Books are introduced and removed from school curricula on a regular basis. However, certain texts are perennial in American classrooms, among them The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; The Cay, and To Kill A Mockingbird. As the NCAC states, there are problematic and challenging themes in many (if not all) books considered “classic texts.” Curricula have been developed to put these themes into context and to provide students with more perspective and compassion, with the goal of teaching the lessons of the past so that our present and future can be more equitable.
The Burbank School District’s policy states that if a book is challenged, it should remain in the curriculum until a decision is reached. Parents who have issued the challenge are allowed to ask for alternatives for their own children. However, the district has apparently violated policy by instructing teachers to stop teaching challenged books while those challenges are assessed.
A Girl and Her Book Reviews 