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" Parents are letting their kids get too soft these days. They try to censor and protect kids too much. Case in point, look at the listed of Banned Books below. I have not personally read all of them, but am familiar with most and the ones that I'm familiar with all carry a great social message too them. Sure they may use course language and the "N" word that rhymes with trigger. That is the language of the time though. They may get graphic but life is graphic at times. As for Harry Potter books, I don't know that I would consider them classic literature like the rest of the books though. "

" can read a book and never get the full realm of what it is all about. They skim over the words and see what they want to see and not what it is all about. Like some of the bloggers on here. This was about high school kids, NOT third graders, so please don't skim, read! If you don't understand the book, then don't read it because it is above your intelligence. Read books that you understand and work your way up. Some books I don't even understand. They talk in circles instead of getting to the point and them some never get to the point. "

" I'd be tickled to death if my freshmen actually read any book. CliffNotes are about all I can get out of them. Parents need to open their eyes; if their child has ever been on the internet, watched a television show after 9pm or has seen a pg-13 or higher rated movie, the book could not have surprised him. The school board needs to grow some things and stand up for what appears to be an excellent teacher. "

" any book out there that would maybe interest someone .we need more control over everyones minds .lets all be sheep .and do as these good christians say .give me a break this kind of crap is about to make me start the revoultion . if a child wants to read a book let them .o wait its not there decision on what they can read its the people that think that the only good reading comes out of the minds of the simple minded with no regards to anyone that writes books about anything other than good and happy thoughts i will be right back i need my prozac. "

" Good Bye to Texas University, So long to the orange and the white....... "

" Hey, these are my fellow Texians that yore talking about. Good Christians. We need to ban all these Godlessness books. "

" Seriously? My parents could barely get me to answer with anything but "Fine." or "Okay." when asked "How was school today?" I sure wouldn't have clued them in as to what I was reading in English class, especially if it was as interesting as that book sounds. "

" People should be more outraged about the treatment of the teacher in this situation. We obviously have a major shortage of good young teachers in this country. This young man has seemingly made an impact on many of these youngsters live and people should be standing behind him. So many great teachers these days leave the profession due to wages, over zealous parents (see above), and other frustrating limitations that are set by the "few" and impact the "whole". We should be supporting the students and those teachers that genuinely want to guide them. "

" uh... actually, I see no problem with keeping books in libraries. I think some concern needs to be made when young children check out age inappropriate books, but never outright banning. I just think the pantagraph has seriously declined in terms of quality reporting. Any local stories are usually factually inaccurate or wholly incomplete (e.g. the pantagraph fails to state the circumstances why a certain local figure turned herserlf in on charges of poisoning animals). Or they fill the website / paper with stories from Obscure Arkansas written by the AP. This is a local paper, not USA today. lets up the quality of local reporting and quit with this mindless gutter stories from somewhere else in america with little to no natioanl relavance. "

" BURN ALL BOOKS !!!!! ALLAH IS GREAT !!!!!!!! "

" I am not for banning books, but I have to say Cormac McCarthy is one of the most overrated authors I have had the displeasure of reading. Surely there is something better the teacher could have picked. McCarthy is the "author du jour" because Oprah picked a book by him (which stank). "

" The following CLASSIC books have been BANNED due to their content: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling Forever by Judy Blume Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger The Color Purple by Alice Walker A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Beloved by Toni Morrison The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Lord of the Flies by William Golding Native Son by Richard Wright The Dead Zone by Stephen King The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman ...and... all the Harry Potter books! (whew!) "

" I apologize, I read third grade for third year. I am very sorry. If I knew who you were I would invite you for a coke. Since I don't know who you are I will donate funds to a local food pantry on your behalf. "

" The Grapes of Wrath in High School, where a starving man drinks from the breast of a pregnant woman. I don't remember parents having a fit over that. I remember a collective "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW" from the students LOL "

" 3rd-year teacher. not third grade teacher. he teaches high school. he has done so for 3 years. we need to read a little closer. and ban the banning of books. "

" what are you talking about? Third grade? this was a freshman english class... "

" I think some of the regulars here would have benefitted from a more challenging reading curriculum: These *were* high-schoolers. Ninth grade, not third grade. "

" I think you need to read the article. There is no mention of 3rd graders. "

" In 3rd grade? Come on, maybe in high school but these kids are just starting to think for themselves and are being molded into what their parents hope will be a productive member of society. In a short time I believe we are going to see more home schooling and private schools. TO:Ridiculous!, have no worry, God and all mention of Him has been removed from school. You don't want Him there so is there any wonder why the schools are in trouble. You can't have it both ways. You can't take God out of schools then blame God for things that go wrong in schools. What are you going to say when Ramadan comes to central Illinois and children in Bloomington will be learning about the Koran which by the way is still allowed in some schools. "

" I am very glad to read this article in the Pantagraph. It is indeed both relevant locally and nationally important! Don't be so closed minded; I can tell from your post that you would agree with these radically conservative parents for banning the listed books! "

" It is a reflection of the American mentality when we are now on the path to book banning again. "

" I don't understand this. We put sex, drugs, and immoral things all over TV and magazines and even promote them - yet, when a pictureless book that contains something disgusting we hear an uproar? What about The Green Mile? I read that in 9th grade. It contained a man who raped and killed two girls (sisters). This is stupid and I hate this country's hypocrisy. Get a grip. "

" Books are not supposed to make you feel nice, warm, and cozy. They are supposed to incite your mind to think. Some books contain material which is "graphic" but is neccesary. "Of Mice and Men" may have racial slurs in it, but theses were used in the time. They are supposed to make you think about how wrong they are. These books do not condone this behavior, but describe it to give insight to conditions of which the reader may not have been informed. What happened to freedom of press? "

" Distributing Harmful Materials?!. Sure, the book is disgusting, but criminal charges? This is ass-backward. "

" There are MUCH worse things that kids are just plain TALKING about amongst themselves. Reading books with such topics actually involve a life lesson...thus the point in reading a book!! And who wants to ban "Of Mice and Men" ??? That book is a classic! There is nothing wrong with that book! Okay, maybe the scene where Lenny accidentally squeezed the puppies head off is a little sad/disturbing...but it wasn't on purpose!! And he felt bad!! LOL What is this world coming to!!??!! If people are going to protest books like this..I'll protest books about religion stating that they "offend" me!! Crazy people!!! "

" that the pantagraph runs these articles. I see how they both are locally relevant and/or nationally important. C'mon Pantagraph, lets start seeing some real articles in both the paper and the webpage. "