

will jot down the titles their elders object to, and head out to the library to read every goddam one of them.

[leftyladyfrommo]

10. Bann a book and every kid in that school

will manage to get a copy and read it. We sure did. And they should. Books should never be banned.

[Mariana]

11. That's exactly what happened at my high school.

Many students made a point of reading books from the banned list openly during free time in class, study hall, or lunch break - and plenty of the teachers smiled when they saw us doing it. The public library was on our side, too. They always had plenty of copies of each banned book on hand.

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. Of course.

And every book store has copies. Or just order them on line.