Just got disturbing email regarding English class for my rising freshman

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.

That’s a hard no.

The amount of awards this book won is staggering. People more knowledgeable than you think it's a yes.

I’m all about the awards for its literary style. Adults should read it and support this authors work.
She’s talented.
It’s just not a book for 9th graders.

You know not of what you speak. The awards are related to youth. Stop coddling your kids.

The Poet X was awarded The Printz Award, which "honors the best book written for teens this year."

The Poet X was also recently awarded the Pura Belpré Award, which is presented anually to a Latinx writer "whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth."

In November, The Poet X was the recipient of the 2018 National Book Award for Young People's Literature

So bring a book with a drawing of Mohammed into your 9th grade classroom with several passages about teen sex, make it required reading and see how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, wouldn't any work of classic literature that references sexual activity get this warning? E.g. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Sound and the Fury, Lolita, and lots more.

What? What is "sexually explicit" in To Kill a Mockingbird?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG OP, it's not like they're going to be reading The Happy Hooker in class.

Lol, I read this when I was like 8. My mother had it in the house and I picked it up and read it. I was so confused. I actually remember that her favorite drink is "fruit punch."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.

That’s a hard no.

So you've read it?

The Poet X should not be a class required book due to the desecration of the most sacred part of Catholicism, the Eucharist.

FCPS would not allow a book anywhere near a classroom that denigrated Mohammed in the same way that this book desecrates the Eucharist.

Leave it as a classroom book for kids to choose on their own, but remove it from the class reading lists.

The book is required reading?

Not “required” per se. You can opt out and the teacher has to provide an alternative and your kid leaves the room.
So technically not required but yes.

Just checking - because the poster says that this book should not be a class required book. And it's not.

Well the pledge of allegiance wasnt required either, but wouldnt you agree that it’s uncomfortable to have to be the only one who opts out?
Why not just choose class selections that don’t require the “sexually explicit content” notification letter? Are there not enough quality book choices that meet that requirement?

I can agree with you on that but I would like to see this without reverting to the "classics". Reading for pleasure drops steeply in high school - we need books that engage students and encourage them to be life long readers. I guess we need to figure out what books can do that and more importantly, support teachers that inspire students no matter the book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the up side, maybe it’ll make some parents read a book or two.

This is the DMV. Most parents here read plenty. Not sure who you are hanging out with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, wouldn't any work of classic literature that references sexual activity get this warning? E.g. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Sound and the Fury, Lolita, and lots more.

What? What is "sexually explicit" in To Kill a Mockingbird?

SHE IS RAPED!!! BY HER FATHER! OMG.

[Anonymous]

We need to go back to basics just stem and ai the rest is not worth the trouble

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need to go back to basics just stem and ai the rest is not worth the trouble

LOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They see worse in movies or YouTube.

They probably aren't bookclubbing their internet porn selections with their 5th period lit class and the creepy male millenial teacher. Just saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need to go back to basics just stem and ai the rest is not worth the trouble

chatgpt write me a book appropriate for a high school english class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were reading books like Clan of the Cave Bear, The King Must Die, Mists of Avalon, 100 Years of Solitude, and Unbearable Lightness of Being at my Catholic school in the 90s. And yes, many of those were as Freshmen. Calm down.

You read The Unbearable Lightness of Being in hs? That's amazing. It's one of my favorite books. But I never would have understood or appreciated it at that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember my friend and I sneaking into the library’s Young Adult fiction to read Judy Blume’s “Forever” when I was in the sixth grade. This was after I had asked the children’s librarian why it wasn’t there and she said it was for older girls and not me. Made me go read it faster.

By freshman year, we had read many more books in that section.

Did not make me go out and have sex early. In fact, I was a late bloomer on that front.

My friends and I passed a paperback copy of this around in 6th grade! I remember sitting on the grass behind the school during recess, every one of us confused about what "came" meant, lol. We had no clue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, wouldn't any work of classic literature that references sexual activity get this warning? E.g. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Sound and the Fury, Lolita, and lots more.

What? What is "sexually explicit" in To Kill a Mockingbird?

SHE IS RAPED!!! BY HER FATHER! OMG.

Yes...but I would NOT call it "sexually explicit" - rape is implied and suggested but never stated outright and never in any sexual terms.

[Anonymous]

I was the pp who mentioned To Kill a Mockingbird, I never said it was explicit but if you read the stock language in the letter of the OP, it references basically any reference to sex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, wouldn't any work of classic literature that references sexual activity get this warning? E.g. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Sound and the Fury, Lolita, and lots more.

What? What is "sexually explicit" in To Kill a Mockingbird?

SHE IS RAPED!!! BY HER FATHER! OMG.

Yes...but I would NOT call it "sexually explicit" - rape is implied and suggested but never stated outright and never in any sexual terms.

Did you read the book or watch the movie?