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School Says Book Can Stay
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Published: January 10, 2008
Updated: 01/09/2008 11:22 pm
TAMPA - A committee of parents, teachers and students at Armwood High School voted unanimously Wednesday to keep a book in its media center after it was challenged by a parent who objected to an explicit passage.
"Just Listen" by Sarah Dessen is "very well written," "fantastic," "hip" and filled with life lessons, said committee members who all read the book over the holidays.
"I had really strong feelings," said Delia Anderson, Armwood's reading coach. "I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting. ... I thought it was fantastic."
Carla Wuenschel, parent of an 18-year-old at Armwood, said the author "has a perspective of young minds that's unbelievable. ... She did a tremendous job."
Parent Cheryl Watkins, a registered nurse with a 15-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, didn't make the meeting but submitted her written review.
"The music played at Pep Rallies & the dances at this school is 10 X more offensive than anything I read in this book!" Watkins wrote.
"As a parent, woman & nurse, it's my opinion that this book not only stay in the library but also become a mandatory read," she wrote.
For Mature Eyes Only
The book will remain in media centers of all Hillsborough high schools and several middle schools with a sticker noting it is for "mature readers," said Christine Van Brunt, the district's supervisor of media services for grades six through 12.
In mid-December, an Armwood parent, Milisa Burt, read part of a passage from the book at a school board meeting. The passage, describing an attempted rape, was "just awful," Burt said, and a shock to find in her 15-year-old daughter's backpack.
Burt's reading was stopped in midsentence by board chairwoman Jennifer Faliero, who said it was too explicit for television. Faliero called the passage "repulsive."
Because Burt's daughter attends Armwood, her written challenge was heard by a committee at that school.
"We read more explicit things in our English classes," said committee member Rebecca Miner, 17. "It's a good book you can get something out of."
1 Panel Member 'Underwhelmed'
Jeff Peltzer, a fine arts teacher, said he saw no problem with the passage in question.
"I guess I felt underwhelmed by that scene," Peltzer said, although other committee members said it was intense but necessary.
Parent Lynn Robbins suggested the group assign parental guidelines to books to indicate bad language or sexual references in addition to the mature readers sticker, but other committee members said that would be too hard to monitor.
Robbins gave school board member Doretha Edgecomb credit for showing up to hear a reading of the book over the holidays. Several board members requested the book to read, Van Brunt said.
"It was gripping," said one of those members, Candy Olson. "It was very true to life and very well written. It was so true to life I can see why a mother was concerned."
April Griffin also read the book. "It was a really good book," she said Wednesday. "I'm glad the committee and I came to the same conclusion."
Burt, the mother who challenged the book, said Wednesday that she didn't want to comment further. Van Brunt said Burt can appeal Armwood's decision.
Reporter Marilyn Brown can be reached at (813) 259-8069 or mbrown@tampatrib.com.
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