Condoms, Drug Dealers, Drunk Fathers – Are these good books for 6th graders?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just impressed they are recommending or offering books. We are in 6th and we haven't seen a book all year.

Our sixth graders are reading about Black Panthers in '68.

Are they reading One Crazy Summer? That's a good book.

It is a good book. And the kids are enjoying it. I'm sure some people think it's to racy for them, though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t read these particular books. I have worked in communities directly impacted by violence, drug abuse, physical, abuse, sexual abuse, and other issues. Many of these neighborhoods and schools are not within walking distance of either a bookst

Do you still work? And is it in MCPS?

This is no longer an issue. We are at a middle school with a high percentage of lower-income students. The kids can access electronic versions of the books from the school library. Or even the public library, if they cannot get a hold of the actual, physical book. Also, even during Covid, our school library ha stayed open for kids to check out books. They can do this when they come to the school for their free bagged lunch.

[Anonymous]

MCPS is making the curriculum culturally relevant for kids in east county. This is the kind of stuff they deal with so MCPS wants everyone to deal with it as well. MCPS will eventually force kids in west county to face it in real life once they institute busing. But for now, those kids will have to read about it in books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the books well-written? That's really all that matters to me.

If you feel as if the books don't reinforce your values, then have a discussion about that.

In 6th grade, some of my favorite books were Green Mansions, Jane Eyre, The Story of Rèmy, and Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates. All of them dealt with dark & complex themes and that's what I liked about them.

I am with you on that, and this is my gripe. I don't think either book is well-written.and this is my main issue with them, not drugs snd condoms.

The people taking issue with drugs & condoms, instead of taking issue with the quality of the writing, are showing their skewed values.

Drugs, condoms, alcoholic parents, poverty, and mental illness are facts of life. To think that 6th graders are unaware of these things, or unable to process them, underestimates the intelligence of 6th graders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is making the curriculum culturally relevant for kids in east county. This is the kind of stuff they deal with so MCPS wants everyone to deal with it as well. MCPS will eventually force kids in west county to face it in real life once they institute busing. But for now, those kids will have to read about it in books.

Ok, Karen. As if alcoholism, drug use, and sex knew the beltway was the dividing line. It doesn’t. But you keep thinking your snowflake is so virginal and pristine, lol!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you want your kids to read, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm?

Yes, what is wrong with that? Most older books have better vocabulary and real grammar.

LOLOL. Feel free to pull out and homeschool, so you can censor your kids' reading material down to the Little House on the Prairie series.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m normally pretty lenient and open minded but I think these cross the line. DD has probably, ok definitely heard all of these words before but having them in a school setting normalizes it and would probably make him think it’s okay to repeat. His current math teacher says crap all the time in class and my son asked why he can’t say that word, so I can only imagine he’d try to repeat the words in the book.

Oh, no, not CRAP! Horrors. He'll become a drug dealing prostitute before high school!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as my kids read, I’m fine with their reading just about anything. And 6th graders already know about condoms, drugs and drinks. They have access to TV, the internet and they talk.

And this, my friend, is the parent of a future Q-Anon follower.

Nope. The exact opposite. The future Q-Anons are the ones with parents falling all over themselves to shield them from anything "other."

[Anonymous]

It’s a recommended reading list not a required reading list. Its recommended as a means to expand horizons, encourage both dialogue and thought and ensure a diversity of characters and authors. Not sure why a child psychologist would need to weigh in on these two books. Plenty of middle schoolers read these books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During a recent 6th grade English class, a number of books were recommended for the kids to read including the following titles: Ghost by Jason Reynolds and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

Reviews of the book online mention the following topics and words - a drunk father trying to kill a boy and his mom, a coach with a drug addict father, horny, grinding, use of condoms, gang shootings, drug dealers, lots of curse words, over 90 F*** and Sh**, Bit**, F*** THE POLICE

Are there any child psychologist reading this? Are these books appropriate for 11- and 12-year old’s?

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-hate-u-give

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/ghost-track-book-1

These are the lives many 6th graders in MCPS are facing —particularly those poor kids that DCUM is so worried about.

Yeah, wait a minute. I though the whole schools open movement was about how much they cared about the nonwhite and/or underprivileged kids.

Oh, right. It was just BS to get their own kids into buildings...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read The Thornbirds in 6th grade in Catholic school because someone mishelved a donated book. It was very educational!

In middle school we all passed around Sidney Sheldon books with the pertinent pages dogeared. Oh, the humanity!

[Anonymous]

Don't worry OP. The fact that s many hateful Moms are coming on here to personally attack you and shame you says more about them than you.You be the great parent you are and parent your child as you see fit. Don't bow to this crazy Mom mob whose 11 year-olds are most likely drinking, doing drugs, watching porn sending nudes and hooking up. Let them raise their kids with ALL of this exposure to these things way too old for this age group.You're doing the right thing for your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m normally pretty lenient and open minded but I think these cross the line. DD has probably, ok definitely heard all of these words before but having them in a school setting normalizes it and would probably make him think it’s okay to repeat. His current math teacher says crap all the time in class and my son asked why he can’t say that word, so I can only imagine he’d try to repeat the words in the book.

Oh, no, not CRAP! Horrors. He'll become a drug dealing prostitute before high school!!!

Like your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't worry OP. The fact that s many hateful Moms are coming on here to personally attack you and shame you says more about them than you.You be the great parent you are and parent your child as you see fit. Don't bow to this crazy Mom mob whose 11 year-olds are most likely drinking, doing drugs, watching porn sending nudes and hooking up. Let them raise their kids with ALL of this exposure to these things way too old for this age group.You're doing the right thing for your family.

LOL ok. Yes, our 11 year olds are doing all those things. That’s right!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m normally pretty lenient and open minded but I think these cross the line. DD has probably, ok definitely heard all of these words before but having them in a school setting normalizes it and would probably make him think it’s okay to repeat. His current math teacher says crap all the time in class and my son asked why he can’t say that word, so I can only imagine he’d try to repeat the words in the book.

Oh, no, not CRAP! Horrors. He'll become a drug dealing prostitute before high school!!!

Yours sells his on snapchat business has been slow at your W school since you're not in person.