BOOK CHALLENGE

[William and Marilyn Harfst <harfst@starnetinc.com>]

Dear LM_NET friends,

     I am the LMS in a 6-8 middle school.  I am about to have a book
challenged, and I need some advice on how to handle the situation.  We
have had book challenges in the past, and they have gotten ugly, so I
would like to handle this one very carefully.
     At the very end of the year I received a phone call from a 6th
grade parent whose daughter had checked out the book Weekend by
Christopher Pike from our LMC.  She was very upset and wanted me to
remove not only this book from the shelves, but ALL the Christopher Pike
books.  Since it was the end of the school year, and I was VERY busy
(you all know what the end of the year is like) and knew I couldn't drop
everything to read Christopher Pike books, I was able to get this mother
to agree to let me read the books over the summer.
     I would like your opinion on whether you think Christopher Pike
books belong in a middle school LMC and advice on how to handle this
challenge.  I really need your help on this one.  TIA

Mariln Harfst, LMS
Hannah Beardsley Middle School
Crystal Lake, IL