Moms Launch Effort to Reinstate Banned Books at Highland Park High School

Highland Park High School suspended seven books from the district's approved list: The Art of Racing in the Rain; The Working Poor: Invisible in America;Siddhartha; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian; An Abundance of Katherines; The Glass Castle: A Memoir; and Song of Solomon.

Two moms are now leading the efforst to reinstate those books. Laurie Dodic Steinberg and Natalie Davis have organized a meeting with about forty parents and students Sunday night to launch an email campaign to object to the suspension and show support for high school English teachers.

Superintendent Dawson Orr suspended the books from instructional use after some parents objected to sex scenes or references to mature themes such as rape, abuse and abortion.

Steinberg said Highland Park ISD is violating its own policy to allow access to books. She says:

"They have pulled The Art of Racing in the Rain right out of the hands of the sophomore English students. They can say it's in the library all they want, but the fact is they've pulled these books in the middle of the six weeks and are now asking the teachers to scramble for a whole new lesson plan. It's just incredibly sad."

Steinberg also responds:

"These books could have the potential to make some people uncomfortable, but having our children grow up in the sheltered environment - "The Bubble" - our children need to be exposed to different ideas and ways of life for others. We're doing a disservice to our students if we don't broaden their minds and let them know more about the outside world."

The ban coincides with Banned Books Week, which celebrates the freedom to read.

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