Saturday, December 13, 2008

And I Thought Oregon Was Progressive Maybe Even Liberal

I am indebted to Andy at The Cool Justice Report for calling my attention to this story. I try to keep up with book-banning/burning events but I missed this one.

Helen Jung reports in the Oregonian: "The Crook County School District has temporarily removed a book from classrooms after one parent complained to the school board that the National Book Award winner was "trashy" and "inappropriate."
What is wrong with a parent who would make this kind of a complaint about a book described as "deeply funny, politically incorrect, slightly naughty, and heart-wrenching, . . . a glimpse into an unfamiliar culture and maintains a balance between the bleak reality of reservation life and the stunning beauty of a loving family and friendship" in a review in School Library Journal. I know there is probably not grounds for a charge of child abuse here, but maybe there ought to be.