[LM_NET] GEN: What's Eating Gilbert Grape Challenge

[LISA DREESMAN <rlsdreesman@MSN.COM>]

I am the middle school and upper elementary teacher-librarian, and am a member of 
our district's reconsideration committee. One of our high school language arts 
teachers and our high school teacher-librarian are embroiled in a controversy over 
the book What's Eating Gilbert Grape.  A parent protested the book to our 
superintendant who read the "offensive pages," (NOT the entire book) and publicly 
deemed it pornography and told the teacher to stop using the book in her lit. to 
film class. Before making this decision, he also had the members of the school 
board read the same passages--again, NOT the entire book, and they agreed with the 
decision. He did not say that it couldn't be checked out from the library, and of 
course all 25 copies are now checked out. This has received much local and 
statewide attention, and this past Monday, a parent filed the paperwork to have the 
book banned from the media center as well based on the newspaper reports. She also 
has not read the book. As a member of this committee, it is my job to gather 
reviews of this book. Have any of you had this book challenged in your schools, and 
can anyone help me locate these reviews? We will be meeting for the first time on 
Dec. 11th.

I appreciate your help!

Lisa Dreesman
Teacher-Librarian
Carroll Middle School
Adams Elementary
Carroll, Iowa

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