[CALIBK12] Novel about suicide pulled after mother seesfourth-grader's pick

[Darla Brown]

"Orlando [the parent] has volunteered to go through the books at Dry Creek to flag staff to any that aren't suitable for elementary students."

OK. That's a little scary. Definitely not something I want happening at my library...

Mrs. Darla Brown, TL, M.Ed.
Teacher Librarian
Garces Memorial High School
"60 Years of Excellence in Catholic Education"
661-327-2578 x133
dbrown at garces.org


From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Jeff Vogt
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 11:49 AM
To: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] Novel about suicide pulled after mother seesfourth-grader's pick


The book was "Face at the Edge of the World" by Eve Bunting
[http://media.fresnobee.com/smedia/2008/11/16/21/676-MTD_TAO_BOOK_PROBLEM_1.standalone.prod_affiliate.8.JPG]

TOMAS OVALLE / THE FRESNO BEE

Geneva Orlando holds a book her son Grayden, 9, checked out from the library at Dry Creek Elementary School. Orlando felt it had inappropriate passages and a focus on suicide.

Clovis checks out books at its schools
Novel about suicide pulled after mother sees fourth-grader's pick.
By Anne Dudley Ellis / The Fresno Bee
11/16/08 22:14:51
After a fourth-grade student checked out a novel about teen suicide from a school library and his mother complained, Clovis Unified officials scoured the shelves of its other elementary schools in search of the book.Geneva Orlando said her 9-year-old son, Grayden, checked out "Face at the Edge of the World" from the Dry Creek Elementary School library recently, excited that it was within his reading level and worth six points in a reading program that Clovis Unified School District students participate in.
But she discovered that the book, by Eve Bunting, was about a high school student trying to figure out why his best friend hanged himself.
And as she read on, she found explicit make-out scenes between teenagers.
"Is this really fourth-grade reading?" Orlando asked in an e-mail sent to Clovis Unified board president Brian Heryford and others.
The district did not find the book at any of its other elementary schools and has pulled it from Dry Creek's library, spokeswoman Kelly Avants said.
"We agree that this book was not appropriate," Avants said.
The district typically selects books for its school libraries based on two positive reviews from "reputable sources" and strives to make sure they fit with the age of students, Avants said.
"This book predates our current process," she said.
She encouraged parents to "stay on top of what your child reads and make sure it's appropriate for your family's values."
Orlando has volunteered to go through the books at Dry Creek to flag staff to any that aren't suitable for elementary students.
"I'm worried that there's stuff that nobody there has reviewed," she said. "How did this one get through?"
A librarian with Fresno County also said parents need to keep tabs on what children are reading.
"A lot of parents believe if they send [their children] to the library, it's a safe place, and that they'll come back with something that's appropriate," said Connie Urquhart, teen services coordinator for the Fresno County library.
"We can't be the parent. We don't know what each individual parent has in mind for their children."
She also said that asking young people about what books they're reading can spark interesting discussions between children and parents.
The reporter can be reached at aellis at fresnobee.com<mailto:aellis at fresnobee.com> or (559) 441-6328.

________________________________
Subject: RE: [CALIBK12] Novel about suicide pulled after mother seesfourth-grader's pick
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:56:01 -0800
From: CJordan at losbanosusd.k12.ca.us
To: lmtstuff at hotmail.com
Can't find the article what is the title of the book.

Claudia Jordan
Media Specialist II
Los Banos Unified School District
1149 East B Street
Los Banos, CA 93635

209.826.3161 phone
209.826.6950 fax
________________________________
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Jeff Vogt
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:44 AM
To: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
Subject: [CALIBK12] Novel about suicide pulled after mother seesfourth-grader's pick


Clovis checks out books at its schools
Novel about suicide pulled after mother sees fourth-grader's pick.
After a fourth-grade student checked out a novel about teen suicide from a school library and his mother complained, Clovis Unified officials scoured the shelves of its other elementary schools in search of the book.

> http://www.fresnobee.com/local/v-emailform/story/1016805.html
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