Wow wow wow. How cool it would be to have Rodman Philbrick do an
author visit. How very sad that that superintendent turned him down!
When I first read _Freak the Mighty_, I LOVED it. Then when I
listened to _Last book_ on audio one summer, Philbrick became one of
my favorite writers, up there with Pullman, LeGuin, and Douglas Adams.
Some people just have such a way with words and story and making you
think.
I can't help thinking that there's something going on at Partington's
school district that we don't know about.
--
Robin Shtulman
Librarian
Greenfield Middle School
Greenfield, MA
http://gmsl.blogspot.com/
robsht1@gpsk12.org
413-772-1360 ext. 221
>
> Rodman Philbrick has visited our school three different years, so I
> shared the Richie Partington story with him. He contacted the
> superintendent of the district where Richie booktalked. Below is
> what he wrote. Be sure to read the final line!
> **************************************************
> Dear Mr. Roehrick,
> It has come to my attention that one of my novels, 'The
> Last Book In The Universe' has been banned from a local school and
> that the person who book-talked the book has been fired because he
> declined to discuss the situation with the school principal until
> the principal actually read the book.
> This is unfortunate for lots of reasons, not the least of
> which is that I'm troubled by the notion that one of my books
> somehow got an enthusiastic book advocate fired.
> Maybe I'm an optimist, but it seems to me that this may be
> one of those misunderstanding by well-intentioned folks that has
> somehow gotten out of hand. No reader of 'The Last Book In The
> Universe' would find that it advocates a gang lifestyle, or
> glorifies the idea of gangs. Quite the opposite. In essence the
> story is anti-gang as well as strongly anti-drug. Despite being set
> in the future, it's a very old fashioned story about a courageous
> boy who overcomes terrible adversity and triumphs because he
> understands the difference between right and wrong.
> If it's possible, I'd like to try and set things right.
> Here's my proposal: if the school administrators read the book and
> find that it is appropriate for 6th graders, and if they will
> assign the book to be read in class (there are several teaching
> guides to it available free, online) I will offer to come to Santa
> Rosa and speak to the students at my own expense, waiving my usual
> honorarium. I will even see if my publisher can be persuaded to
> donate class sets of the book, and if that doesn't work I'll raise
> the money and donate the books myself.
> Maybe we can take a lemon situation and make it lemonade!
> Yours truly.
> Rodman Philbrick
> He responded almost immediately, turning down the offer in no
> uncertain terms.
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