Parent criticizes book 'Fahrenheit 451 wants it removed from school. [View All]

[IChing]

Alton Berm, right, and his daughter, Diana, 15,
a sophomore at Caney Creek High School



Caney Creek High School dad is fired up because the Conroe Independent School District
uses the book "Fahrenheit 451" as classroom reading material.

Alton Verm, of Conroe, objects to the language and content in the book.
His 15-year-old daughter Diana, a CCHS sophomore, came to him Sept. 21
with her reservations about reading the book because of its language.

"The book had a bunch of very bad language in it," Diana Verm said.
"It shouldn't be in there because it's offending people. ...
If they can't find a book that uses clean words, they shouldn't have a book at all."

Alton Verm filed a "Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials"
Thursday with the district regarding "Fahrenheit 451,"
written by Ray Bradbury and published in 1953.
He wants the district to remove the book from the curriculum.

"It's just all kinds of filth," said Alton Verm,
adding that he had not read "Fahrenheit 451." "The words don't need to be brought out in class.
I want to get the book taken out of the class."

He looked through the book and found the following things wrong with the book:
discussion of being drunk, smoking cigarettes, violence, "dirty talk,"
references to the Bible and using God's name in vain.

He said the book's material goes against their religions beliefs.
The Verms go to Grand Parkway Church in Porter.

"We went them to go after God," said Glen Jalowy Jr., Grand Parkway Church youth minister.
"We encourage them that what you put in your mind and heart is what comes out."

Alton Verm said he doesn't understand how the district can punish students
for using bad language, yet require them to read a book with bad language as part of a class.

Diana Verm and another classmate decided to read an alternative book. They leave the classroom when the class reads or discusses "Fahrenheit 451," she said. The two students were given "Ella Minnow Pea" by Mark Dunn because it shares common themes with "Fahrenheit 451," said Chris Hines, CISD assistant superintendent for secondary education.

review of Ella Minnow Pea:

"Dunn obviously spent significant energy and creativity to write without certain letters,
and there are several nice turns of phrase in the book.
As a novel, though, Ella Minnow Pea reads like a literary StairMaster --
a decent workout, but don't expect to go anywhere."

- Mark Luce, San Francisco Chronicle

>>>snip
http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17270600&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=532215&rfi=6


We were reading 1984 at that age
and talk about the juicy parts